Book Review. ‘Love.Exe’ by Manju Nambiar.
My Bucket List had a book in it and I was not sure as to what and how I should be writing one. Some well-wishers suggested to write a travelogue as I used to travel for work or otherwise.
I was also lucky that I am a member of this blog group and help came up instantaneously. The sum total was the realization that I should be writing from the heart.
Encouraged by the support I decided to start writing and brought up an idea of forming the ‘Book Writers’ Club’ which was joined by a few friends. And I wanted my first few pages to be seen and reviewed by the club members.
I got a real review, ably correcting the plenty of mistakes and telling what should be taken care of from one of the members. She had one book published and here I am talking about her second and lovely book ‘Love.Exe’
If you have downloaded a complicatd software on an unreliable computer with moody internet, you get a picture of how the author unfurls the story. The story progresses like the exact stages in the software download, with the several yes/no, true/false confirmations concluding with the finish button.
That alone would make the book a hit among the tech savvy new generation. Particularly since the background is set on the dream destination for Indians for study and work – the U S A and Ivy League colleges, full scholarships and dream jobs with new gen tech and online companies.
About the Author
Manju Nambiar, originally from Kerala in India, after higher education in USA, now works in a leading frim in San Jose California and lives there with husband and daughter. Her first book ‘The Money Lender’ has been a hit.
The book is available on Amazon
382 pages
My review
The main character is a bright and beautiful girl from an orthodox South Indian family with ambition set on the typical Indian youngster intention of living the American Dream.
Marriage is what the parents think of daughters and that is what the compromise for any dream.
There is a transition from an attempted arranged marriage to love led marriage. Imagine the situation when the parties involved are the same in both the scenarios.
As a reader, I have a weakness of getting attached to the lead character. That is not the problem. The problem is that whoever is a villain to the good character (mostly heroine) has a red mark on him from me. And when the author cleverly brings the two close to where they work, I am not happy to see the villain making any gains on the heroine.
But I am unique. Almost all the others love the twist and are fascinated by the details of a real Indian experience in the campus and workplace in USA, especially when the love dominates the details. The book is a complete success in meticulously detailing every steps in the life of Indian Americans living the American Dream in the University and work office.
That’s when, though I wouldn’t like the villain coming anywhere near my heroine, all except me will be thrilled at the way the two get closer and closer and closer.
That makes a reader to get hooked on the book. That is everybody, young, old and even me.
Great romantic book and highly recommended.
Fizzy to Fizziest Kombucha
www.instagram.com/reel/ChE_aSkFqVb/Fizzy Kombucha
Fizzy Kombucha flavoured drink is great. It’s great to have significant fizz. Here I have achieved something like a world record in fizziness.
Airtight bottles and experience gained in repeated experiments have created this stunning feat.
Here the second fermentation is using mango juice.
#kombucha
#fizzykombucha
#mangokombucha
#fliptopbottle
#krombrew
#worldrecord
#fermentedtea
#gutbasket
Book Tour : The Urban Boys, Discovery of the Five Senses, by K.N. Smith
I am happy to participate in the book tour organised by Shalini and her Digital Reads PR.
BLURB
A suspenseful incident in a forbidden preserve heightens the senses of five friends. But furious battles confront the boys as they try to understand their sensory super powers in a race to save mankind. With light beings and mysterious strangers complicating their plight, can the boys defeat the evil Druth before it’s too late?
BOOK LINKS AMAZON UK – https://amzn.to/3yGDh3v AMAZON USA – https://amzn.to/3OTQ9bY UNIVERSAL LINK – https://books2read.com/knsmith GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58655684-discovery-of-the-five-senses
GOOGLE BOOKS: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Discovery_of_the_Five_Senses/
EXCERPT 1
And in the absence of even a hint of an exchange, Joaquin spun around and lunged at Ross. He grabbed him by the throat, knocking him down.
With brittle leaves and debris thrust upward, the two were enveloped in a dark, hazy hell as they engaged in a violent struggle for what seemed like an eternity.
Ross flared up. “Get the hell off of me!”
Joaquin persisted. “What are you going to do, Ross? Where are you going to go?”
Ross scrambled to his feet, fighting back with a blow to Joaquin’s head, followed by several body punches. Joaquin stumbled and fell, giving Ross those precious few seconds required for his escape.
Fueled by a rush of pulsating adrenaline, Ross ran frantically, stretching his quivering legs. His rich brown skin tightened as he pounded through the forest. He tried to ignore his thunderous heartbeat while scanning the pathways, searching for possible escape routes.
With his baseball cap lost to the wind, his short, curly hair had exposed to the open air. Ross grasped the moment, one littered with deep panic and a singular appreciation for survival.
This turn of events stemmed from countless episodes in which Joaquin, only nineteen yet extremely demanding, had tried to control those around him.
EXCERPT 2
Exhausted, Joaquin stayed there for a few minutes while the forest absorbed the intentional, malicious act. Pained moans escaped him as he stood rubbing his eyes, which were suddenly burning.
Unable to see clearly, he stumbled out of the forest, going anywhere the night would take him. His eyes burned a furious, deep red. He would remain in an agonized condition for three long days.
Terrified, Della and Juson guessed at what had just happened. Afraid to move, they had no choice but to show more patience than they had thought possible in their lifetimes. The scared couple clung to each other, wondering what new horror awaited them.
The minutes seemed like hours, but they remained still, even as a bright light swept through the preserve. The light was sharp, electric against the blanket of darkness. It brought with it a clicking noise, which drove its way into their ears with a musical rhythm.
As the light zoomed in closer to Ross, it pounced against the leaf covering the two, then went dark as the clicks faded.
As the night progressed, Della and Juson found the courage to make their move. n disbelief, they ran
home, holding a frightening secret in their hearts. A secret of murder, committed under a striking, glowing moonlight on the most fateful night of their young lives.
AUTHOR BIO K.N. Smith, winner of the “Best of” in the category of “Outstanding Young Adult Novel” at the Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Awards, is an author and passionate advocate of literacy and arts programs throughout the world. Her lyrical flair sweeps across pages that twist and grind through action-adventure and urban fantasy in edge-of-your-seat narratives. K.N. has over twenty-five years’ experience in communications and creative design as an award-winning consultant. Reading is still her foremost hobby. K.N. inspires people of all ages to reach their highest potential in their creative, educational, and life pursuits. Visit K.N. Smith at http://www.knsmith.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorknsmith Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knsmith_author/
GIVEAWAY
One (1) $25 Visa eGift card as the prize.
Link http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/77b5716f33/?
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When My Kombucha Turned Bombucha!
I wanted fizz, just enough for it to come out frothy. I was not getting it with normal bottles and the Kombucha found ways of leaking out during second fermentation.
That’s when I found flip top, air tight and good looking KromeBrew bottles.
And I wanted to do well. Used fresh mango juice, added some sugar and fresh crushed ginger to add to the fizz.
And then my stupid act, left very
little gap of air so as to force the gas to hide into the juice.
I scored 1 out of ten. The one for the fizz.
Bottle maker KromeBrew gets 10 of 10.
75% of the Kombucha flew out and I took over an hour in clean up.
It literally hit the ceiling
Shhh….. thank God, it was not the fan.
Perhaps I have the world record of flying Kombucha to what could be 30 feet high.
I have 5 more bottles and I’m assembling a disposing squad.
Chakka Undas. Jackfruit Balls.
Chakka Undas or jackfruit balls are probably the most traditional and difficult to make Kerala sweets.
Ripe jackfruit deseeded and flesh mashed in NutriBullet into a purée
Ghee is heated in a hard bottom vessel and the purée is added. It’s mixed well stirring constantly.
A little bit of ginger powder is added which is the only ingredient used here as I want sugar free genuine undas.
The shelf life is dependent on how long the cooking and stirring takes place.
I made quite a bit some four years back and some are remaining in the refrigerator for a quick snack with coconut slices.
While it took some hours, this is completed in a couple of hours.
The cooled down varatty is made into small balls and run over roated rice powder so that they won’t stick together.
I have 50 chakka undas here to last for a few months.
Kurians Wellness Online- Intermittent Fasting.
Fasting
Intermittent Fasting is probably the best fasting for benefits. This is against several other traditional and new gen fasting methods.
Benefits are numerous and it’s not very difficult to adopt this time restricted fasting and eating regimen.
Kurians Wellness Online is to cover intermittent fasting in some detail.
Follow @kjacob125 for getting involved in the wellness program.
Kombucha, the Elixir of Life!
Benefits of Kombucha
Kombucha is a treasure trove of goodness. Plenty of probiotics to aid gut health and digestion. Vitamins and minerals including B Vitamins.
Other benefits include enhanced energy and concentration. Muscle relaxation helping good sleep and lowering of blood pressure.
A very important benefit, please take a note of it here, Kombucha can be alcohol replacement. Almost the same feel, fizz, lightness, happiness with just below 1% alcohol.
Want to quit alcohol drinking, perhaps try this.
Other benefits may include cancer cure, heart health, cure for type 2 diabetes.
As a substitute to alcohol or problematic colas, Kombucha is stunningly impressive.
Fizzy Fruity Kombucha
Getting that extra fizz is exciting for the fruity Kombucha. Flip top airtight bottles have a role to play.
Kurians Wellness Online
Book Tour: Daughter Of The Boricua, by Olivia Castillo
I’m happy to participate in the book tour organised by Shalini and her Digital Reads PR.
BOOK AND AUTHOR DETAILS
Blurb
The clouds above were dark and ominous. Moctezuma lay there bleeding, tears rolling down his swollen, bloodstained face. He thought of his firstborn, Isabella, at the mercy of the murderer of his people, Hernán Cortés, and it made him tremble with anger and loss. In a last act of defiance, Moctezuma murmured his revenge:
”Oh powerful god, I ask you to avenge my people. I ask that the next daughter of Hernán Cortés and her seed be cursed.”
With that he closed his eyes and destiny was set in the stars above him.
Daughter of the Boricua continues the saga of the award winning book, Song of the Boricua, and follows the story of Puerto Rico, told through the lives of three generations of women.
Liani; a Taino torn between her loyalty to her people, and her love for a Spanish officer.
Isabella; direct descendent of Aztec princess Isabella Moctezuma, cursed as her grandmother was.
Josephine; daughter of Isabella, afraid to love, but finding herself caught between love or career.
Are they cursed? Will they succeed or will their lives converge and end with the storm of the century?
BOOK LINKS
AMAZON USA: https://amzn.to/3xVifOd
AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/3xUbFaF
GOODREADS:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61055722-daughter-of-the-boricua
AUTHOR BIO
Olivia Castillo is a New York native. After going to the prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, she went on to study graphic design at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. Along with being an entrepreneur, she is the mother of three children, and grandmother of two. When not writing or spending time with her family, she travels the world and paints.
Song of the Boricua is her first novel in her trilogy series called Songs of the Boricua. Daughter of the Boricua is her second book.
SOCIAL MEDIA DETAILS
INSTAGRAM www.instagram.com/OliviaCAuthor/
FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/songoftheboricua
GOODREADS www.goodreads.com/work/be
TWITTER Twitter.com/OliviaCAuthor
WEBSITE www.oliviacastillo.org
Excerpt #1
“Isabella lived in a daily state of fear. She was so tired. She had gotten up early and was dressed by her servant. Today she wore her huipil, a closed tunic, with gold hummingbirds embroidered on it. On top, she wore a cloak trimmed with rabbit fur. Her ears were adorned with plugs of jade, and on her feet were elaborate sandals that tied up to her calves.
The hummingbirds gave her courage. It was the hummingbird god that led them to find Tenochtitlán. Her father had told her the story many times while they walked the elaborate palace gardens filled with exotic fruits, and many-colored hummingbirds flying to and fro. How she missed him! She had been much closer to her father than to her cold and distant mother.”
Excerpt #2
“Cristobal Vega Alta,
Puerto RicoApril 2015
The past is only a shadow emerging from nowhere. (Julia de Burgos, “Farewell from Welfare Island”)
Cristobal felt the darkness growing within him. He didn’t know what was happening to him, but as the months went by, he felt the dark cloud grow over him and over his marriage.
He would catch Isabella staring at him when she thought he wasn’t looking. He felt terrible, sad, and melancholy, but he couldn’t stop the growing feeling of impending doom.
He worked on his import-export business from the home office. His window overlooked the beautiful sea and the lush avocado trees they were growing.
Even with the paradise before him, he could not shake the feeling that something was going to happen.
He had read about the multigenerational curses in Valvina’s book, Secretos del Palo Alto.”
Excerpt #3
“Liani
Ponce, Puerto Rico
November 1898
The Puerto Rican WomanWoman of the earth Venus and at the same time MaryIndian of the west I come to sing poetry (Luis Lloréns Torres, “For Puerto Rico”)
Liani began her ride from her village in Cerro de Punta near Jayuya, to the town of Ponce. Her father’s caneye was high in the mountains and to get to the town of Ponce, it was a bit of a trek. She didn’t mind. It was early in the morning. The early dew had settled on the ceiba trees, giving the jungle a green, misty haze. She followed along the route. Her long, black hair flowed behind her and as the sun began to rise higher in the sky, it lit her long, wavy hair into a fiery glow. She had tied a large burlap bag to the side of the horse that was filled with the mangos her father grew.”
Excerpt #4
“Cristobal and Isabella
Hotel San Castillo de Felipe,
Puerto Rico-
April 2014
I love you, because in my thousand and one nights of dreams, I never once dreamed of you. I looked down paths that traveled from afar, but it was never you I expected. Suddenly I felt you flying through my soul in quick, lofty flight, and how beautiful you seem way up there. (Luis Lloréns Torres, “Love Without Love”)
She stood by the emerald sea. The seagulls above soared and swooped into the water, then flew up high again, circling them.
Then they were looking into each other’s eyes and Isabella felt the love of a thousand nights crash into that one moment. She would soon become Mrs. Cristobal Carrasco.
Milo was to be her escort down the aisle. He was so handsome at twenty-four—tall like Calix, but he had Isabella’s features. He wore an off-white tux with a blush boutonnière made of a small sweetheart rosebud, a succulent, curly willow, and white hyacinth.”
Ethakka Cutlets. Kerala Banana Cutlets Using Asahi Kasei Cooking Sheet.
Asahi Kasei Cooking Contest
Contestant: Kurian Jacob
Dish: Nenthrakaya Cutlets (adopted from preparation of famous chef Pillai)
I’m thrilled that I could adopt a recipe which foodie icon chef Pillai has asked us to try in his video. It’s dear particularly to Keralaites as the banana, the key ingredient is from Kerala.
I found this Nenthrakaya cutlets while browsing through the post of Instagram friend Sreesha Nair. She said it’s from famous Chef Suresh Pillai.
That’s when I realised that I haven’t been following him and quickly followed. Perhaps it was due to the fear that I may not be successful in trying out a dish by him. Now I am thanking him for it and urge you to follow him for unique items like this.
As such this is a fitting entry to the Asahi Kasei contest.
Try this out, it’s very good. Baking is made super simple with the cooking sheet of Asahi Kasei.
Start using Asahi Kasei products for easy and healthy cooking.
Kurian 