#25 Teaser Tuesdays ~ Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

"He was quiet as he turned the car around and headed back to Forks. I waited, wondering if he would bring it up himself. He didn't, and this made me tense."

Page:37

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!


Do check out Lucky Library Picks on this blog. A post for is due this Friday. If you have something, do send in. Cheers!


Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

When you pick up a book of an author you have previously read and enjoyed, your expectation from his new book automatically increases. I had high hopes from this book - Beatrice & Virgil by Yann Martel. The previous book by the author, Life of Pi is one of my favorite reads of all times. But, all my hopes with his new book came thrashing down as I turned pages after pages of the book without having a clue what the story is all about and then it came to me with a bang. Let me quote the blurb from the back of the book to get started:

"This story is the story of a donkey named Beatrice and a monkey named Virgil. It is also the story of an extraordinary journey undertaken by a man named Henry. It begins with a mysterious parcel, and it ends in a place that will make you think again about one of the most significant events of the twentieth century. Once you have finished reading it, it is impossible to forget."

I was HIGHLY intrigued by this blurb, so much so that I put aside the other books I had been reading and started with this one. Also, since the book was barely 200 pages, I didn't think it would take too long. The story started with a writer named Henry whose previous book was a huge success and he is working hard on a book about 'Holocaust'. He tries to present the stories from Holocaust in a different and 'never told before' style but his style and endeavors are rejected by the publishers. He decides to take a break and shifts to a different city and puts all the thoughts about his book at the back of his mind.

One day he receives a mysterious box containing excerpts from a play by Flaubert and another play which perhaps the sender himself had penned down. Henry traced the letter to a taxidermist and coincidentally his name was also Henry. The taxidermist reads out his play (whose main characters are stuffed animals present in his workshop- Beatrice, the donkey and Virgil, the howler monkey) to Henry.The first scene of the play was interesting where Virgil is trying to explain to Beatrice how a pear looks and tastes like. But from then onwards, the play is a jumble and I found it rather boring, crude and abstract.

And then  a few lines from the book sums up everything:


"Here was irrefutable proof that he was using the Holocaust to speak of the extermination of animal life. Doomed creatures that could not speak for themselves were being given the voice of a most articulate people who had been similarly doomed. He was seeing the tragic fate of animals through the tragic fate of Jews. The Holocaust as allegory."

 That is so bizarrely convenient! Here was an author whose book about Holocaust has been rejected and he comes across a Nazi who had somehow escaped detection and was living a solitary life. I felt aghast as a reader, here I was reading page after page trying to fathom what the author is trying to say and then in just a few lines you sum up the novel. Then in fact, a second thought dawned on me - was the writer Henry in this book Yann Martel himself? I do not know that for sure.

Even though I disliked the book to the core here are a few quotes from the book, I loved and think are thoughts to ponder on:

"To my mind, faith is like being in the sun. When you are in the sun, can you avoid creating a shadow? Can you shake that area of darkness that clings to you, always shaped like you, as if constantly to remind you of yourself? You can't. This shadow is doubt. And it goes wherever you go as long as you stay in the sun. And who wouldn't want to be in the sun?"

" If you are pitched into misery,remember that your days on this earth are counted and you might as well make the best of those you have left."


Linking it to A2ZChallenge for Letter B.


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A Tag and some things about me!

Let me just stick to the point, I am very happy to receive 'The Versatile Blogger' tag from a lovely blogger friend- Bhargavi. I love her blog ( and I am not saying this for the sake of it). Her blog is an epitome of creative art, beautiful sketches, thorough book reviews and everyday chronicles. Thank you for tagging me, I feel really honoured. Since this is my first tag it is really special.

But this tag comes with some rules and they are the real fun part of it and tough part of it as well.

The rules of the award are as follows:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for the award (Thank You Bhargavi)
2. Share 7 Random facts about yourself
3. Nominate 15 other bloggers and inform them of the same
4. Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your Blog Post

Here are 7 things about me:

- I love reading. Bookstores and libraries are the places for me and I can be there for hours without noticing the time.
- I am a cleanliness and orderliness freak. I hate it when someone dries his hand and leaves the towel crumpled. (You know who I am talking about.)
- I had NO interest in cooking before marriage. I would not be found anywhere near it then. Things are different now, cooking was a necessity when I began, it's an area that I am too eager to explore.
- Baking is therapeutic for me. It is a stress buster. When I am happy, I bake to celebrate and when I am not happy, I bake to uplift my mood.
- I love cooking more than eating.
- I love raw tomatoes and can have them as a meal (Weird... But then it's me!)
- I am an absolute zero when it comes to makeup & fashion sense.

Listing out these 7 bullet points for myself was tough. But, I did manage to pull it off! Yayy!

I would like to pass this award to some of my favourite bloggers:

Rachana of Veggi Fare
This is one blog I follow religiously. Her space is full of innovative, interesting, delicious and healthy recipes. A must space for any food lover!

Puja of US Masala.
A den of lip-smacking recipes with drool-worthy pictures. I have literally bookmarked all her recipes.

Smita of Books, Life and More.
One of the most popular blog around. Her posts are refreshing and fun to read. I loved her 'Senseless Saturday' series and I hope she does more posts on that series again!

Hema of Tell A Story My Way.
One of the first book blog I started following. I have picked a number of books after reading her reviews.

Lindy of LindaLouMac Book Reviews.
She is a veteran book lover and her book reviews are very informative. A must for book lovers.

Saumya of Nascent Emissions
This is one blog I started following recently. Her posts on varied subjects including books are food for thought.

Priya of Tabula Rasa.
Another must blog for book lovers!

Anamika of Taste Junction
A passionate food blogger and baker and a budding photographer. I am awed by her poetic creations and I hope she creates a blog to share them with the world.

Gayathri of My Pressure Cooker
 A fun, bubbly blogger who blogs about food, loves reading books. I hope she blogs more often!

Sandhya of Maradhi Manni
A blog I recently discovered and spent a lot of digging into her posts. You have to visit her space.

Vibha of Literary Sojourn
Her space is a haven for book lovers. I have picked up a lot of books after her recommendation and they have made to my favourites list.

Abhinav of Serendipity
He strikes me as an adventurous person, in love with life and all it has to offer. His thought-provoking posts are food for the soul. His love for running is commendable!

Pavithra of Dishes From My Kitchen
You will be dazzled by the pictures on her blog, they are a treat for your eyes. A passionate foodie and an awesome photographer.

Vardhini of Zesty Palette
Another food blog, I have started following recently. She has a great collection of recipes and the pictures will definitely make you hungry.

15. Harini of Tongueticklers.
A vegan food blog, I have been silently following for some time now. Her photographic skills are awe-inspiring!

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Savoury Semolina Cake ~ A Healthy Snack!

I have recently finished reading a book I didn't enjoy much. So instead of writing a bad review and cribbing about it, I decided to do a food related post again. The book review can wait for a while. 

This recipe has been lying in my drafts for months now, I thought it would be good to post it now since, I have a food event running here with the theme -'Healthy & Hearty' and this one of the healthiest snack/bake I make regularly. It can be served for breakfast or afternoon tea and you don't have to worry about the portion size at all.

Savory Semolina Cake:
Recipe Source: Anjum Anand's Indian Food Made Easy
(Click here for the printable version:)

Ingredients:

2 tsp vegetable oil, plus extra for oiling the loaf pan.
1 cup semolina.
1 cup plain low fat yoghurt.
3 tbsp water.
¼ cup frozen peas.
¼ cup chopped onions(optional, i didn't use it)
¼ cup finely chopped carrot.
¼ cup chopped bell pepper.
¼ cup chopped green beans
1 tsp grated ginger
1 green chilli chopped finely.
Few curry leaves.
1 tsp red chilli powder.
¼ tsp turmeric powder.
1 tsp mustard seeds.
½ tsp cumin seeds.
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda.
1 tbsp sesame seeds.
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp salt

Serves 8.

Process:

1.Preheat the oven at 180 C and oil a medium loaf tin.

2. Mix together the semolina, yogurt, water, salt to make a batter of a medium thick consistency. Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add asafoetida, mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies and cumin seeds and cook for about 20 seconds until the mustard seeds have popped and the cumin is aromatic. Add the veggies and spices and cook for 2-3 minutes Stir into batter.

3. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda and immediately pour the mixture into the prepared tin and sprinkle over sesame seeds. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

4. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and when the edges are crisp. Leave the cake to cool in the tin. Slice when cooled and serve with the chutney of your choice or ketchup.

Linking it to my event- Healthy and Hearty. Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Guilt free Dessert ~ Blueberry Fool

When you think dessert, generally a calorie rich dish comes to mind. Well, think again! These blueberry fools are actually low fat and still lusciously creamy and indulgent.

I received Rachel Allen's Easy Meals as a gift this Christmas and as I was browsing the book, I came across a very simple dessert named Apple Fool. Rachel chronicles that it may be because it is so simple that any fool can make it. Then she adds on that the word fool is derived from the word fouler, meaning to crush or press. While the original recipe from the book had double cream in it, I substituted it with low fat hung curd and instead of apples, I used blueberries.

A very healthy and simple dessert which any one can make. Linking it to my event Healthy and Hearty

 and to Any One Can Cook Series by Taste of Pearl City

 

Ingredients:
500gm low fat yogurt.
2-3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence.
2/3 cup fresh or frozen bluberries
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp sugar.
Click here for the printable version

 Process:

1. Line a muslin cloth over a sieve and place it over a large bowl. Pour the yogurt over the muslin cloth and let it hang in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or over night. The yogurt will reduce into half its original volume.

2. Add blueberries, sugar , lemon juice and zest in a pan and heat it till it bubbles and blueberries and soft and leaves out it juice. Remove from heat and let it cool completely. Our blueberry compote is ready.

3. In another bowl mix the hung yogurt, vanilla and sugar. In 2 serving glasses pour the yogurt mixture and blueberry mixture alternately till used. The layers need not be perfect, rather it should give a zigzag pattern.
Keep it in refrigerator till needed. Serve cold. Enjoy!

Note: You can substitute the blueberry with any kind of berries, cherries or even substitute the berry compote with pureed fruit like mango, pear etc.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!