Ninepins by Rosy Thornton

Deep in the Cambridgeshire fens is an old house by the name of Ninepins where lives Laura  with her 12 years old asthmatic daughter, Beth. Laura rents out the pump house, once a fen drainage station to students every year to earn a little extra income. But this year she lets it to a girl named Willow on the recommendation of her social worker, Vince. Willow has a dubious past. Her childhood has been particularly disturbed as her mother, a hippy, had since been suffering from some bi polar disorder. On top of it, Beth who is entering her teens, is falling in the company of wrong girls and has been facing problems at school. She asserts that she is old enough to make her own decisions and seeks no interference in her matters from her mother. The once peaceful life of Laura is crumbling down and she does all she call to keep it intact.

How will Willow and her past influence Laura and Beth's life? How will Laura handle her daughter's demand for independence? There is also some sprinkling of romance in the story but that is always in the sidelines. The story revolves mostly around the 3 female characters as they try to straighten out their lives from a tangle of problems caused by emotions, surroundings and company.

This is the second book I have read of the author and I have realized that characters and landscape play a very important role in her novels. In her previous novel, The Tapestry of Love she brought the French country side vivid in your mind and in this novel you could get a picture of the atmosphere in the Cambridgeshire fens. The beauty of her novels also lies in the well sketched and entirely believable characters. As you read the story you can connect with each characters and empathize with them. I loved Laura's character and could understand her desire to protect her child as she is going a difficult period of age. I could empathize with Willow for all the problems she had faced as a child. All the emotions are heightened by the intricate details of the landscape the story is set in. Above all the author is very meticulous about the treatment of all the relationship portrayed in the story. The tone of the book is gentle yet assertive. But the best part is that the narration is entirely non judgmental. It doesn't judge things and situations as right or wrong, but shows how life takes unexpected turns much to our discomfort. There is even an element of suspense and mystery that makes it an even more compelling and enjoyable read. In a nutshell, Rosy Thornton latest novel, Ninepins explores the dynamics of relationship between a mother and a teenage daughter, complicated by the arrival of a stranger with a troubled past.

Overall, a very good read. A story about love and relationships. It asserts the belief that love alone goes a long way in mending relationship, keeping them intact and bringing harmony in life.

Highly recommended.

I received a review copy from the author.

A Dangerous Inheritance by Alison Weir

Synopsis:

A Dangerous Inheritance by Alison Weir tells the story of two heroines, separated by time, but intriguingly linked by history's most famous murder mystery.

Lady Katherine Grey has already suffered more than her fair share of tragedy. Eight years ago, her older sister, Lady Jane Grey was beheaded for unlawfully accepting a crown that was not hers. Now, in risking all for love, Katherine incurs the worth of her formidable cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, ho sees her as a rival for her insecure throne.

Interlaced with Katherine's story is that of her distant kinswoman, Kate Plantagenet, the bastard daughter of Richard III. Kate loves her father but all is not well in the court, and before long she hears rumors that threaten all she holds dear. Like Katherine Grey, she falls in love with a man forbidden to her. Then she embarks on what will prove to be a dangerous quest, covertly seeking the truth about he fate of her cousins, the Princes in the Tower.

But time is not on Kate's side - or on Katherine's either...

Alison Weir's new novel skillfully mixes fact and fiction, telling a page turning story within the frame work of historical authenticity..

This is the first historical fiction book set in Britain that I have read and I found it really fascinating. Two stories run simultaneously in the novel, with each heroine trying to find the truth about the fate of the Princes in Tower. Kate is interested in their fate to clear her doubts about her father whereas Katherine chances upon some letters by Kate where she writes about her doubts and fears, and becomes intrigued and hence interested in the knowing the fate of the Princes.

Only draw back of the way the novel is written to me was the fact that both heroines were similarly named. It needed my constant effort to keep them separate in my mind. Once it was clear in my head, there was no looking back. The story kept me hooked till the end. I am definitely going to pick up more books by the author.

If you are interested in historical fiction, this is surely a book you should pick.

I received a review copy from the publishers, Random House.

To know more about the author and her works please visit http://alisonweir.org.uk/

Kaankari

There are some dishes that we have grown up eating, that sometimes it doesn't seem special to be have them to eat. One such dish is the one I am sharing today. It is a Rajasthani sweet dish and it is made regularly at home by my Mom and MIL. I had never given much thought to it until recently, when I had to make it myself. It is simple and yet delicious. The gum grains puff up in ghee (clarified butter) and the resultant dish has melt in mouth texture. Don't use ghee sparingly here other wise it will be dry and will not taste nice.

I tried to Google for this recipe, but didn't get a single hit! May be it is called by different names by different people. Do let me know if you know of anything similar to this one.

Serves 2:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup wheat flour/atta
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp edible gum grains
3tbsp powdered sugar
5-6 peppercorns, optional
5-6 almonds roughly chopped

Process:

1. Heat a pan and add ghee. Keep the flame on medium high and add the peppercorns and the wheat flour. Stir continuously till the colour is a shade or two darker and it emanates a nice flavor of being roasted. At this point if you feel that mixture is looking dry then add another spoonful of ghee.
2. Turn the heat on high and add the edible gum grains and stir slightly. The grains will puff up. It will take at the most 2 minutes. When all the grains have puffed up remove it from heat and let it cool.
3. Once cooled add the sugar and almonds and stir gently.
4. Serve it warm or cold. You can garnish it with thin almond slices.

Linking it to Walk Through Memory Lane . This event is the brain child of Gayathri

Skid Marks of Logic by Divya Diana Dias

Skid Marks of Logic by Divya Diana Dias is a collection of 3 stories each of them dealing with young women who are trying to deal with their sexual awakening and sensual desires. The author has tried to dwell on the moral, mental and societal issues modern Indian women faces when it comes to embracing their physical needs, given the fact that Indian society is not very open or liberal about it. The author takes us through the life of 3 women from different strata of society, passing though that phase of life.

I am just quoting the blurb to give you an insight about what the book is all about.

Synopsis quoted from the back cover of the book:


Some people stop themselves from doing what they want because of what their friends would think about them. Some people are too afraid to accept what is right in front of them. Some people regret their silly reasons, wondering why they did not succumb to their desires at the time.

Janvi, Danielle and Payal are some people. But now they want to change.

They want to shatter the chains that society has bound them with and win the war that rages within them, once and for all.

Will they succeed? ‘Skid Marks of Logic’ reveals... 

…how Payal cons Xerxus into kissing her

Stuck in Ahmedabad, in a sad life surrounded by sadder people, the only saving grace in Payal’s life is her two best friends. Known as the ‘Timid Mouse’ for her strangely quiet ways and shy demeanor, she longs for a guy to steal her away from her life of drudgery and enforced hypocrisy. Then she meets Xerxus at her cousin’s sangeet practice and her heart stops. And she knows she can’t rest till she’s found a way to be with him...

…Danielle’s answer to Satya’s preposterous question
 
Dani is 21. She’s never been kissed. She’s never dated. No guy has even asked her out. Seeking ways to satisfy her curious void, she writes a scene that’s hot enough to burn the page. It’s naughty and fantastic and she is ever so proud of it. However, she hasn’t counted on her best friend Satya reading it nor the scandalous question he proposes… 
 

…the results of Janvi’s face off with Rhys

Janvi is at her wits’ end trying to manage the company her dad left her. Then an employee goes behind her back and commits a crime that could put the company at risk. If that weren’t enough, Mr. High and Mighty Rhys Callahan comes demanding vindication for said crime… Janvi wants to say ‘to hell with men’, but how does one say ‘to hell with the Devil?’


The book deals with a topic that is not discussed very openly in our Indian society. So, I was expecting the author to treat the subject adroitly. However, to me that is the not the case. The narration is very vocal about the subject. The book started well, I loved reading about Payal, it was interesting and to some extent hilarious. But, then I found the second and third story monotonous and somewhat repetitive. The stories were too long for short stories. It would have been better if they had been edited to a little shorter version. I found the narration childish at some points and the stories a little over spiced up. Over all it was an OK read.


I received a review e-copy from the author.



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Papdi Chaat Recipe | How to make Papdi Chaat at home | Indian Street Food Recipes

Papdi Chaat #Recipe

Papdi Chaat is one of the famous Indian street foods. Crispy Papdis are topped with chopped veggies like tomato, onion, boiled potatoes, sweetened yoghurt, tamarind chutney, green chutney, chaat masala, and is liberally garnished with nylon sev. 

It is one of my favourite Indian street foods too. When the weather is dull and gloomy, a plate of this crunchy, spicy delicacy can do all to make your day and perk your mood. Most of the time I have papdis made well in advance. They can be stored and keep well for a month or so and as in most Indian households, I always have a jar of tamarind chutney and green chutney in my fridge. With these things readily available, making 'Papdi Chaat' is just a matter of chopping some veggies and assembling them. It can be made in under 10 minutes.

Papdi Chaat Recipe

Ingredients:

15 papdi
2 medium potatoes, boiled.
1 large onion.
1 large tomatoes.
1/2 cup yoghurt beaten with 1/4 cup water, salt and sugar to taste.
2 tbsp chat masala
¼ cup nylon sev.
¼ cup tamarind chutney.
¼ cup green chutney
Juice of 1 lemon.

Process:

Assembling the papdi chat:

1.Peel the potatoes and dice them into small pieces. Keep them in a bowl and drizzle lemon juice over it.

2. Chop tomatoes and onions into small pieces.

3. Arrange the papdi on a large plate. Place a teaspoon of potato over each papdi. Then add a teaspoon of chopped tomatoes and onions.

4. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of yoghurt on each papdi. Sprinkle a pinch of chat masala and add teaspoon tamarind chutney and half a teaspoon of coriander chutney. Sprinkle sev over it and chopped coriander over it.

Devour one papdi at a time... Ah, Bliss!

If you think that is too much of work, then crush the papdis and place them on a plate and heap all the ingredients over it one by one! It won't look that beautiful, but I tell you it is as delicious as the other one! My DH likes it this way while I prefer to have it the other way.

Linking it to Priya's Olympics Games Event.

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