#22 Teaser Tuesdays- New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Before sharing today's teaser, I would like to tell you about a meme I have started, Lucky Library Picks which happens every alternate Friday. Do check out the details here and see if you are interested in participating. It is very simple. Lucky Library Picks#3 is happening this Friday 16th December, do play along! Also check out Lucky Library Picks #1 and #2. Thanks.

 "I chased him back to the truck. Wait! I called as he turned towards the house. He spun around to face me, and I saw that his hands were shaking again."
Page: 270

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists!

Reading List and A2Z Book Challenge 2012

Time flies! I can't believe, its December already and we are just a couple of weeks away from the new year!

The last month of a year is the time for me for contemplation, to look behind at all the months gone by and to rejoice the successes that were there and to learn from the stumbling blocks. It is also the time of the year when I make plans for the coming year, some resolutions and some personal milestone etc. Last year, I had made a list of To Read Books 2011 and its time to check how I have been faring. Of all the books I had listed to read, I think I am going to leave a few of the deliberately. You must be wondering why?

I came across this A2Z Book Challenge 2011 in Lindy's Blog. It is hosted by Lindsey of Babies Books and Signs and I have made up my mind to gear up for this challenge. It is a simple concept but somewhat challenging, you have to read a book starting with each letter of the English alphabet. Here are the two ways how Lindsy says it can work:

A - Make a list now of 26 books, picking one for each letter of the alphabet. For example: A - Atonement B- Black Beauty C - The Count of Monte Cristo D - Dances with Dragons etc.

OR

B - The lazy way (how I do it) : Make a list on your blog from A-Z. Throughout the year, as you go along, add the books you are reading to the list. Hope that by the end of the year you have read one book for each letter. Towards the end of the year, you can check and see which letters you are missing and find books to fit.

Since it is really hard to find titles beginning with X, the letter X just needs to be in the title somewhere.

Of Course, I am in for the lazy way and here is my alphabet list which I intend to fill up by the end of next year!

A. Arranged Marriage by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
B. Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel
C.
D. Deception Point by Dan Brown
E. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
F.
G.
H. Home by Manju Kapur,
I.
J.
K. Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
L. Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga
M. Miss Masala by Mallika Basu
N.
O. Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer
P. The Playgroup by Janey Fraser
Q.
R. The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks
S.
T. Touchy Subjects by Emma Donoghue
U.
V.
W.
X.
Y.
Z. 

The books I intentionally choose to leave will fit in this list. I will write about my 2011 reading experience in a different post later!
Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest by Steig Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest by Steig Larsson is the 3rd and last book of the Millennium trilogy. I really do not know how to start about it. I am kind of sad that we won't be able to read anything else by the author and that the millennium trilogy is over. It is indeed sad and a rather cruel turn of destiny that the author died shortly after writing the phenomenal series.

 

The story starts right from the point it was left in the 2nd series. Lisbeth is badly wounded with severe injuries and a bullet lodged into her brain and has been rushed into a hospital. So, also is the man who tried to kill her, her father, Zalachenko, a Russian gangster. She is fighting for her life and even if she recovers her worries are far from over. She has been charged for a number of crimes in Sweden and after recovery she has to stand her trail and fight not only to prove her innocence but also to bring to light those in the government who misused their power and did injustice to vulnerable people like her. Her journalist friend Blomkvist is more than ready to help her but there are forces that are constantly working against them. Whether and how Lisbeth would be able to free herself from the charges and bring down the criminals behind closed doors is a thing to read in the novel. Take my words for it, you won't be disappointed.

Crime fiction is not a genre I usually read and it was only after one of my friends told me about how fabulous the series is, I picked up the first book and the second and then the last. As a reader, I can appreciate how the author has structured the story and brought about to the reader. One of the main strength of the series is the characters. They are so plausible, believable and real that even if they are doing things that seems unbelievable, you are inclined to think that, yes it is possible. The ingenious hacking skills of Lisbeth for one thing, is an important aspect of the story on which depends how the story is going to take shape. The story seems very straight forward at first and you feel as you can guess what is going to happen next. But, wait! It takes a totally unexpected turn. That is the quality that keeps the readers hooked to it till they have turned the last page. There are some sub plots, like Berger getting anonymous threatening mails, which does not have much to do with the main story line and still it is accommodated so well that it actually works for the story.

At one point when the trail of Lisbeth was over, I really thought that this was it. But, no, there is more - that is Larsson for you! The novel has all the ingredients from the first and the second series, namely child abuse, sex trafficking, financial fraud dealings, misuse of power by the ones in power etc etc. The author has provided us with a story has a good balance of all these and it is indeed thought provoking. The only thing that didn't work for me was when the author goes into minute political details of Sweden at times. But all in all an excellent read, one of the kind that will be in your memory forever. I am kind of at a loss that it is over.

Some Pictures and Some Tales

I am not very good at deciding on a title when it comes to a post where I just want to talk. Deciding on a title for a recipe or a book review is down right simple, isn't it? So, bear with this weird title for a post that has neither recipe nor book reviews but some pictures and tales.

The weather here is right now very unsettled. If you watch the weather report on national television here, you will notice that the just keep repeating a few words like, it is going to be cold and blustery with persistent rain and wind, with chancing of frost etc..etc..so much so that I actually feel very depressed. In those moments, memories of the good sunny Indian visit comes flashing in my mind. Talking of that, I remember how I grumbled about the heat and humidity there but, definitely now the cold weather is taking its toll on me.

After coming back from my India visit, I took my time to settle down here and then got busy with the Diwali preparation. That reminds me that I didn't share pictures of my Rangoli here, which I am doing right now because, we all know 'Its better late than never'. I searched the net for a Ganesha Rangoli and decided on the simplest design and I did it with rice. I was happy with my amateur design and was actually over the top when my DH said it came out nice. I must say that praises doesn't come from that way often.

 

Now coming to the tale part of the post. I had told you about our Puri visit in this post. It so happened that we went to the famous Jagannath temple there. We are Jain by religion but that is no hindrance to our paying a visit to temples to pay our homage. I had been there last year as well. Since, Puri is just a over night train journey, it is very convenient for us to go there for a short trip. We knew what we would face if we went there in the morning, the temple is usually very crowded in the morning, so we decided to go there in the evening when the rush is relatively less.

 Picture courtesy: Shri Jagannath Temple, Puri

We bought 'prasad' to offer to the deities which were available to buy in the temple premises and went inside. As expected we were surrounded by a number of 'pandas', the so called priests who pestered us to come with them so that they could help us in our 'puja'(prayers). We decided not to hire one and went inside. There were priests inside who would take our 'prasad' and offer it to the deities and bring it back. That was where the unexpected happened. The priest would not take our prasad if we did not put money in it! We do prefer to make our offering through the donation box. After much nagging, my husband parted with a fifty rupees note, which for the priest, was not sufficient and he asked for more as there we two of us to make the offering. My DH was reluctant and some what irritated and angry with the demand and did not give in. It was then another priest came in and said that he would do it. And you know what, that fifty rupees went into his pocket.

That was not the end of it.

Then we went around the temple and came across a sacred tree. It is said that if you sit underneath it and and wish for something and then tie a thread to it, you wish will be granted. Like most people we wanted to do it. But when we went closer we found that there was a make shift place there where a priest was sitting. We went ahead sat there and as soon as we went ahead to take a thread from the pile, the priest said, it is Rs 100 per thread. Now, this was too much and we decided not to do it, not because that sum was too much for us, but because they had made a business of the sacred temple and it was this practice that we did not want to support. As we were making our way back, I could hear the priest saying that if you want to make a wish you have to pay it!

I personally feel such practices in temples are actually make a joke of the sacred shrine and I do not see that things are really going to change with most people ready to give in such demands to avoid the wrath of the priests. Have you ever come across such situations?

I remember talking about the nephew- Pranay too in my post here. Here are a few more pictures. Like most kids he enjoys his time in the bath doing, chabal, chabal (his words for splashing water).

I pampered him a lot with chocolates. My sis was really angry about that and threatened to do the same with my kid (when I have one, she will have to wait for her sweet revenge). I think there is no other better way to make friends with kids other them offering them chocolates. 

It so happened that one day me and my sis and the kid went to a tailor. While she went inside his shop, I waited outside with Pranay. He was getting uncontrollable, since his mother was paying more attention to the tailor than him and subsided only when I offered to buy him chocolates. I took him to a near by store to buy him a candy. But, no! He had already set his eyes on a big Dairy Milk Celebration Pack and wouldn't budge an inch without it. And I had to buy it for him. No doubt my sis was furious! That was not all, he teared the packet and stuffed all the chocolates into his pocket. Guess what, he knew his mother well!

You can see he has long tresses and now it is all one, as he is done with his 'mundan' ceremony. These pictures are about 2 months old and he now has a grass like hairs. But, I loved his previous look.

Doesn't he look like Junior Dakku Kalia! But, look at that smile.. After shedding a few tears when his head was shaved off, he was back to normal. I wish I could be so care free too!

So, this is all for today. I am finished with 'The Girl who Kicked The Hornets' Nest' By Steig Larsson. Stay tuned for the review. Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Nan Khatai ~ The Indian Cookies ~ For Sweet Punch

For Sweet Punch this month, the bloggers were given the choice of baking anything of their choice. After some thought I decided to bake these Indian cookies, Nan Khatai

It is December already and in less than a month we will step into the new year.The air is festive and you can feel Christmas all around. What better time to share this easy cookie recipe. Bake these goodies to gift it to your friends and family.

Laced with cardamom and saffron, these little cookies are rich and have a melt in the mouth texture. The whole house will be filled with fragrant aroma as they are baked in your oven. Without much ado, lets hop on to the recipe:

Recipe Source: Joy of Cooking

Makes 35-40 pieces

Ingredients:

250 gm AP Flour( About 11/4 cup)
200gm ghee, clarified butter or use unsalted butter
110gm caster sugar
4-5 cardamom pod seeds finely powdered
A pinch of saffron, 6-7 strands.
2 tbsp gram flour
1/4 cup semolina
1/4 tsp baking powder.
Handful of nuts of your choice, chopped or pounded roughly(I found a few cashews and pistachios in my pestle and mortar)

Process:

1. In a large bowl add sugar and ghee and whisk till sugar is dissolved in the ghee and the mixture is light and fluffy.
2. In a separate bowl, add AP flour, gram flour, semolina, cardamom powder and baking powder and sieve it. Add saffron and nuts to the flour mixture. You could also punch these nuts on to the cookies but I like them inside.
3. Now add the flour mixture to the sugar and ghee mixture and stir. Use your hands to make a soft pliable dough.
4. Make 35-40 even golf sized balls and place them on two large prepared baking trays, keeping some space between them. Flatten them slightly with your fingers. You can also bake them in batches.
5. Bake them at 175 C for 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them as they may turn burn if over baked.
6. Once out of oven let them cool in the tray for 5-10 minutes or they will crumble.

When completely cooled store them in an airtight container. Enjoy them with a cup of tea or coffee.

Linking it to Suma's Cookie Fest, Kavi' Jingle all the way and Radhika's Let's Cook#10 Baked Goodies

Enjoy! Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!