IntenseDebate- DO NOT install this if you can...

I uninstalled IntenseDebate Commenting system from my blog and whoa! it takes with it all my comments too!
Thanks Intense, that was way to intense a retribution!
And to think there tag line is Imagine Better comments; please someone advice them to make it - Imagine going from some comments to NO comments!

I am VERY ANGRY! I have this xml with the comments that I USED to have, but have no idea HOW to get it working on my blog. Has anyone EVER gone through this issue?! If yes, did u EVER get back your comments? and if yes, How?
If the answer to above question is No, don't mention it to me - I am already devastated, please do not virtually kill me :)

So Girls, sorry because all your nice comments have vanished.
I saw your comments and over the next months, I will try putting them in the posts, but I think it is such a stupid thing to have happened to me!
I can reinstall that thing, but then I am not sure anymore that I want to... I am so fed up of one, I cannot go through this again!

Sorry for this post, I really am so angry :x(

Really Random Tuesday #2

The lovely lady Suko says...

        Welcome once again to another "edition" of Really Random Tuesday! Really Random Tuesday is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes--any blogging and book-related things you can think of.

Today is last day of August and I do not know where the month went...time flies :o)

We have completed 10 days without any help. and I think we are doing great with Aarya. Of course he is not interested in his toys or rolling over... or anything else... but he sure loves hitting the piano with his Daddy and putting things in his mouth and pulling my hair or scratching me up :D

I am right now reading Manifest by Artist Arther and The Carriage House by Carla Neggers.

The first one is from NetGalley about a ghost-whisperer and more. I definitely started out not really liking the tone and the fell of this one. But now I am waist-deep into it and actually am enjoying it :) .. dis any book do that to you?! This again #1 in a series, and the 2nd one is coming out in Feb, 2011. Maybe by the end of this I will be in a mood to continue tis series :o)

The 2nd one was gifted to me by Stacy! She is a super cool blogger, and has random giveaways on her blog! Thanks Stacy :) I am enjoying this one.

The other day, I went to Cym's blog only to find the tailer of The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo! Ph my! why do I always get to such things LATE :) I want to see this movie and I hope they release it here too :)

I am hoping I will like it too... I am sure the people behind this movie will have to work really hard, because this one is not a easy one to show it in a movie :))

We are planning on a trip in October and I hoping it will be ok for Aarya to travel and he will throw few tantrums :D. It is a long journey to our homeland, but we have to do it with him... I hope it works out :)

I hope all of you are having a great week... and I end this post with a quote I really liked,

A paler bit of flesh winks under the collar, and perhaps he feels her eyes on it, for he shifts a bit, pulls his cap down lightly, and this is a relief since it shadows those eyes so like the sky over an orchard on a clear day with the white clouds billowing by fast and senseless as dreams, and she can’t look away on her own. 

- pg. 62 of Captivity by Deborah Noyes

Brighid’s Quest (Parthalon #3) by P.C.Cast

Brighid’s Quest (Parthalon #3)
by P.C.Cast
Published by Harlequin Teen
Paperback, 512 Pages

Synopsis from the Author's Website:

Fleeing her centaur clan's increasingly militant beliefs, Brighid Dhianna has begun to find peace and acceptance among the humans of Clan MacCallan. Still, she agrees to leave her newly formed friendships to guide her clan chieftain's grieving brother home. As she journeys, Brighid discovers that the long-dormant Shaman blood that runs so thickly in her veins will no longer be silenced. As seductive new powers begin to beckon, Brighid glimpses a future that is more impossible -- and more magical -- than any she could have dared to imagine.

But when tragedy summons her back to the Centaur Plains, Brighid must make a decision that will affect not only her friendship with the humans, but the centaur herd and indeed the world. For the Great Goddess Epona has set her on a new path that demands everything she has to give.

When the whole world is turning to her for help, healing the heart of a warrior doesn't sound so daunting . . .

This is a coming of age book and has a lot of things woven together. After seeing Elphame's concern for her brother who has gone to bring back the New Formaorians to Clan McCallan; Brighid decides to put her clan's chief's heart at peace and takes up the journey to find Cu and aid him in bringing the New Formorians back! But what Brighid does not expect is her struggle with her own powers, finding love and finding her destiny...this journey will change what Brighid Dianna stood for and will stand for, for time to come.

The land is still shrouded in darkness, but the sky had begun to blush in anticipation of the sun...

- Brighid's Quest

Brighid's Quest is the 3rd book in the Young Adult Parthalon Books by P.C. Cast! I had no clue when I selected this book from NetGalley that it was part of a series. I felt sorry I had not read the 1st 2 books because I have come to LOVE Cast's writing. It is so beautiful and vivid! When this book started, I really was a bit confused as I had no clue what was happening. But 10 pages into it and I was reading non-stop. This book is addictive in a way, I cannot explain. I loved Brighid, Cu and Elphame! I love the world that Cast has so beautifully crafted.
I LOVE her lyrical writing... I know I am saying it again... but I think I cannot express my love for this book enough.


Dwelling on tragedy makes grief become like a dipping icicle that begins as a small, harmless silver of coldness. But slowly, as winter of mourning progresses, layer after dripping layer hardens into an unbreakable dagger of pain. 
- pg. 67


The connection between dawn and sunset was like a coin with 2 faces. Alike, yet seperate. Similar, yet not the same. There was a simplicity and rightness to thinking of the two as reflections of one another... beginning and ending... and then beginning again...just another part of the great circle of life.
- pg. 271


Some things in life can't be placed tidly on sides of good or evil. We are often in the midst of a balancing act, where the scales are hopefully tipped toward the good and away from the evil. But sometimes evil wears the face of friends and family. And good looks like the outlander."
- pg. 288

You know that prejudice is not logical, which is why it is so hard to overcome."

Just like a coming-of-age novel, this one is predictable. I mean you know what is going to happen, but how and what all really happens - you have to read the book to really find out! On a side-note, I do not like the cover at all :(

I am waiting to get a chance to read all the books in this series. And I recommend this book HIGHLY!

I hope you guys give this series and this author's other books a try!

Check out the author site - P.C. Cast site

Thanks to Harlequin Teen and to NetGalley for my copy of this eBook!

I got to share this...

Now, what do I do get a piece of it?!

(via Wait What?)

Greater Love by Robert Whitlow

Greater Love

by Robert Whitlow

Published  March 16th 2010 by Thomas Nelson (first published 2010)

Paperback, 400 Pages

Synopsis:

No greater love hath man than this: that he would lay down his life for a friend.

As a result of her first-rate work as a law clear, Tami Taylor's been offered a coveted position as associate partner in one of Savannah's oldest and most prestigious law firms. Though her strong faith and convictions are valued by the firm's partners, Tami struggles to discern if God's will for her career is elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Tami must protect a young client named Jessie who is on the run from some shady characters. Her association with Jessie puts Tami in mortal danger. With her life on the line, Tami falls in love and discovers the power of romantic love forged by the activity of the Holy Spirit.

It's hard to predict how much influence we'll have on another person's life. Sometimes we're a comma; other times we're a chapter.

-pg. 294 of "Greater Love by Robert Whitlow"

It is my first time reading Christian Fiction and I am happy to tell you that it was a beautiful read. This book is what I would call a soft, beautiful and heart-warming read. Before picking this up, I did not know it is the final book in the "Tides of Truth" series! But, this one can be read as a stand-alone!
Tami is a strong character and her strength is in her belief in the God and her deep-rooted Christian beliefs. She seeks God's will to choose her career path and also in choosing her life-partner. She is an example on how we can "see" His path and make it our own. It is not a book you can breeze through, but it is one which needs to be read slowly! I agree, that the slow-pace at the start, kind of bugged me but half-way through it picked up pace as Tami struggles to unravel the mystery around Jessie's behavior. Who is Jessie, you ask? Jessie at first seems to be a hard-to-like runaway... but with Tami's help and His "touch" we see the real story. There is a bit of suspense, love and lot of faith added to lovely character's in this book; and it is easy to love Whitlow's writing... it is so serene!

Recommended!
I am not a Christian, but I still loved this book. I believe that all religious beliefs are based on love, faith and an undying belief in love for the people who surround you! God in any form, is one person who leads the way and teaches us ways to lead a happy, satisfying and purposeful life :)

Shorty Talks: For My Wife by Greta Krafsig

Short Story 21: For My Wife
by Greta Krafsig
Available Online @ Free-ebooks.net

This story is about a book that Caleb writes for his wife Kayla.
I don't want to give much away so I am going to keep this short and simple. Go read it! This one has the nice romantic touch to it and a sadness that clenches your throat somehow. You suddenly feel so helpless and suffocated.

It is definitely worth a read. At 22 pages it is a short and a fast read!
4.5 on 5!

Really Random Tuesday #1

This is my first time doing Suko's Really Random Tuesdays!

Suko says,

Really Random Tuesday is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes--any blogging and book-related things you can think of! 

Thanks Suko for hosting this one :)

I think I have many random ramblings going on in my head... and this would be a great me-me to talk about them. 

15th Aug, as many of you know was our Independence day - and well Happy Independence to all my Indian friends! What does independence mean to me?! Ah well, this year it is - Freedom of choice, I celebrate the freedom to be who I am. I CHOOSE who I am, and what I want to do. :o)

What independence did u celebrate this year?!

I have finished 2 books and am going to be posting the reviews soon! Brighid's Quest by P.C.Cast and Greater Love by Robert Whitlow. I enjoyed both of them. 


This week is going to be a busy one for us as we have relatives coming to see Aarya and a festival also at the end of the week. My mom, my biggest help these past few months, is heading back ot our home; and I am slightly scared of doing everything at home alone and of course looking after Aarya alone too! Of course Hubby dear, has been sweet enough o point out that he and I will do a great job together :)
Read Suko's, Really Random Tuesday here.
Have a great week ahead!

Silly Updates...

Hello Guys!
I know I have been away from your blogs and I am missing reading all your wonderful blogs too! This time the main reason is my real bad internet connection, it is still NOT fixed and I having a hard time working as well.
It is been a month now and I am hoping it will be fixed soon. The problem is no one is able to isolate the issue, once that is done we can look for a solution... but finding the problem is ... FRUSTRATING!

Hope!

Aarya, our sweet baby is 4 months old now, and I can tell you that the time is definitely flying. Each day there is something new that he discovers and the simplicity and innocence of his discovery amazes me! He is taught me a lot! There were so many things that I have taken for granted and with him and rediscovering the lost wonders and the lovely giggles :-)

It is wonderful... to be a mom... to breath in the scent of life that is so much you and still so different. LOVE it!

So what are you guys upto?! Because of no internet I spend my time mostly reading eBooks on the computer and of course a LOT of time with Aarya. I just finished Brighid's Quest by P.C. Cast and I LOVE it. I am shocked I never heard of her before and I am shocked that this book is book 3 of a series and I never really felt the need to know, it was as good as a standalone... BUT I want this series... very badly. I will BEG, steal and borrow it :D

oh and I forgot, do you like to put out your tongue out and tease someone? Aarya figured it out 2 weeks back and it is so awesomely annoying to see his tongue out each day LOL!

Sookie Stackhouse, #2 & #3

Living Dead in Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse, #2)

by Charlaine Harris

Published April 1st 2004 by Orbit (first published 2002)

Paperback, 279 pages
Synopsis:

Waiting tables, sweeping floors, reading minds and solving mysteries for the undead. It's all in a day's work for Sookie... 

Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is on a streak of real bad luck. First, her co-worker gets murdered and no one seems to care. Then Sookie is attacked - and poisoned - late one night by some weird and apparently mythical beast. She only survives because the local vampires roll up and graciously suck the poison from her veins (like they didn't enjoy it). But in return the blood-suckers need a favor. 

Which is why Sookie ends up in Dallas, using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire, on the condition that her undead friends don't do anything, well, vampiric while she's there. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly...

Holy Cow! I am addicted! I know I am addicted because I cannot stop reading this series! The only other series had this effect was HP and Steig Larrson's. It is fun and I like the fact that it is a fast and engrossing read. It is a happy get away and I am in no mood for "heavy" books right now! And you would be surprised I am done with the 3rd part as well...

Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse, #3)

by Charlaine Harris

Published May 6th 2006 by Orbit (first published 2003)

Paperback, 274 pages

Synopsis:

Things between cocktail waitress Sookie and her vampire boyfriend Bill seem to be going excellently (apart from the small matter of him being undead) until he leaves town for a while. A long while. Bill's sinister boss Eric has an idea of where to find him, whisking her off to Jackson, Mississippi to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead. When she finally catches up with the errant vampire, he is in big trouble and caught in an act of serious betrayal. This raises serious doubts as to whether she should save him or start sharpening a few stakes of her own ...

I liked this one too!But I thought it was a very stupid reason Bill had to be taken hostage for. Other than that... Go Sookie! Kick all of 'em hard! Oh and I really liked Alcide ;) :)


"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones."— Jean Webster

Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1) by Charlaine Harris

Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1)
by Charlaine Harris
Published March 4th 2004 by Orbit (first published May 1st 2001)
Paperback, 326 pages

Welcome to Bon Temps. It's just your average sleepy backwater town. You know the kind of place . . . a dime store, a trailer park, a diner, and a gang of newly 'out of the coffin' undead. 

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of 'disability' --- she can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. But then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome --- and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life. 

But Bill has a problem of his own: he's a vampire. With a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of --- big surprise --- murder. And when one of Sookie's co-workers is killed, she fears she's next . . .

My Thoughts -

 Ever since vampires came out of the coffin (as they laugh-ingly put it) four years ago, I'd hoped one would come to Bon Temps.

-pg.2 

I finally dug my paws into the much hyped, much dissected series on the Vamps. I was skeptical to say the least. There were just too many reviews and too many stars for this one! Some loved it and some are totally disgusted with it. For me... I think it is a winner! Let me explain.
Now I am sure I cannot tell you anything more about Sookie, Bill, Eric, Sam... that you don't already know. So I am going straight into what I liked about this book. I loved the pace. I was hooked to it all the time. There was no place where I was bored. I love Bon Temps and Merlotte, the settings are marvelous and the world that Charlaine has created is very much interesting! I have seen a couple of episodes of True Blood series and I usually kept on visualizing Sookie as the one in the series. The writing and dialog is interesting too. There is something fresh about it and I did not think of Twilight once after I started reading.

I liked Sookie! She is determined, confident and sometimes naive! Bill and Sam both are really good!

—that the creature I loved was lying somewhere in a hole underground, to all intents and purposes dead until dark.

-pg. 107

I know I have wondered about how cool it would be to read someone's mind. But now I really think I am lucky I am normal LOL!

So how did you like this book? I am already into the 2nd one :-)

Lovely Quote!!

Here is a quote that I loved a lot...

If Michael was in the bindery when an especially handsome old volume arrived, Mr. Albert let him hold it and always said: "Let your hands feel it, Michael. It's not just some old thing. It has a soul."

At first, Michael didn't know what Mr. Albert was talking about. 

"A book that has been handed down from generation to generation," Mr. Albert explained, "has had its pages touched by so many fingers and has been loved and cried over by so many people that it has a life of its own." - The Song of Whales by Uri Orlev 

Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen

Past Midnight by Mara Punrhagen

Past Midnight
by Mara Purnhagen
Publishing on September 1st 2010 by Harlequin
Paperback, 208 pages

With parents who have their own popular ghost-debunking TV show, it's hard for new girl Charlotte Silver to keep a low profile, especially when her parents' work follows her to high school in the form of two angry ghosts.

Charlotte Silver wants to live like a normal person, spend her senior year in one school and go around with normal people - well is this too much to ask for? Not for a normal person like you and me but for Charlotte, whose parents make their living by going to haunted places just to prove that they are not haunted this was a bit difficult. Once people found out about her celebrity status, she and her family were considered more of "ghost-busters" than ghost-debunkers. But when her family moves to Charleston and decides to be there for sometime, Charlotte starts to believe that there nomadic life would come to a temporary end after all. But all changes when she is to her brand new house, by 2 very angry, impatient ghosts, uhh no, not ghosts but "balls of energies" - as her parents like to call them. What follows is a quest to help them find what they are seeking through her.

I totally enjoyed Past Midnight. At 200 pages, it was fast, thrilling and I was anxious to know what was about to happen. It was slightly predictable but I am one of those who believes that the ride is what matters and not the destination. This novel is not just about real ghosts but also about facing our ghosts as well. It is about facing about facing your problem head on, I loved that. I loved the fact in the end Charlotte came to accept that she was never going to be normal, and she was happy about it. I loved how Charlotte evolved in this novel and I am looking forward to reading the whole series :)

"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones."— Jean Webster

Hugh and Bess by Susan Higginbotham

Hugh and Bess 
by Susan Higginbotham
Published August 1st 2009 by Sourcebooks Landmark (first published October 29th 2007)
Paperback, 320 pages

Forced to marry Hugh le Despenser, the son and grandson of disgraced traitors, Bess de Montacute, just 13 years old, is appalled at his less-than-desirable past. Meanwhile, Hugh must give up the woman he really loves in order to marry the reluctant Bess. Far apart in age and haunted by the past, can Hugh and Bess somehow make their marriage work? 

Just as walls break down and love begins to grow, the merciless plague endangers all whom the couple holds dear, threatening the life and love they have built. 

Award-winning author Susan Higginbotham's impeccable research will delight avid historical fiction readers, and her enchanting characters will surely capture every reader's heart. Fans of her first novel, The Traitor's Wife, will be thrilled to find that this story follows the next generation of the Despenser family.

Set in the 1300s, Hugh and Bess by Susan Higginbotham is a great historical novel about 2 people brought together by fate and there lives under the rule of Edward III. 

Elizabeth de Montecute (Bess) is not happy when she learns that she is to be married to Hugh Le Despenser whose father, Hugh Le Despenser the second,  was the lover to King Edward II and who was executed in a very gruesome manner along with his grandfather.  Young Hugh after the death of his father had to spend sometime in prison under King Edward III, but was released later on and served the King loyally since then. Hugh is always trying to prove himself and that he is nothing like his father and when the King suggests he marries Bess, daughter and heiress of the King's closest confidants, Hugh is not pleased but would never let this opportunity pass either. 

I loved every art of this story. I think I loved Hugh, inspite of him loving and leaving Emma. But I think what I loved most was "watching" Bess grow from slightly spoilt girl of 13 to a women who was loving, caring and well aware of her duties as a wife of one of the greatest Knights who has led England to many victoreis. 

I loved Susan's style of writing, it is smooth, it flows like the calm river and there are no ripples that I can really talk of. There was not even one phase where I was bored.  I was reading this book every waking/feeding/ semi-waking hour I could find with Aarya :). I definitely want to read more of her books. And my sister is escited to get to read this book as well. 

If you have not got around reading this one yet, you most definitely are missing out on a great historical fiction novel.  Susan Higginbotham definitely has found an ardent fan in me.  


Thanks to Dar, for sending this one to me. I won it at a contest at her lovely blog. 

Currently Reading...

Hi Guys, Sorry for being away for so long AGAIN :-)

I am just enjoying being on holiday and being a mom...Life revolves around our little angel and we have named him 'Aarya' :-)

He is 2 months old today and I am slowly getting ready to get back to work as well. He has started recognizing us and talks a lot about things he alone knows and you can high pitched screams when he wants to drive a point home :-)

He sleeps through the day and keeps us awake in the night, we are trying to bring him into our schedule... but I am sure it isi going to take some time :D

I have not been reading much but started recently reading ...

It is a lovely story set in the 1300's, here is a little about the book -

Forced to marry Hugh le Despenser, the son and grandson of disgraced traitors, Bess de Montacute, just 13 years old, is appalled at his less-than-desirable past. Meanwhile, Hugh must give up the woman he really loves in order to marry the reluctant Bess. Far apart in age and haunted by the past, can Hugh and Bess somehow make their marriage work? 

Just as walls break down and love begins to grow, the merciless plague endangers all whom the couple holds dear, threatening the life and love they have built. 

Award-winning author Susan Higginbotham's impeccable research will delight avid historical fiction readers, and her enchanting characters will surely capture every reader's heart. Fans of her first novel, The Traitor's Wife, will be thrilled to find that this story follows the next generation of the Despenser family.

Hope all of you are having a nice time out there :)

"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones."— Jean Webster

Update!!!

Hi Guys!

Sorry for being absent or so LONG! And I am going to be absent from the blog world for a bit more time... the reason?!

Our bundle of joy arrived on April 12th, 2010 at 1:50 PM

We have a baby boy and he is fine and doing great. I am fine too!

Here is a pic of him that we took on the 1st day :)

I hope all of you are having a great time... I certainly am having a helluva of a time being a mom!

"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones."— Jean Webster

The Song of the Whales by Uri Orlev

The Song of Whales 
by Uri Orlev, Hillel Halkin (Translator)
Publishing on April 12th, 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Hardcover, 128 pages 

From GoodReads.com,

Michael’s grandfather has a secret—a secret that’s almost too strange to share . . .

When Michael moves to Israel, he leaves loneliness behind and steps into the light of his grandfather’s magic. Like a sorcerer’s apprentice, Michael learns how to blur the lines between dreams and reality when his grandfather hands down the most precious of gifts—a gift that allows Michael passage into his grandfather’s dreams.

Written with a quiet simplicity that wins the reader over at once Uri Orlev writes in a style so sure and yet so unassuming that it is certain to linger in reader’s minds long after turning the last page.

My Thoughts

It is not always that you get to read about dreams. And this little book for kids does just that. This book is about Michael or Mikha'el (Mee-kha-EL - that's how his name was pronounced in Israel) who has to move to Jerusalem from Washington because his parents want to be near his old Grandpa. Michael is not like kids his age, he doesn't have friends his age and mingles well with grown - ups and likes to help them with there work. His parents who are always busy with work have little to no time for him. He is worried about the move, but soon comes to like the new place and his Grandpa too.  His Grandpa becomes his only and best friend and loves his house as well. But his Grandpa has a secret, he can take anyone into his dreams! And he takes Michael with him into his dreams as well. From them on, every now and them Michael and his Grandpa have fun adventures in his Grandpa's dream. They both enjoy it immensely and slowly Michael comes to understand and adore his Grandpa more than anyone!

More than anything, it is the simplicity with which this story is told that tugs at your heart. The importance of dreams and the need to "repair" the sad and bad ones is beautifully brought about. To put in a little sweetness in to a sad dream, or to mix in a bit of hope into it... that we have the power to change the dreams... is beautifully portrayed in this small story.

There is something very nice and sweet about this story and my review, I am sure, does not do it justice it deserves. But I would definitely want to get hold of the book and read it to my kid someday. I like to believe that this will definitely be something that we will both enjoy. 

Highly recommended for kids and older kids like me ;-).
Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book. 

"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones."— Jean Webster

Cover Attractions...

Hello Guys! Today's cove attraction is for this very CUTE cover I found on GoodReads.
I just love the doggie on the cover :)  :)

Synopsis-

Everyone says the first year of marriage is the hardest . . . but what would you do if you found out that you were never really married in the first place?

In this irresistible romantic comedy from award-winning author Beth Kendrick, three wildly different women form an unlikely friendship as they try to decide whether they'd do it all again.

They've had the white dresses and the fancy receptions. But now that the honeymoon's over, Stella, Casey, and Erin have each had to face some hard truths about the men they've married and the lives they've chosen. So when the news breaks that the pastor who presided over their weddings failed to file a few critical pieces of paper, none of these newlyweds are rushing down to the courthouse to legalize their vows. Instead, the brides share their hopes, disappointments, and secrets while grappling with that pivotal question: Should they stay or should they go?

"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones."— Jean Webster

Hannah's List By Debbie Macomber

Hannah's List

By Debbie Macomber

Publishing on April 27th 2010 by Mira

Hardcover, 400 pages

From GoodReads.com, 

Make time for friends. Make time for Debbie Macomber. On the anniversary of his beloved wife's death, Dr. Michael Everett receives a letter Hannah had written him. In it she reminds him of her love and makes one final request. An impossible request: I want you to marry again. She tells him he shouldn't spend the years he has left grieving her. And to that end she's chosen three women she asks him to consider. First on Hannah's list is Winter Adams, a trained chef who owns a cafe on Seattle's Blossom Street. The second is Leanne Lancaster, Hannah's oncology nurse. Michael knows them both. But the third name is one he's not familiar with - Macy Roth. Each of these three women has her own heartache, her own private grief. During the months that follow, he spends time with Winter, Leanne and Macy, learning more about each of them...and about himself. 

My Thoughts: This book traces the life of a 40 something Pediatrician, Michael who has lost his beloved wife, Hannah of 11 years and whom he loved immensely. Even after an year, he is still sad, broken from inside and not ready to accept her non-existence. He accepts the fact that she is dead, but it is not ready to let go. Hannah's brother and Michael's best friend hands him a letter from Hannah. Hannah had asked Ritchie to wait an year and then give this letter to Michael. In the letter, Hannah asks Michael to move on with his life and goes as far as listing 3 probable women he could date. Knowing him, she is sure he needs this help more than anyone else. And thus Michael to honor Hannah's last wish meets and spends time with the 3 women.

Michael is a guarded and stubborn person who is not ready to let go of the grief that he has in his heart because of the loss of his wife. He holds on to it and his past and is not ready to acknowledge the fact that it is futile. He feels that if he was happy again, he would be guilty. All through, Hannah just wants him to let go of her and remember their times together as beautiful and just move on. She wants him to let go off of his guilt and walk towards happiness.

I definitely thought this was a slow read in the beginning but on the entry of the 3 women and there individual stories it suddenly became interesting and a great read. Of course it is a bit predictable but I really liked all the 3 women. There individual relationship problems, were lessons from which I learned a lot. Of course, Macy is a favorite and her quirkiness is her charm and it is a great experience seeing Michael winning over his emotional struggle and feeling happy. 

All in all, it was a nice, fluffy and cozy read. I am sure it will put a smile on anyone's face and you get to learn a thing or two about relationships as well. Recommended.

                       

On a side note, I don't like that cover but it is relevant to the books plot :)

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy.

"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones."— Jean Webster

Shorty Talks: The Yellow Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Hello Everyone, Welcome to Spring into Short Stories week 2! And today I am featuring The Yellow Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. 

Available Online to read.

While reading on the author, this piece of information from Wiki dear, helped me understand the story a tad bit more ~~

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (July 3, 1860 – August 17, 1935) was a prominent American sociologist, novelist, writer of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction, and a lecturer for social reform. She was a utopian feminist during a time when her accomplishments were exceptional for women, and she served as a role model for future generations of feminists because of her unorthodox concepts and lifestyle. Her best remembered work today is her semi-autobiographical short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper", which she wrote after a severe bout of post-partum depression.

When I first started reading this short story, I was not really sure what it was about. I only knew that it came with great recommendations from all the people I know read loads of great short stories. I rarely do any background check on any story I read. I just read a review, like it and then mark the story (if available online) to read. So the narration at first had me a bit confused. Well, I was worried, maybe this is the short story that will make me rethink about my love for this genre? Maybe I was on my short story reading block? I just could not get into the story at all for the 1st few paras. But I need not have worried, the story is not something that will draw u in immediately and is not one of those feel good, lovely stories, that I have made a pattern of reading. This one was a lot different and in a good way. 

This story is narrated by a women who is suffering from postpartum depression. Her husband who is a doctor brings her to a ancestral type beautiful house (which he has rented for 3 months), so that she can have a change of scene which might help her in getting better. This narrator of ours is not allowed much outside, inspite of the loveliness of the surroundings and there is another lady in the house who takes care of everything including the child. Our narrator does not get to see her baby as well, but is not really affected by it at all. Apart from a visit from her mother and family, they don't have any visitors either. The room in which she is put up is huge, airy and sparsely furnished with stuff taken from other rooms, but the thing that enlivens narrators imagination is the horrid yellow wallpaper in the room which is partially torn out by the kids who used to live there before them. She takes much interest in it and starts to see the pattern as though it had a life of its own. She is forbidden from writing, but she writes about the paper and other sundry things when her husband and the other lady are not around, and these journals make the story. As she gets obsessed with the paper, it creates a life of its own and what really happens next is for you to find out. 

I think if I had known what it was about, i would not have ventured into reading it. I mean think about my situation, I really do not want to read about postpartum depression! But it was not bad, not at all. It is a difficult story, I mean it is hard to sum up my feelings on it. I recommend it wholeheartedly. But this is not because it is my favorite, but because it si something that needs to be read. To be felt, actually. 

This will definitely be a story which will stay with me and who knows I might even reread it :)

I hope you guys take time to read it.

"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones."— Jean Webster

Cover Wars

I today have 2 covers for 2 different reasons that I have liked. I actually had to hunt for them.

Generally while browsing, I like a cover and I mention it here, but this time around I had to "look" for them as none of the books featured had covers that I liked.

These I like and I would LOVE to read the books too...

The Lotus Eaters: A Novel by Tatjana Soli

A unique and sweeping debut novel of an American female combat photographer in the Vietnam War, as she captures the wrenching chaos and finds herself torn between the love of two men. On a stifling day in 1975, the North Vietnamese army is poised to roll into Saigon. As the fall of the city begins, two lovers make their way through the streets to escape to a new life. Helen Adams, an American photojournalist, must take leave of a war she is addicted to and a devastated country she has come to love. Linh, the Vietnamese man who loves her, must grapple with his own conflicted loyalties of heart and homeland. As they race to leave, they play out a drama of devotion and betrayal that spins them back through twelve war-torn years, beginning in the splendor of Angkor Wat, with their mentor, larger-than-life war correspondent Sam Darrow, once Helen's infuriating love and fiercest competitor, and Linh's secret keeper, boss and truest friend.

Tatjana Soli paints a searing portrait of an American woman’s struggle and triumph in Vietnam, a stirring canvas contrasting the wrenching horror of war and the treacherous narcotic of obsession with the redemptive power of love. Readers will be transfixed by this stunning novel of passion, duty and ambition among the ruins of war.

I just loved the red in the above cover... I love the effect it creates, the flower and even the red illustration and doesn't book sound interesting?! I have seen this been added to the GoodReads libraries of Kathy (Bermudaonion) and A Bookshelf Monstrosity... can't wait to hear what they think of this one!


The 2nd book is from Kals Libraray @ GoodReads...and I like this because of that window detail... I remember seeing this in fortresses and I think it looks just awesome on the cover too. Love the concept.

Zaka Ullah of Delhi by C.F.Andrews

Set against the backdrop of the mutiny of 1857, C.F. Andrews draws upon the story of Zaka Ullah's life to briefly trace the social and literary history of Delhi from the decline of the Mughal Empire in the eighteenth century to the emerging nationalist movement in the latter half of the
nineteenth century. Two new introductions written especially for this volume place the book, its subject, and its author in a socio-historical context.

What covers or books are you attracted to?!




"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones."— Jean Webster

Funny!

"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones."— Jean Webster

Spring into Short Stories - Week 1

Do you have short stories saved on your computer or book marked that scream...

day in, day out?!
Then YOU ought to join

LuAnn says...

March 20 - June 20, 2010

This is the “Spring into Short Stories” challenge. The goal is to read some of those short stories many of us have gathering wool on our shelves or downloaded on our computers, such as the many I personally have saved.

The stories can be included within an anthology or stand alone.

Here are the rules:

1. The story must be less than 50 pages.

2. The story can be any genre.

That’s pretty simple, isn’t it? So, as you can see, there isn’t a lot of work to this challenge.

Anyone who wishes to participate must sign up by March 19 to be eligible for the prize drawing. However, you can join in at any time during the challenge.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Become a follower of this blog.

2. Add a comment to the sign-up post letting me know you’re participating.

Once you begin reading your stories, do a short review on your own blog, then add a comment and link at the end of the post here under the appropriate week.

For those who would like to participate but don't have a blog, you can leave a short review here.

Do visit LuAnn's blog for more info and post you reviews!

This week's story is ~~

A Golden Wedding by Lucy Maud Montgomery (from the collection Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1909 to 1922)

Available Online via Classic Reader!

It is again one of those feel good short stories that Montgomery had becomes famous for. Anything I say about the story will be like giving away too much. It is not an extraordinary story...but it is a simple tale of love. Love for someone who cared for you when there was no one and the feeling that comes with it. The want to make things right for the people who matter the most and if that means losing all you have...then so be it. 

This is why I love her stories, she never fails to bring a smile and the feeling of love that touches the heart.  

touché




"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones."— Jean Webster

Cover Attractions!!

It is that lady's image on the cover... her smile! I think this has to be the most beautiful face I have seen in a while :)

Synopsis - 

Arabella Dempsey’s dear friend Jane Austen warned her against teaching. But Miss Climpson’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies seems the perfect place for Arabella to claim her independence while keeping an eye on her younger sisters nearby. Just before Christmas, she accepts a position at the quiet girls’ school in Bath, expecting to face nothing more exciting than conducting the annual Christmas recital. She hardly imagines coming face to face with French aristocrats and international spies…

Reginald “Turnip” Fitzhugh—often mistaken for the elusive spy known as the Pink Carnation—has blundered into danger before. But when he blunders into Miss Arabella Dempsey, it never occurs to him that she might be trouble. When Turnip and Arabella stumble upon a beautifully wrapped Christmas pudding with a cryptic message written in French, “Meet me at Farley Castle”, the unlikely vehicle for intrigue launches the pair on a Yuletide adventure that ranges from the Austens’ modest drawing room to the awe-inspiring estate of the Dukes of Dovedale, where the Dowager Duchess is hosting the most anticipated event of the year: an elaborate 12-day Christmas celebration. Will they find poinsettias or peril, dancing or danger? And is it possible that the fate of the British Empire rests in Arabella and Turnip’s hands, in the form of a festive Christmas pudding?

What covers are you attracted to lately?!

"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones."— Jean Webster

Bibliomania Day!!!

Did you know . . . that March 20th was Bibliomania Day?

On March 20, 1990, Stephen Blumberg of Ottumwa, Iowa, was arrested for stealing over 23,600 books worth $20 million and weighing 19 tons. So look out for a the "bookey-man"!

From 123people.com,

Over more than twenty years, Stephen Blumberg stole more than 23,000 rare books from 268 libraries, a collection that was estimated to be worth between five and twenty million dollars. According to William Moffett, an expert in bibliokleptomania, "in terms of the number of libraries raided and the number of volumes known to be stolen, Blumberg is the No. 1 thief of books in American history." Due to his intelligent modus operandi and to the fact that they were simply not expecting such a large-scale assault on their holdings, most of the libraries he stole from were not even aware of their losses until Blumberg was apprehended in 1990. Continue Reading...

Like many book thieves, Blumberg was also a book lover. "It was his habit to read constantly through the night, cat-napping, waking, reading, dozing, waking, reading again, never fully sleeping. "

Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea tagged me for this FUN MEME!

• Are there any books you would like to beg, borrow, or steal? 

                Beg - yes! Borrow - yes! Steal - oh yes yes yes! I fantasize myself breaking into libraries of MANY of my fellow bloggers and stealing there lovely collections! So my dear blogging freinds, beware ;) :P

• Are you addicted to trips to Borders or the public library?

               I wish I had Borders or a library nearby! In the last few months I have been confined to home and eBooks and the rest of the TBR pile that I have not read! I am itching to break my book-buying-ban!

• Do you have a way to remember what books you have read?

                GoodReads, LibraryThing and my Blog, of course!

• When did your love of books begin?

                I think I have said this before. It started very young, when my dad used to buy me comics and kid books for the 3 day train journey from where we lived to our home-town for vacations. It was his way of keeping me occupied! I grew up on Tinkle, Archies, Amar Chitra Katha.. Chacha Chaoudary.... Loved them all. Then it was Enid Blyton and so on! I love you Dad, for this and many other things!!

• What is a favorite book?

                Umm... very difficult question! Over the years, as I have become older my reading chioces have changed and so has my fav book. But when I was in my 11th, I read Thorn Birds! And started me off on a reading journey so different from what I was used to. I simply loved it! Then in 2008 - I loved The Kite Runner. These 2 books, I think changed my reading choices... and for that reason will always be the top 2!    

Author? Again, I have several favorites.

• Do you still have in your possession a book borrowed, but not returned to its rightful owner? 

                Oh yes, i have 2 books I so need to return to a family friend. But I will have to wait for some more months before I can make that trip or just hope she drops by once :)

But I generally return the books I have taken except the ones that I STOLE from my uncle's library. And well he knows and he is fine with it LOL!

• What's the most in library fines you have owed? 

                 I was a good girl, and I have returned all my books on time.

• Do you loan books out to others? 

                If I have read them then yes, I love giving suggestions and making my friends read the books I loved :) :)!

At the end of this, I can TAG some people to do this :) :)

umm... so I tag (**evil grin**)-

Suko 

Melody

Shona

Kals

Priya

Violet

Shweta

Now my dear prospective book-thieves.. go on do this fun meme... I am sure you will enjoy this as much as I did :) :)

AND if you choose NOT to do this... then.... it's ok ;) .. rest assured your personal - libraries will be BURGLED

**evil laugh**

"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones."— Jean Webster