Review: Cross Roads by Wm Paul Young

This is Young's second book. First was "The Shack" Cross Road is very similar to The Shack, very spiritual, religious oriented. Books like these need to be read very slowly, patiently and carefully, cuz there is always a message n lessons in such fiction books which relates to our every day to day life.

This book has reminded me of my mom who had Cancer n later went in coma, right in front of my eyes. I can totally relate, not much, but a lot, cuz of being there, doing that, seeing that !! May her soul R.I.P 

However, let's talk about Anthony Spencer, the main character of this story !! The problem with him was that he was a very selfish, paranoid, egoistic, ambitious, sociopathic, self-made businessman, who never valued his family, never valued love, who cut himself off from the people who loved him, his ex-wife, his daughter and his son who died at a very young age. A brain tumor and cerebral hemorrhage leaves his body in coma and landed him in ICU. Here he interacts and encounters with the Holy spirits, who reveals the state of his heart to him, and gives him an opportunity to be transformed. Transforming his life from being egoistic to helping others, love others. This is what we take at the end of the day with us. Tony is now visiting in minds of those surrounding him. And what happens when Jesus himself tells Tony that he could heal one person? Will this selfish man win or he will experience a change in his heart? 

There is this beautiful lines at the end of the book which sums up the book.

" Imagery,” added Grandmother, “has never been able to define God, but it is our intention to be known, and each whisper and breath of imagery is a little window into a facet of our nature.  Pretty cool, eh?”

If u are one in those million people who picked "The Shack", then u shouldn't give a second thought on this one. 

I got this copy from Chapters, Indigo. Actually i ordered it from library, but I was way way behind for my turn and I couldn't wait. I thought of keeping it in my shelf, but after reading it, I decided to donate it to the library, cuz I don't want others to wait to read this. 

Of course a MUST read !! 

Happy Reading !!

Broken Heart (Haiku)

She lost Him, (Her Love)

Like a pebble in the sea

Lone heart silence speaks ...

Review: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

There were two reasons as to y I picked this book. First being heard gud things abt it, got my curiosity. The other reason, when the movie hit the theaters and that lead to my attention. I chose book over movie, cuz for me book is any day better. I can't give my 3 hrs to movie but can happily give 6 hours to book. 

My Thoughts: 

Pi Patel (Piscine Molitor Patel), age 16, Indian boy who is from Pondicherry, India and is a son of zookeeper, is the only sole survivor of the cargo ship and returns to the land after 227 days. He spent 227 days in the sea and he shares his boat with Zebra, Orangutan, Hyena and an adult Royal Bengal Tiger. By the end of the novel he provides two different explanations for how things went and what happened.

1st Part:

The first quarter of the book is about his spirituality. His spiritual growth. He is Hindu but how he discovers and adopts Christianity and Islam. 

2nd Part:

The next part was about his childhood in Pondicherry. That moved very slow and I just became more n more impatient to move forward. His childhood experiences were entertaining and a little humorous but again a little too draggy and nor did i find writing too compelling as well. As the story takes it's course through his childhood, there comes a time when his father announces that they r going to sell their zoo and move to Canada. I was convinced that the Life of Pi is going to change. 

3rd Part: 

From here the novel is very different. Pi and hid family and all their zoo animals embark on a Japanese freighter bound to Canada, but ship never makes it. The only animal left are Zebra, Orangutan, Hyena an the tiger and of course Pi. One by one all the remaining animals meet their demise until only Pi and tiger are left. 

Its a novel of suffering, spirituality and survival. I recommend this book for the lover of adventure stories. Trust me, m not one of them but, I loved this one. Just enjoy this book with active and open imagination by not going deep into religious aspect of the story. 

Upcoming reviews: 

1. The Broker by John Grisham ( Audio) 
2. You Made Me Love You by Joanna Goodman (Book)
3. Private London by James Patterson (Book) 
4. The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer (Audio)
5. Cross Roads by Wm. Paul Young (Book) 

Happy Reading !! 

Review: Her Best Friend by Sarah Mayberry

Sometimes the cover, and the title of the book says everything. "Her Best Friend" is one such. The cover of the book reads "Her Best Friend" .... "More than friends" ..... "He's back, he's hot and he's single .. oh, my!" 

Most of them associate Harlequin books to be cheap indulgences for lonely night .. it may be true, but for me its a piece of chocolate. They a very hilarious !! And it also depends on when, u r reading? What time of the day? And it makes a lot of difference when its a book format or an Audio format. Book like these, in the audio format sounds very funny. Face it, sometimes u r in a mood of Harlequin. Without much ado, here's my thought on this novel.

Plot: Will it be friendship or romance? What's a girl to do when she's secretly in love with a friend and he's married to someone else? She gets over it. That's what Amy Parker has done. Rather than lose her best bud Quinn Whitfield with an ill-timed, crazy confession of affection, she's taken the smart route. She's eased away from him. Just enough to get past the unrequited bits. And you know, it's working.

Until the day Quinn announces he's now single. That's right. He's single. And he wants to hang out. With her. Get reconnected the way they used to be.

Oh, this is so not good for Amy's equilibrium. Daily doses of Quinn remind her of everything she loves about him. But if he's free…and she's free…well, maybe the time has come for one of those crazy confessions.

What I think ? It made me laugh, it made me think, some parts added to my dreams. You feel an instant connection between Amy and Quinn. I thoroughly enjoyed the re-living of their childhood, like when Amy first noticed Quinn's transformation from boy to man. Your sympathy goes out to Amy for her unrequited love for Quinn. I mean, c'mon, we've all had that feeling where you like someone and that person doesn't give you a second peek. And when Amy loses Quinn to her other friend! Well, that just sucks! After all, nobody likes being the third wheel. 

I'm reminded of the "Jerry and Elaine" relationship on Seinfeld. They went out, broke up, and became the best of friends--the kind you can't imagine living day-to-day without. Can you imagine that? Most people who break up can't be friends, even if that's where it started, because it's just too weird for them. But Jerry and Elaine pulled it off. Friendships are the best!

Love is not only for lovers, it is also for friends who love each other better than lovers and still be friends. 

Happy Reading !! 

TOGETHER (Haiku)

Minutes together

in comfortable laughter

she breathes in his world

"Some look for a beautiful place, she makes place beautiful for him" 

BUTTERFLY (Poem)

I wish I was a butterfly

With beautiful wings, flying up high

Peacefully singing into the air

With so silent notes that songs never heard

No one could guess where I lead

No one could notice that how my heart weeps

For such silent n painful sound only tears will show

Shud I ever fade and no one will ever know

I wish , 

I wish, I was a Butterfly 

Dancing Mind (Haiku)

Thinking of his touch

excited, her mind dances

waiting for reasons

HAPPINESS (Haiku)

THE LORD of this world !!!

down on her knee shez praying

for his happiness 

(AMEN !!) 

Haikus

1. Name

Everywhere she sees

Bus, Books, Phone, Dreams, Roads, Coffee 
his name, his presence

2. Waiting

I dream certain dreams

possibilities unfold

desire emerge

3. Door

Hez door to her soul

his reflection in her eyes

she feels him within

"Poetic nerves r acting crazy today !! I always look for the words and images that SAYS evrything so I don't have to WRITE anymore. Haiku: The only problem with Haiku is that u jus get started and then ...... "

Review: The Innocent Man by John Grisham.

The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a small town: 

Great !!! This is John Grisham's first non-fiction and its stunning. Who goes on a long long long drives to complete their audio books??? I do !!! I did, for this one and many others. I love audio books a much I do reading a book format. 2 books a week = 104 in a year. I think I can do it. 

The author writes abt the 1987 trial n sentencing Ron Williamson for the murder of 21 year old Debby Carter. Ron, who was All-State baseball athlete was sure to be Ada, Oklahoma's local celebrity when drafted after graduation to play for the New York Yankee' minor league team. He soon found out that his extraordinary ball skills in high school were not enough to make it in the big leagues. Cut from the team and back living with his mother in Ada, Ron takes to drinking, drugging and bar hopping. His desire to play professional baseball soon became an obsession and the first hint of Ron's mental illness (the terms used to describe his mental illness has helped me to a great extent in understanding my medical terminology) came to light. When a local woman was raped and killed in her own home, Ron became the first suspect. Because he was known as a strange character around town that partyied alot and wandered the streets late at night as well as living close to the victim he was the easiest suspect. Due to the severity of the crime, the police believed there were two perpetrators and they arrested Ron and his buddy Dennis in connection with the crime. With numerous witnesses willing to lie for the prosecution, Ron and Dennis were soon charged with the rape and murder and facing a murder trial. 

Being that Ron and Dennis could not afford legal representation, the court assigned them council and the investigations began. The townsfolk were anxious to have a resolution in the case and the prosecution pushed forward with lies and shoddy policework to find Ron and Dennis guilty. This case began before DNA evidence was widely used and they were convicted without any concrete facts. Ron sentenced to Death Row and Dennis was sentenced to life in prison, the story continues with appeal after appeal being filed on their behalf. 

In the early 90's, Barry Scheck joined Ron's legal team. New technology with DNA evidence was enabling innocent convicts to be exonerated at appeals. This looked hopeful for Ron and Dennis since no forensic evidence in the past had been adequately used against them. The issue of Ron's mental capacity to stand trial had never been brought before the court as well.

John Grisham gave his best to explain the readers about the flaws in the justice system and how it is corrupted. Its informative, exiciting, and a real life chiller. Anybody who likes real life story must read this. If u believe that in States u r innocent until proven guilty, u'll b shocked reading this. This book will disturb u knowing the death penalty in States. If u think that criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate u. In the end, freeing of Mr. Williamson and Mr. Fritz was the result of the legal system's checks and balances. it is characterized by Mr. Grisham as a lucky fluke in the never-ending battle between plucky defense attorneys and bloodthirsty prosecutors.

A Must Read ...

Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book.  

Happy Reading !!!

BOOK (Haiku)

She opens her book

press his face like dried flowers

for her eyes to read

Night (Haiku)

Matter of a night 

and she will see him again 

she smiles at the thought

LOSS (Haiku)

Pressure of being his

Peace, Sleep, Patience, Happiness

She lost evrything.

Quote: " Missing someone? Call. Wanna meet? Invite. Have question? Ask. Love someone? Tell it. .... U already have a NO, take a risk of getting YES. If u win, u'll b happy. If u lose, u'll be wise." 

Review: The Sins of the Mother by Danielle Steel

            Book Title: The Sins of the Mother

           Author: Danielle Steel
           Published By: Delacorte Press
           Date Published: October 30th 2012
           Genre: Contemporary Romance
           Pages: 354
           Recommended Age: Adults
           Read & Reviewed By: Me 
           Rating: 4 Stars 







I borrowed this book from the library. I went on Christmas eve to drop off some items in the drop-box not knowing that the library was open. I was lucky to find this book cuz, m in the queue at #97 for this copy. Now, this is what I call being at the right place at the right time. All the books I wanted was ON shelf. My this visit to library has made my Christmas and New Years. 

Summary: 
                Olivia Grayson, a successful business woman missed out on much of her children’s lives while building her business. Now, at the age of 70 she sees the affect it has had on her their lives, each of them has their own problems. She tries to bring her family back together before she loses them all.

My Thoughts: 
                       I've always loved Danielle Steels work. Shez a tremendous writer. This si another winner. I enjoyed reading about the emotional growth of a family and the individuals of that family finding their way back to each other.  The thing that bothered me was the certain relationship between the matriarch of the family and someone else.  I saw it coming a mile away.  To me, it seemed typical of Steel’s characters, but others may find it was bound to happen with the characters’ situation. I gave 4 stars, although I enjoyed this book I found some parts typical of Steel and I was never taken by surprised.  So ... enjoy !! Happy Reading !! 

Dream World (Haiku)

Rolls fingers on lips

She trace certain desire

His smile in her eyes

Presence (Haiku)

I feel his presence

in comfortable silence

my smile ... mischievous !! 

Review: ICE by Linda Howard

I finished this book in 2 hrs. Only one word "UNPUTDOWNABLE".

Many reasons: 

• Fast read
• Just 198 pages
• No kids at home, went to christmas party so got that ME TIME .. lol..so was able to finish in one sitting. 

My Thoughts : 

Linda Howard sure is one of the nicest romantic author but not the best. I have read better romantic novels than this one. Romance was little too short, suspense was a lot, though this book falls under "Romance" genre. Anyways, .... 

Gabriel McQueen is a young widow who has just arrived back to his childhood town on military leave to see his young son and his father the sheriff. When Gabriel entered into the house, his father informs him of an incoming ice storm.  In Maine, this is dangerous news and he is quick to do as his father tasks.

The task is to go deep up into the mountains and bring back long time resident Lorelei Helton to safety.  Gabriel know Lorelei (Lolly) all to well and she was rather a pain in his back side back in High school and basically there is no love lost between them. He safely brings her back home. As Gabriel muses back to his icy childhood rivalry with Lolly while driving to her cabin, she is in danger trapped by two irrational meth addicts. Gabriel quickly assesses the situation on the ground and uses his military training and experience to extract Lolly from the house and the enemy. However, as covertness as he was, the two maniacal thugs go after them.

This is a fast read romantic suspense with the frozen isolated location. Both r trying hard to melt the ice between them and prevent the epidermis loss by kissing each other.

Linda Howard fans will enjoy this read. 

Happy Reading !! 

Dickinson: Selected Poems and Commentaries by Helen Vendler

Before I start talking abt this book , I'd like to Thank my only friend whose nearest and dearest and his family for giving me this gift of love for Christmas... Thank You. :) 

Emily Dickinson has never been an easy poet to understand. Not that I knew abt it, but came to knew a lot abt her aftre receiving this book. I loved poem since school days, Shakespeare's Sonnets, his work, but always gave up on them cuz of lack of understanding. 

Where you have these great poets like Emily Dickinson, we need a interpreter like Helen Vendler help make us understand. I wouldn't say shez easy either, she maintains the complexity of the poem but still helps us. Find a poem u want to understand and u r wrestling with it ? take it to Vendler and see what she has to say. She'll take u inside poets head and gives u the view from the poets side. 

Though this book has 150 poems, and explained by Vendler, I've read 34 so far n wud like share one of them with u which I loved. Once again I'd like to Thank my friend for this push. .. :) 

Poem lovers ?  This book is for you. 

Enjoy !!

Because I Could Not Stop For Death 

2012 DOOMSDAY (Poem)

If I were to die tomorrow,

I wud live for you TODAY and till the end

I don't fear death 

The only fear is, it will tear us apart

Neither do I want to live forever 

The only wish is to live with you and for you. 

I still donno the reason why.

Why do we live if we are born to die? 

Who does decide the where and the why?

I have heard it said we live but once.

But why can't we live at least twice.

We would have much more time to love, to give and to live.

And the second chance would be sooooo nice.

I guess God is the only one who knows just why.

 If we have really been appointed only once to die.

Review : Double Cross by James Patterson

James really killed it this time, like always.This was the audio book for me. I was so lost in listening to this audio, that i back into a car when I reversed it and I didnt realize. Can u imagine ? I donno !!  when m with my audio book or music in the car, I really donno wat happens in the world outside. Most of the time I dont even know where m going. But anyways, its just the effect of the story that i loose myself in. Along with this m reading John Grisham's "The Confession" almost to an end, will review it by the weekend.

 The start of this novel sees Cross with his practice of psychology and a routine life of patients and analysis. He has a new great love in his life, Detective Brianna Stone. One bed scene and the rest is the killer scenes.

However a new master criminal starts a string of murders in Washington DC. The whole City is on edge. Each new murder gives new clues and new challenges for Cross to put the pieces together.

The killer craves attention and plays to an audience, the action is played out very much in the public eye. This publicity fuels the media and the hysteria spreads to the public at large. How can Cross bring him down and restore some normality to DC life?

From the beginning to the end James gives you the most thrilling and suspenseful ride into novel world. I read "CROSS" earlier on before reading this; and I must confess this was double the thrill than it. Really got me hooked on this one. To all the JP’s fans who'd want to go on a "thriller-coaster-ride", I'll recommend this.

Happy Reading !!

TOUCH (Haiku)

Can't wait for his touch

she feels vibrant with the feel

she smiles at the thought.

THINKING (Haiku)

M thinking of him

within a quite moment

the smile in my eyes

(Its always nice to have someone in ur life who makes u smile even when they're not around) 

Eyes (Haiku)

Eyes asks me, for you

You are the air that I breathe

Where will I find you ? 

RAIN (Haiku)

You can call me rain

for all i seem to do is

always fall for you

The ABC'S

I don't remember where did I pick this idea from, but it's a brilliant idea. It involves listing down all the things you are grateful for, in alphabetical order. Gratitude si a blessing, it brings joy and washes all the worries. Here's my list of things m greatful for:

A : Ammi and Abba. ( Mom and Dad)  What would I do without them. Though they left me 15 yrs ago, but they are always with me, each day n each minute.

B : Books and Blog. I need them to keep my mind thinking and to keep my creativity alive. Books has always been a part of my life. Blog is a recent discovery. In other words, my blog is my Autobiography.

C : Coffee. I live on Coffee. This is absolutely necessary to maintain my sanity ..lol.. :P

D :  Dates. I can never forget dates. Birthdays, Anniversary. I have friends whom I haven't met since ages but never forget to call them on their bdays n they r like, " How cum u never forget our bdays. U are always the first one to wish." ... Its nice to smile for others, but its nice that u r the reason for their smile. Its a nice feeling .. :)

E : Earrings. Superficial, Yes, but they r pretty !

F : Friends and Family. M blessed to have a beautiful family. Somtimes I think, they don't deserve me. They deserve much better. M blessed. And friends ? I just have only ONE friend, to be honest. Whose just like me. I thought I'd never find someone whose like me. Cuz m Unique, right ?  .. lol.. but I found one, I so wish n pray for this friendship. I've had a bad experiecnce of losing ppl i love the most in my life. Just dont want to lose my family and friend.

G : God's Grace. Some people attribute their success due to hard work. Others, who are probably envious of them, believe that they simply were lucky. I do believe in the virtue of hard work, but at the same time, I trust in God. It's His grace that has taken me so far, and my faith shall keep me going.

H : Honest. Honesty is the best policy. I like to be honest to ppl. And I can see that its appreciated. So ...

I : Ice Cream. Only chocolate. .. :)

J : Ouch !! I can't share this one ... m sorry.. This one is just for me ... :)

K : Kindness. Kindness promotes confidence and optimism. It makes us feel good abt ourselves when we do things for others. Giving of ouselves to others builds up our positive self-image. Gives us a sence of hope. I feel more powerful and in control when I make a positive difference in the life of others.

L : Laugh. I laugh a lot. I love to c ppl laugh, smile. I try my best to put a smile on others face, doesn't matter wats inside. Laughing is a good medicine, but lemme remind u, if u r laughing for no reason u need a medicine.... lol...

M : Mautitus. Its the heaven on earth. I can't describe in words. Their traditional dance, their music, those beaches, sunsets on the beach, all u can hear is the sound of the waves, Churches, wat not ... Should I get a chance in life to visit any one place again ? Wud be Mauritius ...

N : Numbers. Love solving puzzles, Sudokus, Fibonacci Sonnet, Ken Ken. These help keep brain in shape.

O : October. Y October? I WAS BORN, YAA !! Common ... lol..

P : Pink. The color pink represents compassion, nurturing and love. It relates to unconditional love and understanding, and the giving and receiving of nurturing. Above all, girls wear pink. I love girls ..
Pink word is used again in ppls health. "Hope and pray that ppl we love are pink in health."

Q : Quite. In some ways, I am grateful for quiet time, because that is when your mind has the best clarity and that is when you can hear yourself the best. Unless u find urself, how can u find God?

R : Red Roses. Red roses are classic and a popular choice since their message is an unmistakable expression of love. The color red symbolizes enduring romantic love and passion.

S : Sunshine. Every morning, as the first specks of sunshine reach my window, it brings in its midst new hope. And once again, it reminds me the perfect ways of the cosmos.

T : Teachers.  My first teachers was my parents. Then from my primary school days, I have been blessed to have teachers, who have moulded me, guiding and inspiring me all along.

U : Unconditional Love. I had to think hard to come up with something for this letter. And suddenly, as I thought of my parents, their love is unconditional, I can never be a parent like them. But I have the love they gave me, which I spread.

V : Vacation. M on vacation everyday, with myself, my books, my coffee, my college, my music and in my car.

W : Wasting time: Time is precious. No time to waste.

X : Xtra goodies. I do anything to be the reason of others smile. Its a privilege.

Y : Yap, Yap, Yap. I don't like to talk much. But if I talk, I talk.

Z : Zzzzzzz . There's never anything as good as sleep after a long hectic day, is there ?
 

Rain (Haiku)

"Therez always rain @

the most appropriate times

in my life"  Khairu.

My Thoughts and Words

My thoughts are Painite

One of a kind and rare find

Not for all, but one 

Weekend Haiku's

Like a dry desert

I soak in your immense love

Now completely drenched

You curl next to me 

And fall asleep to the calm

That only I bring 

(Too gud Khairu, (patting my back) )

Review: Cover of Night by Linda Howard

Title: Cover of Night

Author: Linda Howard

Year Published: June 2006 

Why did u get this audio book?  Cuz I liked her previous novels. "Now You See Her", "After The Night", "Kiss and Tell", "Killing Time" and to sum extent "Kiss While I sleep".

Did u like the cover?  I loved it.  I wanted to read a romantic novel this week.

Did u enjoy the book?  Gud question. Hmmm .. not at all. LH books a like playing lottery. Sumtimes u'll win big and sumtimes u get pissed off. M glad I didn't READ this one. I thought it to be a romantic novel, full of passion, love. But it was nuthing like the cover. It was more of bad guys. I think she needs to do more research. The book is a bit enjoyable when it cums to Cal and Kate romance but hasn't been described in deep. I was looking for more. 

Are u keeping it or passing it on?  Can't wait to drop it in library. 

Anything else?  I've read a lot of comments and reviews after finishing the book and majority of ppl agrees that this wasn't LH greatest book. It's still quite good and superior to some other reads, but because it doesn't reach the high standard that LH has set with her previous books.

Medical Haiku

Today's class effect on me ..

Surgery

Abdominal Pain

Joshua has decrease bowel sounds

Let's operate now

November Night (Haiku)

My today's Haiku: 5, 7 and 5 = 17 syllables: 

November Night

Chilled November night

Smoldering, passionate love

Quivering release 

      Haiku: Haiku is a Japanese poem of seventeen or fewer syllables in which to convey an experience in one to three lines.

Example of 11 syllables.

Spring Sun ---------------- 2 syllables

Ceder Waxwing -----------4 syllables

fill the leafless plum --------5 syllables

• How a tiny, ancient form of poetry can make ur life better by making u more creative, a better writer, happier, nicer to be around, more productive and sexier ....
• Haiku helps you appreciate the small, wonderful things in life. 
• Haiku teaches patience; because you can't always go out and make Haiku, you often have to wait for one to come to you.
• It helps u write precisely.
• It's not simple but it's fun.
• They are easy to make but sumtimes they don't make sense.

Try it and share ur Haiku with others. 

Good Luck !!! 

Poet in Me

Someone Special 

Looking for a face so similar,

Sad to say it isn't here,

Wish so much to be near,

With the one whose very dear.

Starring at the sky so far,

Hoping the hours to be closer,

When u n I r together,

Sharing laughs, sentiments, feelings with each other.

Like a gem, ur so rare,

Hard to get just anywhere,

Precious bond needs lots of care, 

Losing u will make me scared.

Book Talk

I had a moment when my books talked to each other. Does this happen to you? Do you have any idea what m talking about? Let me explain. No, no its not too long. Let me sum up .. haha !!

I was reading two book at a time. 

"How to live: Or a life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts At an Answer by Sarah Bakewell which is fascinating and a really interesting way to present a biography of Michel de Montaigne. BUT the salient point for this post is that I learned from this book that Montaigne’s actual family name was Eyquem and that his family bottled wine under that name, including his father, Jean Marie.

Now comes the talking…

I was also reading, "A Discovery of Witches: A Novel by Deborah Harkness in which a 1500 year old vampire introduces a bottle of Eyquem wine to his witch girlfriend and says, “Jean Marie gave it to me himself.” o_O I almost dropped my bag of Bugles snacks.

If I hadn’t been reading the first book, I wouldn’t have had any idea what good ole Matthew was on about in the second book. Boy did I feel super smart right about then, let me tell you.

This ever happen to you?

Review: Sweet Talk by Julie Garwood

Title : Sweet Talk 
Author: Julie Garwood
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: 7th August 2012

Synopsis: 


Attorney and IRS agent Olivia Mackenzie is the kind of tough, wise-cracking, powerful woman fans expect from a Garwood protagonist—but this time she has outdone herself. Olivia is not just any woman, she is every woman; flawed in the familiar ways so many of us are. 

On the trail of an elaborate Ponzi scheme, one that threatens to ruin the lives of naïve and unsuspecting victims, Olivia suddenly finds her own life is in danger after she asks questions of the wrong people. She is accustomed to fighting for the underdog, but being vulnerable herself is a very different story. Smart enough to know when enough is enough, Olivia calls for reinforcements. 

When she meets FBI Agent Grayson Kincaid there is an immediate and obvious attraction, palpable on both sides. Together they make an excellent team to fight corruption but Olivia is also fighting the immediate and intense attraction she feels for Agent Kincaid, and that may be a battle she is bound to lose.

My thoughts on this: 


Sweet Talk is both hot romantic fiction and a great mystery read for all those who love these genre of storytelling. Olivia MacKenzie, innocently, goes for a job interview and ends up assaulted, nearly shot, and in the middle of an FBI investigation. If there’s one good thing that comes from this whole fiasco, it’s meeting Grayson Kincaid – and incredibly sexy FBI agent that becomes more determined than ever to protect Olivia from the myriad threats against her. Grayson is a picture perfect hero. He’s kind, rich, sensitive, focused, took on responsibility for his nephew and smart as hell. He even tries to remove himself from the case when he gets involved with Olivia. In fact, he’s a little too perfect, and it doesn’t allow him to have the depth that would really let me get to know him. Olivia on the other hand is a bundle of personality, and along with her best friends – the four Pips – I really connected with her. Surviving cancer, and a grueling ordeal at a very young age explains a lot about grown-up Olivia’s decisions, thoughts and her determination to see things set right. Sometimes she would seem to rush into some situations without regard to the safety of it, and it nearly resulted in serious consequences. I understood her need for independence, but there comes a point when she just became stubborn – at the expense of her own and others safety.

One of the things I appreciated most about Sweet Talk was the way that their friendship developed throughout the book. The downside of that was that I never really felt the chemistry of a relationship, or a true desire to have one with each other. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a well-built relationship, just missing an indefinable something that I can’t quite place.

The suspense storyline was pretty straight-foward, with no unseen twists, and the “villains” telegraphed themselves from nearly the first instance. They also tend to be more than a bit cardboard, without any real depth and seeming to do things because they could, and they were bad. I questioned quite a lot of their actions. Underlying that though is the part that kept me turning the pages to get to the resolution – Olivia’s friend, Jane, is back in the hospital. Has the cancer returned? Will she survive? I was very much invested in Olivia and her friends.

All in all, Sweet Talk is a quick, good read. Ms. Garwood's writing beautifully emerges you in the story, and I look forward to trying more by her.

Time Vs Money

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: “Daddy, may I ask you a question?”
DAD: “Yeah sure, what is it?” replied the man.
SON: “Daddy, how much do you make an hour?”
DAD: “That’s none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily.
SON: “I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?”
DAD: “If you must know, I make Rs.100 an hour.”
SON: “Oh,” the little boy replied, with his head down.
SON: “Daddy, may I please borrow $25 ?”

The father was furious, “If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room.The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $5 and he really didn’t ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door.” Are you asleep, son?” He asked.
“No daddy, I’m awake,” replied the boy. “I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier” said the man. Here’s the $5 you asked for.”

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. “Oh, thank you daddy!” He yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father. “Why do you want more money if you already have some?” the father grumbled.”Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied.

“Daddy, I have $25 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?
Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.”

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.

Time is more valuable than money. You can get back the money but not the time. Time for family, kids, marriage, make them smile, smile for them, do things that makes u happy, do sumthing for them, build memories .. These r things in life that money can't buy. A reminder to all of us working so hard in life. Do not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. 

Review : The Casual Vacancy by J.K Rowling

Saturday, 6th October was my deadline to finish this book. M glad I made to the deadline.( Patting my back). Before giving the review, I'd like to give u sum tips on how to read a famous authors book.

Most of them must have picked up this book just cuz its by J.K Rowling , thinking it to be sumthing like Harry Potter. But trust me, This not even close to Harry Potter. Its not even murder mystery. Not all book by JK Rowling is Harry Potter. I had the same experience with Nora Roberts, Danielle Steel, to name a few.

The Casual Vacancy is Simple and Plain. At first I found it a bit confusing with too many characters introduced in the beginning, i was in the middle of the maze and was hoping to get out successfully which I did. Casual Vacancy is not for everybody. I have seen people, heard people who quit this book after 60-100 pages. They found it very hyped, disappointing, and heartbreaking.

The characters in this novel are very real, very touchy, with all their ups n downs they gains the readers sympathy. For me this was a complete and absolute closure, cuz it left me with a smile on my face. A book which leaves a reader u with a smile on their face is a sign of a good book.

a man on a small-town council dies, and the rest of the book deals with what happens when heads bash in the election to re-fill his seat. A fine synopsis, to be sure, but since this book is only 20% about this plotline and 80% about the characters, such a synopsis fails to do the book any real justice.

This is because in terms of a cohesive plot, that really is the gist of this 500-page novel. Barry Fairbrother, who holds a seat on the Pagford town council, is in the midst of dying when the story begins. What happens throughout the rest of the book revolves around a number of other families in town as the stage is set to choose Barry's replacement, but it is the details about and interactions between these families that really make this book what it is. Relationships between husbands and wives, parents and their (adult and teenaged) children, students and their teachers, and council members and fellow council members take center-stage in this sprawling tapestry of a tale.

It's a point-of-view novel, so the character focus is constantly shifting as the full extent of characters' relationships to one another are slowly revealed throughout the book. In this, Rowling succeeds in creating both incredibly fleshed-out characters and a level of mystery, and both of these created more than enough enticement for me to continue reading. The characters themselves are largely unlikable and petty people, but in realistic ways that allow the reader to sympathize with (almost) all of them despite the dislike. Pretty much everyone in this story is fairly miserable to some degree, but that misery is very human and lends to a degree of universality. This in particular is what makes the book such a successful venture.

Overall , its a nice read. I would recommend leaving any and all Potter-based expectations at the door when reading this book.

Happy Reading !!

I BELIEVE

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "Will this matter year from now?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

So which one do u like, what do u believe in and agree from among the list? 

Leave ur site links for me to follow .

Happy Reading !!