The Time Keeper - Mitch Albom

I have not gone through all of Mitch Albom's work, but the few I have read are awesome enough to get into my favorite list (Tuesdays with Morrie, The five people you meet in heaven). The time keeper keeps the reputation intact. This book is simply fabulous.

I have always admired Albom for choosing a simple, well known morale/topic; create some simple magical characters; and portray them with a gripping text. 'Simplicity' with 'depth of understanding' and perspective about time is what I adored in the time keeper as well.

"Man alone measures time. Man alone chimes in the hour. And because of this, man alone suffers the paralyzing fear that no other creature endures. A fear of running out of time."

Dor, a man from thousands of years ago is obsessed with measuring time. He has a beautiful wife and three kids. But his obsession leads to his banishment from the kingdom and he almost loses his wife. Later after other unlucky sequence of events, he ends up in a cave for thousand of years, where time never moves for him, but he is forced to listen to the lamenting voices of people of earth complaining about time.

Sarah Lemon, a present day teenage girl with low self esteem is in love with a boy. She thinks he loves her back but ends up being publicly humiliated. She thinks, she does not need anymore time.

Victor Delamonte, a filthy rich business man with a loving wife has everything in the world but doesn't have any time. He is terminally ill and is looking for ways to extend his time.

Dor, now described as father time is released from his imprisonment from the cave.  He meets these two people with entirely different background and perspective, and shows them the real value of time. In the process he understands the secret himself.

I did have trouble connecting to the characters in the initial pages of the book, since the writer was moving from one character to another without properly building the background. (But my history shows, I always had trouble in the beginning pages of the best books of my collection. May it be Potter series or Life of Pi or The god of small things. so I needed a bit of patience in the beginning.) After I got hold of the situation, I enjoyed the book thoroughly. There is nothing uniquely special about the story itself, yet it demands your attention and the end revives your perspective of time and what living in the moment really means.

Do read it. Worth every minute of your time.

My favourite lines

• Sometimes, when you are not getting the love you want, giving makes you think you will.
• A heart weighs more when it splits in two; it crashes in the chest like a broken plane.
• Knowing something and understanding it were not a same thing.
• And when hope is gone, time is punishment.
• It is never too late or too soon. It is when it is supposed to be.
• Ends are for yesterdays not tomorrows.
• There is a reason god limits our days. Why? To make each one precious. 
• With endless time, nothing is special. With no sacrifice, we can't appreciate what we have. 
• We all yearn for what we have lost. But sometimes we forget what we have. 
• When we are most alone is when we embrace another's loneliness. 
• But fates are connected in ways we don't understand. 
• But you grab a moment, or you let it pass.

The storyteller - Jodi Picoult

"Mr Darcy and Mr Butler will have to wait because I am in love with Leo Stein!"

Humor aside, Jodi Picoult did it again. She was able to cleverly tear her readers heart to million pieces and drown their minds to the grim occurring of the fiction, closely related to the heart-wrenching holocaust. This was truly an 'intense' and 'could not be put down' read.

The story revolves around four major characters:

• Sage Singer, a 25 year old car crash survivor with a facial scar; who is a self proclaimed atheist with a Jewish background; an amazing baker and a loner.
• Josef Weber, a 95 years old lovable and well respected retired German teacher.
• Minka, a holocaust survivor and Sage's grandmother.
• Leo Stein, a FBI agent from DC who specializes in tracking down Nazi fugitives.

Sage meets Josef in one of her grief group session and develops a good friendship with him as he frequents the bakery she works in. As their friendship blooms, Josef asks Sage for a favor. He wants her to forgive her and help him die. Shell shocked, Sage denies, but Josef slowly coaxes her and tells her his deepest, darkest and grave past of being a Nazi SS guard; and how he was involved in the killing of innocent Jews. Sage; confused, angry tries to get help from department of justice and meets Leo. In the process of discovering the truth and finding a witness for the unforgivable deeds of Josef, they cajole Minka to verbally relive her painful past as a holocaust survivor. It was a great mystery because she never shared her war time sufferings with anyone. Slowly the jigsaw puzzle are put into place and they realize Josef was one of the guards who held Minka as prisoner. With all the truth revealed 
and crystal clear, what will Sage do? Is atonement by a culprit, even decades after the horrible crime is done,  forgivable? Is it that easy? Does that do justice to the sufferers; to the dead? The end yields a surprising twist.

The spellbinding part of this book was when Minka described her life; that transformed from a happy normal family with a predilection of being a writer to getting lost in the midst of war. How her and other Jewish family were moved from a happy Jewish community to a Lodz ghetto, and then imprisoned in Auschwitz concentration camp. How she lost her family, her best friend! Their everyday misery; the insufferable and unimaginable pain of hunger; the instinct of survival. 

I was in tears when Jodi described a Jewish bride in her lacy bridal dress, trying hysterically to find her family members in the concentration camp; or when a mother was expected to work like normal days after her child was murdered by Nazis. It was ruthless and I still cringe at the thought of it.

Josef's description of his war time life as a Nazi made the whole story heavier. Like we were getting a first hand experience of the emotions of a killer. It was bizarre. (I don't want to read Peter's mind in nineteen minutes anymore!)

The other part that I found absolutely astonishing was a story within the story. Some may find it annoying but I loved it. May it be The tales of Beedle the Bard in Harry Potter, An Imperial Affliction in The fault in our stars, or the story of a Polish vampire/beast (Upior) and Ania in The storyteller; I adored it. It was a scurrilously planned distraction to the heart wrenching pain of a holocaust survivor.

Jodi's trademark of first person narration made this story closer to one's heart. Though she did not bother with a court scene which she marvelously portrayed in her other creations, the storyteller surely is one of her best book that I have read so far. 

Why I love Leo? You have to read the book to reciprocate my feelings. 

Happy reading folks!!

My favorite lines from this epic book :

Loss is more than just death, and grief is the grey shape shifter of emotion.

It doesn't matter what it is that leaves a hole inside you. It just matters that it's there.

That's the paradox of loss: how can something that's gone weigh us down so much?

Good people are good people; religion has nothing to do with it.

It is impossible to believe anything in a world that has ceased to regard man as man, that repeatedly proves that one is no longer a man- Simon Wiesenthal

Each memory is like paper flower stowed upon a magician's sleeve: invisible one moment and then so substantial and florid the next I can't imagine how it stayed hidden all this time.

I realise, how quickly lies compound. They cover like a coat of paint, one on top of the other, until you cannot remember what color you started with.

If you hide long enough, a ghost among men, you might disappear forever without anyone noticing. It's human nature to ensure that someone has seen the mark you left behind.

Anonymity, I guess, always comes at a price.

The only monster I have ever know were men.

All writers start with a layer of truth, don't they? If not, their stories would be nothing but spools of cotton candy, a fleeting taste wrapped around nothing but air.

Morality has nothing to do with religion. You can do the right thing and not believe in God at all.

what would you grab, if you had to pack up your life in only minutes?

Truth is so much harder than fiction.

What is the point of trying to put down on paper emotions that are too complex, too huge, too overwhelming to be confined by an alphabet? Love isn't the only word that fails. Hate does, too. War. And hope. Oh yes hope.

No more dangerous than living in the present and realizing nothing's changed.

History isn't about dates and places and wars. It's about the people who fill the spaces between them.

It's an odd luxury, knowing someone's got my back.

But forgiving isn't something you do for someone else. It's something you do for yourself.

(I just realized I haven't reviewed a book for a long time. It's not that I am not reading books. They are my only salvation right now, admist the ridiculous situations occurring in my surroundings and the world. It's just that my work schedule is a little occupying. But I promise to drop down the randomness more frequently from now on. Ciao!)

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Honestly, I have no words to express the way this book made me feel. The last time emotions rolled out of my eyes directly from the heart, chilling the soul and numbness rattling the mind happened exactly 8 years back. When Dobby closed his glassy orb like eyes, a deafening silence surrounded me. It was like an end; like time froze forever. The book thief almost gave the same chills. Its bewildering how a simple read can generate so many tender emotions. You feel fulfilled then empty: in a cycle; like the circular heart of death.

Liesel Meminger, a nine year old girl travels with her mother and brother in a train to Mulching, Munich. On the way she encounters different hues of death. Her brother's soul is lost. In the process of grievence, she steals her first book; a glimpse of hope. She meets her foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann: the best kind of people god has ever created. Despite the shadow of war and pertaining death, childhood is celebrated; friends are made. Rudy, her best friend helps her in unknown ways to get through the tough times. 

Hans Hubermann teaches Liesel how to read and slowly she discovers the power of words. Books are stolen and read in an attempt to find solace. In the midst of world war II, problems come and go but the major thorn came with Max Vandenburg; a Jew. With time Liesel and Max develops a beautiful bond. The war proceeds, death breaths through out Germany; the color of blood red and dusky grey. Lives are lost. Time plays different cards and the expected but intolerable death toll begins. Liesel loves words and hates them; slowly she begins to accept the irrefutable power of words and pour it to express her trepidation.

A beautiful beautiful read. Tender, caring, engrossing, mesmerizing, full of heart and soul. Its amazing how death can narrate life with such panache. Markus Zusak is "The Master Of The Words". The colors, the smells, the shapes... everything was written with compassion and simplicity. There was no imminent secret or mystery to hold you down but still the pages flow like fluid through the fingers, the mind absorbing every word, the heart filling the missing pieces. 

I would proudly keep this book in my best first five list. Something that I would hold close to my heart and repeat time and again. 

My favorite lines that i search through the pages frequently:

• A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship.
• The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you.
• I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.
• Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness.
• Even death has a heart.
• I am haunted by humans.
• Humans, if nothing else, have the good sense to die.
• A single hour can consist of thousands of different colors.Waxy yellows, cloud-spot blues. Murky darkness.
• I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that’s where they begin. Their great skill is their capacity to escalate.
• The human heart is a line, whereas my own is a circle, and I have the endless ability to be in the right place at the right time. The consequence of this is that I’m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both.
• Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day.
• I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race-that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.
• A small fact: You are going to die....does this worry you?
• My heart is so tired.
• So much good, so much evil. Just add water.
• The last time I saw her was red. The sky was like soup, boiling and stirring. In some places it was burned. There were black crumbs and pepper, streaked across the redness.
• One was a book thief. The other stole the sky.
• One opportunity leads directly to another, just as risk leads to more risk, life to more life, and death to more death.
• It was a Monday and they walked on a tightrope to the sun.
• I witness the ones that are left behind, crumbled among the jigsaw puzzles of realization, despair, and surprise. They have punctured hearts. They have beaten lungs.
• There was a chaos of goodbye.

The list is never gonna end...

Happy reading!!!

Astounding Nepal

"My country is beautiful" and its just not hollow words. These pictures were taken on two different occasions from Dhadagaun, Kavre; few kilometer trek down the famous Nagarkot. Went there for health camps and i couldn't help but capture the marvelous pretty clear sky painted 'forget me not blue'. Taken in late 2014, these snaps remind me of the beautiful 'earthquake-anticipation-free' days. Despite the quake that shook my country to painful rubbles the sky will remain the same. Fingers crossed!

A perfect view to take your breath away and make your soul soar to the heavens... Stunning ain't it?

The picture perfect wild blue yonder; the snow capped mountains; the luscious patterned Himalayas. You can get lost in these beauties for hours. I did :)

And the view gets better and better and better!!! Even the skeleton trees and the stone thatched house look stunning giving a fantastic dimension to the heartwarming backdrop. 

Lost yet? A pretty little cottage at the edge of a hill to give you a stunning view of the empyrean! Oh yes! its nothing short of heaven. Let your spirit soar love.

A cloud lake admist the Himalayas. Wanna go swimming? 

A humble attempt to take technology to the rural areas. No that's not me coz i was behind the camera but definitely my team members. The point from where we started the trek downwards.

Could not get enough of that blue celestial beauty!

The topography of my country is quite unique so accessing every nook and corners are tough. This landscape gives a general idea

Love this shot just for the sake of the blue, the white, the green and the pretty birds dancing in paradise.

A Weekend Turned Wicked

Hello all

Long time. Basically I tend to write random stuffs by myself but today I couldn't help but share an article written by my teenage kid sister about the earthquake we survived in Kathmandu, Nepal on 25th April 2015. Still going through the nightmare turned true. Reminded repeatedly by the grim aftershocks everyday, with shattering windows and doors; enough to rip your soul apart from your body for few never-ending seconds. 

Survived! a wonderful word but henceforth comes the struggle of helping those who suffered. The mental stress is overwhelming but being a doctor we are looked up to provide support in all the ways possible. Doing the best I can. Normalcy seems like a dream. 

And here is a thought of my sisters poured on ink instantly as a coping mechanism to the post traumatic stress we suffered. 

 A Weekend Turned Wicked

Image Credit: Google

25th April 2015 was a perfectly normal holy-day until it wasn't. A weekend turned wicked . The ground shook us all from deep within our hearts. One moment we had all we wanted from life and the next moment we were deprived of it. Our legs were shaking uncontrollably and we were running for our lives. We were drenched in sweat but the ground just won't stop shaking. It just felt like forever and that was the moment we realized the power of nature. The nightmare wasn't over, it just began. 

The debris of bodies and architecture rained down in our nation. The day got ruined when a massive earthquake of 7.9 Richter scale hit the entire nation with its epicenter being Barpak, Gorkha. The day never seemed to end. Every second felt like a year and every breath felt like a blessing. We were drenched in fear, hoping and praying for nothing but for everything to return to normal. This was the moment I truly wished that fairy tale was true. I hoped that with a flick of a wand I could do something, anything! 

The aftershocks never went away leaving us with no option, but for the fear to take over us. Sleepless night and endless fear gripped us. "Anticipation" as my sister phrased it was our greatest fear and enemy.

No network, no communication and no electricity supply. That is how we survived. Every motion, every movement made our heart skip a beat. Our minds were accustomed even to a smallest of tremor and the movement of our legs were spidery. The foods wouldn't go down our throats; every bite was tasteless; every chew - a loss of energy. We were living our nightmare. We lived that day in complete apprehension. 

As long as the day felt, the night never seemed to end. The fear taunting us, we were utterly helpless. The unseen became seen and unnoticed became noticed. The night sky seemed so peaceful, so calm. The stars twinkling, the moon shining bright, spreading its warm light over all the people staring at it from below the earth. We all were staring into the heaven through the chaos of hell.

Our shrines and historical monuments were dilapidated and desecrated. We were all numb and despondent. The eaves of the historic buildings fell upon the ground and the gloom was not just a passing shadow. The delirium never went away, we all were nothing but deranged. Our only solace was to know that our loved ones were safe. Each person passed through the same excruciating and overwhelming experience. Saturday which was supposed to be exuberant turned into a frantic cry for help.

R.I.P TO ALL THOSE INNOCENT LIVES LOST.

Our deepest sympathies goes out to all those suffered family. May God give you the comfort and peace that you seek and may the soul of your loved one rest in peace. 

Not losing hope right now is the most important thing.  "Sometimes hope is the only thing that keeps you moving on."

Stay strong

Pray for Nepal  (Esha/Rosy)

So people, as my sisters say we are shaken to the core; don't know when we will wake up from this nightmare but we are hanging on to the thinnest string of hope. We are praying and we are working to get through this time of trouble - a natural calamity when mother nature trembles and the only thing you can do is surrender to the force. But we will stand united, stand strong and we will rise again. #Gratitude to everyone who has been with us at this time of dire need. #Gratitude to those who are still with us and who will be with us in the future. 

Computer vision syndrome - An article with random occurrings and mood swings!

Had a fun yet tiring, weekend-occupying eye camp followed by a hectic Sunday at work so decided to take a day off on Monday.

(J.K ROWLING WAS HERE IN MY TOWN THAT TIME, BUT I MISSED HER COZ I WAS BUSY WITH EYE CAMP OUTSIDE VALLEY! I think i will regret this decision at some point of my life.)

My sleepy eyes and rusted body was screaming for rest. But when you become a part of an institute where you were a student once, you never get time for yourself. Probably this is what growing up is; work 24-7 with no time for your mental peace. I am not liking it though. Even on my leave-day, i was called at home, in between my precious sleep to write an article for a yearly magazine that my hospital publishes every year. I was suppose to write it in plain english without including medical terminologies so general people can get the message. So admist the painful joints and gnawing headaches, i compiled a ridiculously simple yet useful article on computer vision syndrome. Hope you like it.

I MISSED ROWLING!! Imagine.

Computer Vision Syndrome

Computers, mobiles, tablets are not luxuries anymore but a ‘new essential’ in our life. We use it daily; either for work or for fun. Net surfing and being in touch with friends and families through social media is currently a life style of this tech savvy generation. And majority of us who use these technology have experienced symptoms like strained eyes, headaches, neck aches, backaches, blurred vision, difficulty in changing focus between near and far objects, sensitivity to light and burning sensation of eyes at one time or another.

What are these symptoms called?

Its called computer vision syndrome - a common affliction of eyes for using excessive technology while trying to catch up with this digital age.

Will i suffer from this condition?

If you use computers for more than 3-4 hours then it can happen to you as well. No age is safe. Anyone can have computer vision syndrome.

Any remedies?

Of course! Though temporary these symptoms can be a nuisance at work but they can be prevented and reduced by following few easy rules.

  

  A)  Don’t forget to blink : Normally human blinks around 15 times per minute. But studies show that while reading or gazing an object with great attentiveness, it can decrease up to 3 times per minute. So don't forget to blink because blinking redistributes your tear film over your eyes and help reduce the eye strain and symptoms of dry eye like burning sensation.

  B)  Where is your screen : Distance between the screen and your eyes should be around 20-28 inches and it should be 4-6 inches below your eye level. Make sure the downward viewing angle is greater than 60 degrees.

  C)  Your posture matters : Your head and neck should be upright in line with your torso. Not tilted or bent. Keep your mouse aligned with the keyboard and try to maintain a straight non-fidgety posture. Your upper arms should be perpendicular to the floor and your forearm ninety degrees to your upper arm. Similarly your thighs should be parallel to the floor and your legs perpendicular to the floor. Rest your hands and wrist properly.

  D)  Right light : Good light means less eye strain. Don’t use bright overhead light or light in front or light behind you. Rather opt for a side light and position your screen in such a way that reflections are reduced. Glare filter for your computer screen is an alternative.

  E)  What are you looking at : Make sure the size of the letters of your computer document is easily visible and manage the brightness and contrast. Using gradient color in parts of your text improves your reading ability. Clear document means less stress to your eyes.

  F)  20-20-20 Rule : Every 20 minutes of computer use, rest your eyes for 20 seconds by looking at objects more than 20 feet away. And after 2 hours of continuous use, rest your eyes for 15 minutes.

  G) Get your eyes checked : In case of vision problems, focusing problems and eye movement co-ordination problems none of the above rules help until and unless they are taken care of. So visit your doctor.

Be vigilant, take care of your eyes because prevention is always better.

(Well Rowling said - It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. So probably i was doing the best thing for myself - living an adventurous and satisfying life. Next time J.K, I ll surely meet you :) 

Pondering!!!

                                                      Pondered for a long time

                                                      - What exactly is life

                                                         And realized ......

                                                         It was just the passing moment

                                                         You spend pondering!!!

                                             

                                            

Nineteen minutes - Jodi Picoult

"In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can order a pizza and get delivered. You can read a story to a child or have your oil changed. You can walk a mile. You can sew a hem. In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge."

If these words don't catch your attention then god knows what will. Recommended by a book club fellow- as her best book by Jodi Picoult, it was one of my most searched book. Similar to my last read by the writer (My sister's keeper), I was so engrossed in the story and the resonance of thoughts afterwards - it took me ages to pen down my review. The plot is completely different from the famous "My Sister's Keeper" but the writing style screams "Picoult" through and through. 

"When you begin a journey of revenge start by digging two graves
One for your enemy, and one for yourself" - Chinese Proverb

A disaster strikes in Sterling High, New Hampshire - a rare, blood curdling school shoot out resulting in death of 10 students and injuring many. Patrick, a detective, discovers the many victims of the massacre along with 17 year old high school student Peter Houghton- the suspected killer. Josie Cormier, a school student, is an important witness but she couldn't remember the last minute details. She is also a daughter of judge Alex Cormier who is torn between either being part of the biggest case of her career or supporting her daughter in this fragile state. Finally she gives up the case to support her daughter. 

As the story unfolds; Peter, a computer enthusiast, is recognized as a victim of severe bullying through out his school life. Josie was his only best friend but she succumbs to peer pressure and leaves him to hang out with the cool gang who bullies Peter and weak students like him. But Peter is loyal to Josie and when he finds out Matt Royson, (Josie's boyfriend and major jock) harasses Josie verbally and physically, he sends Josie a propose email. But the mail is intercepted by Josie's 'cool gang' friend Courtney. 

That mail becomes another reason of his humiliation in front of all the students in the school cafeteria. That acts as a final trigger factor of the massacre . The prosecution is carried out, many faults of school authorities and parents are bought to attention. Finally Josie remembers the missing pieces of the story and judgement is done. Or is it?

I loved the way how different characters had their say in the story. Its painful to hear Lacy Houghton's (Peter's mother) thoughts. No mother gives birth to a murderer. It hurts... really. But I missed the thoughts of Peter himself. The story would have more gravitas if some parts of the story like the main event itself was written in Peter's point of view (the pain, the angst, the deep exasperation he felt that forced him to vex his anger by stealing someone's life). 


The plot haunts you deeply, provoking questions with no easy answers. There is no pure white or black. Bullying and the mental/physical stress endured by its sufferers is a common yet less talked about subject. Jodi Picoult has given a brilliant account of its effects without being judgmental and leaving the readers to make their own opinion on this topic.

A good read. Happy reading.

Happiness

Years ago when i was young (but definitely not stupid), during a five minutes break of my chaotic Otorhinolaryngology practical class, a dear friend of mine asked me out of nowhere - What do you want in life - the most? Without much ado or thought i babbled - happiness of course. My friend piped another unexpected question- what's happiness for you? And i was dumbstruck. Such a simple question and i was in short of answer (Granger effect wearing off!!! ).

                                                                               © Panacea 2015

Million of thoughts crashed my mind - a smile from a stranger, giggles, the sound of laughter, the soothing breeze, the sound of the rain and the scent of earth afterwards, dancing in the rain, music, perfumes, colors, a shoulder to cry on, a cup of piping hot tea on a cold day, surprises, a field full of flowers, rainbow after a beautiful shower, bright shining stars in the indigo sky, shooting stars, the first ray of morning sun hitting my face, a library, chocolate cake, staring at the flying falcon and its royal tune, a deep gratitude filled satisfaction... million of things. 

It was impossible to pinpoint happiness..... or was it? Simple minute things, happening around all the time, needing a bit of thought and appreciation; probably that was happiness for me at that brink of time... I think or that was what i thought. But i really don't know. Things changes, perspective changes and the minute things start to lose their meaning. Materialistic matters, judgmental attitude and ego takes over and the definition is renewed over and over. 

I still don't know! Probably happiness is a five minute coffee break in your hectic schedule or a happenstance meeting with a long lost friend or a music by your favorite singer blaring out loud from your radio or finding a penny in your portion of Christmas pudding. May be its a pursuit; a journey to transform yourself to something better or otherwise. 

Ernest Hemingway said - Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

And 

Albert Camus thinks - You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. 

Its confusing; controversial even.... 



Queen Rowling said - Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one remembers to turn on the light. 

But at this moment, either  my switch box is broken or my light bulb is burnt out, i don't know. But i am not giving up on my quest. Nope not that easily.

Gone girl - Gillian Flynn

The movie was insanely brilliant. But it took me a week to realize, it was a book adaptation (My ignorance is celebrated every now and then.. phew!). A sad moment because I prefer to devour on books before jumping into movies. 

The "plot" of two imperfect, immoral, flawed people getting together in an unrealistic dream of a perfect life, ultimately creating havoc is the star of this creation. 

I knew it all in greater detail (thanks to the movie which is a must watch), but the casual writing style with elaborated options and some details missed in the movie made the read- fun. The major turn off were the swear words thrown over your face every now and then. May be its the modern literature thing but for me its was an enigma.... boring, unwanted and irritating.

 Lance Nicholas Dunne, a New York journalist falls for Amy Elliott, a personality quiz writer. Their story of falling in love amongst the sugar clouds is almost magical. But no love story is without flaw. They lose their job in downsizing and they relocate their life in Missouri as Nick's mother is dying of cancer. Nick and his twin sister Margo starts a bar with Amy's money. Amy who was used to a good New York life style suffocates in their new home and Nick suffers from a decreased confidence after his lost job. Their marriage become dysfunctional but nobody surrenders. On the eve of their fifth marriage anniversary, Amy goes missing. Nick  becomes the primal suspect. Amy's diary, the money problem, spiking her life insurance, his cheating on Amy with his student, circumstantial evidences - all points towards Nick; but the story gives an unexpected twist. 

SPOILER ALERT***

Amy is not as humble and sweet as portrayed. Slowly her manipulative and controlling behavior attracts attention. Actually she planted all the false evidences to frame her husband to revenge his adultery. She is so cruel, she even murders her admirer who helped her after she is convinced that her husband has learned the lesson (Nick starts to plead her to come back through tabloid). But Nick understands her like the back of his hand and tries to expose her, but in vain. In the mean time Amy forces him to fake his love in front of the media and to control him- gets pregnant by invitro fertilization. Nick gives himself up to Amy, in an attempt to save his unborn child. The book ends in a strange note.

Not a big fan of this writing style (though I love the first order writing style that helps you understand the character better, I was not impressed with the lack of depth here...). What about comeuppance? No bad guys are hurt instead an innocent life is lost. Life is not fair after all! But the story is absorbing, a potent psychological thriller that makes an incomplete attempt to read through the uncharacteristic mind of two strange people. I loved  how this book portrays the way tabloid worships victim and how some "manipulative victim role players" abuses them. The simple fact that - everyone thinks, marriage is supposed to be perfect, embodied with stars and rainbow, but perfection really does not exist and its all about small compromises to gratify one another's need - is taught in a very painful and unconventional manner. It is a weird, dark, imperfectly gripping yet fun read. The end gives you an unsettling feeling though. Its not all rainbows and butterflies here.


Read it if you have time or just catch the movie. Whatever suits you.

The Savage Altar - Asa Larsson

A UK translated copy of Swedish book- Solstorm

Sharing the last name with the millennium trilogy genius Stieg Larsson, the book is sure to demand attention. It will definitely be scrutinized minutely for every details to see whether it can compete with the story of protagonist Lisbeth Salander of the popular Dragon tattoo series. Rebecka Martinsson do not disappoint. Though she is a tax lawyer with Meiijer and Ditzinger, she amazes with her skills of a perfect experienced detective and even does not mind going through mortal peril mixed with action to shine the light over the truth.

Victor Strandgard ('The paradise boy'), author of a best seller 'Heaven and Back' and a pastor of crystal church in Kinura (frozen northern Sweden) is found dead in the aisle of the church. The body is mangled brutally with slashed wounds, severed hands and eyes gouged out. His sister, Sanna (mentally disturbed yet bitchy enough to manipulate people for her own use), is the first one to discover the body and informs the police. With the fear of being the first murder suspect, she calls her long lost friend Rebecca Martinsson for help. Rebecka, a young Tax lawyer working in Stockholm, has a terrible past hidden in that old city of Kinura and is reluctant to return but her old habit of empathy takes over and she comes back home to help her friend Sanna. While digging through the depths of the church and the pastors: Thomas Sodenberg, Vessa Larsson and Gunnar Isaksson's secret, she comes across Curt Backstrom; a convicted psychotic murderer with feelings for Sanna. With Sanna in jail and Rebecka taking care of her daughters Sara and Lova, the digging exposes unexpected facts. She finds herself in mortal peril before revealing the truth and in the end all is well.

A nice suspense-thriller for a quick read that will soothe your detective mind, just enough to keep the suspense pumping up adrenaline. A day for this book will suffice to enjoy the easy writing style and simple details. Sweden's Best First Crime Novel award well deserved!