Book Review: The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis: Lahiri's subtle, bittersweet ending is characteristic of the collection as a whole. Some of these nine tales are set in India, others in the United States, and most concern characters of Indian heritage. Yet the situations Lahiri's people face, from unhappy marriages to civil war, transcend ethnicity. As the narrator of the last story, "The Third and Final Continent," comments: "There are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept." In that single line Jhumpa Lahiri sums up a universal experience, one that applies to all who have grown up, left home, fallen in or out of love, and, above all, experienced what it means to be a foreigner, even within one's own family.

I started out reading this book with the short story that had the title of the book and it was, to be honest, my least favorite of the short stories. But I didn't give up on the book yet, there was a certain tone in the author's writing that tugged somewhere inside me and the abrupt ending of the short story left me unsettled and intrigued.

For me, if a book has a strong message, or at least a powerful honest one from the author, no matter how much I disliked the book, I would still regard the book with respect. I have never given a book a one star rating, but I did for a book I had to read for my Arabic class. But, after analyzing it in class, I felt that I understood the author and his message and despite me not liking his style and honestly not understanding half of what he meant on my own, I respect the book. My views changed after dissecting it and revealing the message behind it.

I did stray a bit from my point, but what I am trying to say is despite the short story Interpreter of Maladies was not something I enjoyed particularly, I loved the message the author portrayed and I still decided to give the next short story for class a go and I loved it. Sexy really made me discard by initial opinion of the book.

I am not sure how many of the short stories we would discuss in class, but we are allowed to use them for our exam. I wanted to start the book right from the first short story and work my way to end. I did not want to stray from the sequence the author chose, I do believe it has a significance.

There is something about the overall mood of the story, an overall melancholic vibe and yearning for something that Larihi laced her words with, that left me feeling enchanted. I am not quite a fan of short stories because they end too quickly, leaving me wanting more. Or, the characters would feel underdeveloped due to the story ending to fast, the events to me would be too little. Lahiri however, excelled in making her short stories adequately pleasing, I wouldn't complain when they end. The ending would be sudden leaving you out of breath, shocking you.

I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives the short-stories have shown, illuminating the faults and blessings that both cultures contain. Being an Arab and living in a society where the some are blinded by the West and some are too harshly condemning them, I could identify with many things the author portrayed.

I apologize for my long absence, I have been struggling with school work, I keep on forgetting to make time for my blog. Since my cousin started posting again, it kind of motivated me to post once again. I always have some nice ideas, but I barely have time to post them, but hopefully I will. I certainly will try.

Happy reading,
Alya

Book Review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Rating: ★★★

Synopsis: By day, two young women spend their hours emailing each other, discussing every aspect of their lives. By night, Lincoln, a lonely IT guy, spends his hours reading every exchange. Soon Lincoln is drawn into their lives, and finds himself falling for one of them. Lincoln decides it's time to muster the courage to follow his heart.

I was really excited about starting another Rainbow Rowell book. Her books - to me - are  fun, light reads that help take your mind off things and don't demand much thinking. As I mentioned in previous book reviews, (here and on goodreads) that she always makes me laugh out loud. In this book I've only laughed twice or three times. Now I am not saying I did not enjoy this book. I loved it, it made me smile, the characters were on my mind even when I wasn't reading, I even thought of them and still do now that I am done. But somehow it did not seem to me as a four or five star book.

There is a certain atmosphere in Rowell's book that simply attract my brain cells. However, while reading I kept comparing it to her other two novels and to be honest, I enjoyed Fangirl and Eleanor & Park more. This novel had been the first she published, which could mean she simply flourished and grew while writing the latter two.

Despite the peculiarity of the scenario, it is still quite believable. Jessica and Beth's friendship was very touching. I loved reading their e-mails to each other. They remind me of some of my friends when we correspond. I did love and feel a connection with all the characters in the book; honestly all Rowell's characters are wonderful. I want to befriend all of them and push them into my life.

Sometimes you rate a book three stars, but that doesn't mean it is bad. I actually rate(d) a lot of books three stars which I enjoyed and touched me. But, after reading many books, sometimes they don't feel like they are compatible of being four or five rating, since you keep comparing them to all the previous work you have read. So I learned something after reading this book and other few which I rated three stars; three stars doesn't always mean its not good, it is but it could lack in someway. Nevertheless, it is quite good. Which is why this blog is a great way, when you read the person's review you get what they are trying to say; whether it is a "good" three star rating, or the book is not that great.

Happy Reading!
Alya

Book Review: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis: Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: comedienne, actress, obedient child of immigrant professionals and, now, writer. With a blend of witty confessions and unscientific observations, Mindy writes about everything from being a timid young chubster afraid of her own bike to living the Hollywood life, dating, friendships and planning her own funeral - all executed with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls.
I chose to start this book because I was having a pretty tough time and I really wanted something to help get my mind off things. Mindy Kaling is known for being hilarious and I have heard  nothing but good reviews about this book from people I know and Booktube.* I knew the audiobook was narrated by her, so I couldn't miss out. The book does however, contain many pictures which is why whenever I know there would be a chapter with books, I follow up using the book, as well while listening to her. 

One of the components (to me personally) that makes a good book is that if it makes you laugh out loud. If the book is supposed to be funny but it didn't, it means I can't place it high enough with those who did. I just love Kaling's candidness/bluntness, I did not want the book to end. Her way to fame way peculiar, nevertheless very interesting. Her anecdotes are simplistic yet, full of vitality. 

I know she is coming out with a new book soon, I can't wait!

Since I have started school on the 31st of August, I have been bombarded with work. So I am just trying to balance things out, focus more on school and using my spare time in fiercely relaxing/reading. Therefore, my posts may not be as often as in the summer. I will try my best, since I have many ideas but no time to put them down here. Bear with me, hopefully I could make this work.  

*Booktube if you didn't know is a community in Youtube where people post videos about books. Exciting right?

As always: 
Happy reading,
Alya

Green Smoothies

The idea of juicing a mixture of fruit and veggies together had never appealed me. I remember at the age of twelve I made a smoothie with peaches, apples and grapes and I couldn't bring myself to finishing it. So that made me stay away for a long, long time. Then a while later my friend told me a recipe for an apple and banana smoothie/milkshake thing and I loved it. I made it for several days in a row. It was a constant breakfast, dinner and even snack. I like my smoothies/milkshakes to be blended with tons of ice, so when winter came I stopped. Then I didn't feel like having it, I'd just rather have something else.

The other day I found a picture of a green smoothie and the girl posted that if you knew the benefits you would make some as well. I googled more about it and I loved the idea of drinking it in the morning on a empty stomach and it doesn't need digesting so your body would suck the nutrients fast. Also getting more greens into your everyday diet and consuming something before coffee. More about the benefits over here.

It is simple. You choose your leafy greens, one or two fruits, water or milk and some lemon. If you like ginger then add it to spice it up, some flax seeds. Honestly the combinations are numerous. I'll share some I made:

- 1 green apple
- purple grapes
- water
- ginger
- long-leafed lettuce

- orange
- lemon
- ginger
- lettuce
- dates to sweeten it
- water
- mint
- long-leafed lettuce

- avocado
- green apple
- water
- lemon
- ginger
-  long-leafed lettuce
- mint

- watermelon
- cucumber
- water
- dates
-  long-leafed lettuce
- ginger
- mint

* I prefer not juicing the lemon and orange, add it all so you would gain more fiber and not waste the nutrients in the fruit.

Feel free to add honey or any kind of sweetener you'd like, but I would prefer you don't. Use naturally sugary fruit if you like your smoothies really sweet.

Do you make green smoothies? What's your favorite combo?

Happy sipping,
Alya

Pride and Prejudice Review: The Book

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Rating: ★★★★★

Pride and Prejudice is a classic, if you read the synopsis then it would just give away the majority of the plot. I'd rather if you did not know much, it is better to embark on the book that way. If you disagree then you could look up the synopsis on google or goodreads. So no synopsis from me.

I have only watched Pride and Prejudice (the movie) when I was younger and it was only in parts not whole, thus I cannot really remember anything- thanks to my brilliant memory. Which is why when I started reading Pride and Prejudice I only had a very vague idea of the plot as a whole. I was pretty surprised by how good the book is. Going into the book at the start, I was afraid because people either loved it or hated it and most of the people whom opinion I trust thought the novel was too slow and lacked action.

The novel concentrates more on character development and personality analysis, which could be to many viewed as dull as they seek more action and perhaps a plot twist. However, the novel portrays the mindset and outlook of the era quite impeccably. I have not read many books in that time, nor have I read many with the subject of courting and marrying and it does quite interest me very much. Therefore, I found this novel highly entertaining and very well written. I do not have any negative feed-back about it at all, which is quite surprising because I thought I may enjoy it but I would have some minor issues. 

I am a bit concerned that maybe if I read too much of this writing style it could be tedious. However, I will continue reading Austen's novels after this good start. 

I absolutely loved Mr. Bennets character, I wish Austen shed more light on him. Mrs. Bennet on the other hand should be strangled, she really got on my nerves and I kept fuming whenever she dropped a very rude and shallow remark, yet she was brilliant in a I-want-to-kill-her way. It does though, portray many personas of that time. I did not however, expect a character like Mr. Bennet to be present. All the other characters are well-written and entertaining as well. 

Spoilers below this sentence.


I found it quite amusing the gradual change of Elizabeth's feeling from loath to utter love. 

Let me know what do you think of the book? Who is your favorite character and why?

Happy reading,
Alya

50 Book Related Questions

I wanted to answer some book related questions today, I googled it and I found this blog post with the questions and now I'm doing it. Lets get started:

1. Favorite childhood book?

This is easy I loved (and still do re-read every once in a while) The Twits by Roald Dahl. 

2. What are you reading right now?  

I just read a couple of pages of Pride and Prejudice. I didn't have time to sit down a read an adequate amount. 

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

 None.
 
4. Bad book habit? 

Not being able to stop myself from buying more books.
 
5. What do you currently have checked out at the library? 

Nothing.
 
6. Do you have an e-reader?

 Nope, I prefer the physical copy of a book, but I occasionally do read using an e-reader. 

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once? 

For the most part a book at a time. 

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog? 

No.
 
9. Least favourite book you read this year?

A book I just read in Arabic called اللص والكلاب - نجيب محفوظ

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?

I can't choose one, but at the end of the year I'll probably do my top ten or fourteen...
 
11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone? 

I just read books that appeal me. Some are more challenging language wise or its hard to get through but I don't feel like I classify the books according to how comfortable I am reading it.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?

 If you mean genre-wise then I like magical realism, historical fiction, classics, some contemporary and young adult. Again, I don't understand how is there a reading comfort zone. Just read what you like. 

13. Can you read in the car? 

For the most part. 

14. Favorite place to read?

Honestly everywhere I don't mind as long as nothing distracts me. I like changing the places where I'd read, especially around the house.  

15. What is your policy on book lending? 

That they better return the book.
 
16. Do you ever dog-ear books? 

I used to do it all the time, now I mostly use bookmarks, I do still do it sometimes.
 
17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books? 

Yes. Rarely though. 
 
18. Not even with text books? 

I do.
 
19. What is your favourite language to read in? 

English.
 
20. What makes you love a book? 

I wouldn't say there is something in particular. As long as I lose sense of my surrounding and immerse myself into the book, I relate to some extent and beautiful writing wins me over as well.
 
21. What will inspire you to recommend a book? 

Ones mentioned in the answer above.
 
22. Favorite genre? 

I'd say magical realism.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)? 

If I wish I did then I just will?   

24. Favourite biography? 

As long as I am interested in the persons biography and its written adequately then I'd like it. I do not have a favorite and I don't read that many.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book? 

Yes.

26. Favourite cookbook? 

I don't have one, but if any of you got any to recommend then please do. 

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)? 

Extremely Loud Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.

28. Favorite reading snack? 

Coffee/tea and cake.
 
29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience. 

I really enjoyed The Fault in Our Stars by John Green when I read when it first came out, I still do, but whenever I see the excessive hype it makes me cringe.
 
30. How often do you agree with critics about a book? 

I don't look up to what the critics say.
 
31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews? 

As long as I am being completely honest then I don't mind. I think if I had to review a book of an author I'd personally know it would be stressful since I wouldn't want to hurt their feelings. 
 
32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose? 

Russian so I'd read the Russian classics, I think I'd enjoy them more that way. 
 
35. Favorite Poet? 

I don't read a lot of poetry, but its Ilya Kaminsky. He's absolutely brilliant, check him out. 

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
One or two at a time, sometimes four but not more than that.
 
37. How often have you returned books to the library unread? 

Not very often. I don't check it out unless I do want to read it.
 
38. Favorite fictional character? 

I will list a couple I could think of right now, but of course there are more.

• Fermin Romero from the Shadow of the Wind. 
• All the characters in Harry Potter honestly.
• Levi from Fangirl.
• The mother and father in the Book Thief the ones that adopted Liesel 
• and Max (my heart still aches)

I think that is enough for now.

39. Favourite fictional villain? 

Professor Umbridge from Harry Potter because she is pure evil. I do not think anyone out there who has read the book doesn't hate her. It is like she demands to be hated.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading. 
I have no clue. 

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish. 

Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog, and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe by Andrew O'Hagan

 
43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading? 
When people speak really loudly around me or to me while I am reading. It gets on my nerve.
 
44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel? 
I liked The Book Thief, Life of Pi (didn't enjoy the book that much but the movie was really good- I know odd) thats all I can think of right now.
 
45. Most disappointing film adaptation? 
I can't think of any.
 
46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time? 
Perhaps around 50 BD (around $133) but that was only once. I usually spend 10-20 BD.
 
47. How often do you skim a book before reading it? 
I don't. 

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through? 
If I can't seem to enjoy it at all. 
 
49. Do you like to keep your books organized? 
Yes.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them? 
Keep books. If I didn't enjoy the book they I would probably donate it or give it to someone whom I think would like it. 

Feel free to answer the questions as well in the comment section or some of them, or even post a blog post and post the link below. :-) 

Happy Reading!
Alya

Cacao Cupcakes and Dutch Waffles

I have been doing a lot of cooking lately. This is turning into a food blog. Just now I emerged out of the kitchen after helping my mum for 2.5 hours because we will have heaps of guests tonight. My mum made a feast. I'm very proud of her. 

I made the soup and salad since easy food is my specialty. The salad is nothing special-It just occurred to me, I will hopefully take pictures of everything and post it. Who doesn't love looking at food? Therefore I will stop talking about what food had been made. You get to peer into the great food my mum puts in my belly. 

A couple of days back I went into the kitchen to make salad and I still had time until we ate. So I decided to make extra chocolaty cupcakes and cake. I had cute mini cake pans that I used as well. I only made a small amount because it was for trial, I wasn't sure how good will it be. The guide recipe is from here. I did add more things so I will list the ingredients.

• 1 1/2 cup (192 grams) flour
• 1 cup (201 grams) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon (7 grams) salt
• 1 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
• 3 tablespoons (43 grams) cocoa
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vinegar
• 6 tablespoons (90 ml) oil
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla essence or 2 tsp. (2ml) vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 cup (200 ml) water
• 2 eggs
• 3 table spoons of coffee
• as much as you want of the Hershey chocolate chips 
• as much as you want of butter-scotch chips 

It turned out very delicious and moist. I need to make more soon. I'm glad my sisters have been enjoying my baking as well. I have a few more ideas and inspiration, if they do not turn into an epic failure then stay tuned I will post the recipes. 

 

  These are the mini cakes from the little pans. 

I also came across the other day those Dutch Waffles, I never knew we had them here in Bahrain. But I spotted some in Caribou and I had to snatch it. If you do not know the best way to eat it, you just make a hot cup of tea or coffee - whatever you prefer - and you pop the waffles on top while its still hot. Then it would melt and you can eat it with you hot drink. yuummm I wish I had one right now. 

Love,
Alya

Raw Chocolate

I was thinking the other day of a way to make healthier chocolate at home, so I would feel less guilty eating them. When I searched online I found many recipes, most of them were super easy that is why I gave it a try. You'll only need three things:

• 1/4 cup of Coconut oil
• 5 table spoons (it depends on how sweet you want it, I use 5) of Honey/Maple Syrup/ Agave or whatever else to sweeten it
• 2/3 cup of Cocoa Powder

What you have to do is heat the coconut oil on very low heat until the chunks dissolve. Then add both the honey and cocoa. Use a whisker to whisk everything together as it makes it a heaps easier. Pour it onto whatever molds you choose and pop it into the fridge for 10-15 minutes. It depends on how deep your mold is, but it does not take long. Of course you can add nuts or what you want to increase the variety. And voila!

They do melt in your fingers once out of the fridge, but I do not mind that. I like the texture of the chocolate. Also do not overheat the coconut oil otherwise it will have a funny texture to it. 

I did do different flavor ones. In the broken chunks I added mint oil and it tastes really good, minty dark chocolate. In the round one I added some lightly crushed almonds. And the chocolate chunks I left it with nothing more. This way you get different flavors, but they are all so good. 

Until next time,

Alya

Summer Book Haul

Hello everyone, first of all I would like to wish you Eid Mubarak. Today I have a Summer Book Haul for you. First, I thought I would just number them as book haul #1 etc. but after thinking about it, they might be to frequent and it would reach up to #1267561234343 and that would be embarrassing right? 

The first book is the book I am MOST excited about because, since the first time I've heard about it, I just knew I wanted it immediately. A book within a book with objects.... oh my my. The idea is not only brilliant but I also want to marry the authors for making it real. Without further or due, it is S. or Ship of Thesus by J.J. Abrahams and Doug Dorsi. 

It even looks like a borrowed library book (!!!!!)

The book itself on the outside is gorgeous and as you can see it has writings as if it was written with a pen onto it. 

It has objects placed inside it such as postcards, letters etc. (which is brilliaaaaant)

The last two pictures I took from google to show you the objects a bit more clearly. I didn't want to remove mine from the pages they are at because I think they are relevant to the page/event in that part of the book.

I also got Attachments by Rainbow Rowell because I loved both Fangirl and Eleanor and Park. I plan to read the rest of her books now. 

I also got Illumination Night by Alice Hoffman because she is one of my all time favorite authors and her books haunt and captivate me in a way that no other author does. 

Also, could we appreciate my improving photography skills?

Love, 

Alya

Alice in Wonderland Marathon

I don't know about you but I like reading books that are kind of relevant back to back. A couple of months back I discovered the book Splintered which is based on Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I really liked the idea and found it quite interesting. I also, in general, just want to read more classics because I do find myself enjoying most of them. Thus, since I haven't read the original Alice in Wonderland book, I decided to read it and then read Splintered. I got busy from school and when I saw Alice's Adventures in Wonderland penguin cloth-bound classic it had a very long introduction. I thought it needed a lot of focus, so I just waited until summer started. So today I am going to review to you both those books and tell you what I think of them.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll:

 I absolutely love the penguin cloth-bound editions however, I do have some remarks that might interest you. First of all the book is not really comfortable while reading. My fingers did hurt me while reading the book from the pressure of the spine holding the pages too closely. I did bend the spine several times and then it became fine. If this is an issue for you, you might want to check before purchasing the book. For me after making the spine less hard, it was just fine.

I also kept on scratching the print without noticing while reading. It did bother me at first, but I still think I'd continue buying some more of those editions. Maybe I am clumsy but I thought I'd just point it out.

Rating: ★★★★★

I do not think a synopsis is needed. 

Before starting of the book I was excited, because I do like the Alice in Wonderland story. However, I do honestly think that the introduction made this book even better. It talked about Charles Lutwidge Dodgson a.k.a. Lewis Carroll and the reason why he wrote the book, how it started, a lot of background information about him that definitely startled me and I found very interesting. As well as explanation and analysis of both texts. I am not sure about other classic editions but I have to say this is one of the best introductions I've read- as I usually find them boring and skim through them hastily or skip them. It just covered exactly what I wanted to find out in intricate detail without being boring. In addition, it had references in the back explaining it as you read the stories.

Moving on to the actual story, I loved it. I loved the way Carroll described each character and developed them. I did make my own analysis at times; which I think is nice considering how heavily annotated it was, you still could make your own assumptions. I loved how the same illustrations were kept from the illustrations Carroll himself chose.

What I also enjoyed was the original text in the end of the book, which was only half the number of pages and much less scenes than the one Carroll published later on. It was very interesting how important characters such as the Mad Hatter were not included in the main script. I think the illustrations in the main script were Carroll's (although I am not sure).

I read Through the Looking-Glass as well and I loved it as much as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I do agree with the introduction, it is much darker and gloomy(er) than Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It was to read a sequel to it as I couldn't have enough of only one.

I cannot recommend this book enough, especially this edition because of the introduction. I am not quite sure if all the other cloth-bound editions have excellent introductions and references, but if they do I might have to get them all.

If you're wondering the notes and introduction were written by Hugh Haughton.

Splintered by H. G. Howard:

The book cover is GORGEOUS.

Rating: ★★★
Synopsis: This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

As I mentioned earlier, when I heard about this book I was very intrigued and I couldn't wait to get my hands on one. I would not talk much about the plot because I would give it away however, I find the plot excellent. The world and Howard's twist on wonderland's characters, the idea is very well developed and I personally think it is very smart. I liked the fact that she is called Alyssa and her mom is called Alison, as they are all names similar to Alice.

I know you're wondering why did I rate it three stars when I praised it so much. Well... almost every single page displayed cheesy romance. The main character Alyssa is displayed as weak, innocent, driven by blind emotion. Jeb is over protective treating her as something fragile that would break, I had to stop several times to compose myself and stop my eyeballs from falling out of my sockets. The fact that she would be ashamed of acting "wild" and not expecting herself of being able to get by on her own annoys me. I just don't like the way the characters are portrayed. The romance is too cheesy for me and completely not my type.

However, this did not stop me from enjoying the plot. As much as I found it annoying, I still enjoyed the book a lot. That is why I am going ahead and I will read the rest of the books. I have also read the novella A Moth in the Mirror which I enjoyed the insight that it gave me. The second book is out already but the third book would be out in 2015. I just hope that the romance wouldn't get too ridiculous and the plot will continue on being good, otherwise I don't think I'll continue reading. 

Happy Reading!
Alya 

Tropical Salad

Since its Ramadan, Fox started airing a lot of Master Chef Australia episodes as well as other cooking TV shows (that are no where near as good). I remember one day I was too tired to do anything so I just laid down onto the sofa and flicked through the channels. Nothing interesting was on. But then I saw Master Chef and it was the only decent-looking thing among the rest of the TV crap. 

I really enjoyed that episode I saw. It was one of the firsts of that season. Ever since I have been watching it everyday. I would be upset if I missed out on an episode or if I person I was rooting for left the show. 

The salad I present today is inspired from Vern one of the contestants of Master Chef, whom sadly was eliminated. What I really like about him is that he is never afraid of taking risks and cooking something un-expected. Sometimes it would work and other times it wont, but that is the beauty of it. Once you whip up that delicious peculiar dish it captures people and you yourself have made something that others wouldn't think of. It makes you proud and happy.

Here is how this salad was created: I was hungry, I ate a lot of junk food so I wanted to eat something healthy- preferably some greens because I didn't have any for futoor. I only had a little lettuce left and I didn't want to have tomatoes in my salad. I don't know why I thought the orange would make a great companion for the lettuce and that's how it started. The rest of the ingredients I chose to be complementary to the orange. As well as, I wanted to incorporate different textures and flavors to balance the dish (terms I have heard multiple times on the show, as it what they look for to make a dish perfect). You get the sweetness of the orange, the crunchy-saltiness of the nut, the creaminess of the cheese and the balancing element: the lettuce along with the sour/sweet easy-to-make dressing. 

I know the picture quality is bad and its dark, but I promise it looked nicer. I didn't have time to take proper pictures because my sister wanted to try it before heading out and I was hungry.

Ingredients:

-Lettuce 

-Orange

-Nut: I don't know what its called, its like a mini almond that tastes salty with tinges of sweet. Let me know what its called, you can use any type of nut you have

-Kiri cheese

Dressing:

-Thick pomegranate extract

-Balsamic vinegar 

-Olive oil

Its very simple :-) For 1 table spoon of pomegranate extract you add 2 table spoons of balsamic vinegar and 2 table spoons of olive oil. Just add as much as you require but make sure the olive oil and balsamic vinegar is double the amount of pomegranate extract. Also add a dash of water so that it would make it easier for the dressing to be poured. If you don't like it very sour add more olive oil and less vinegar.

and Voila!

I will sure be making this salad more often. I look forward to creating more salads using other fruits and less usual components than what I would typically use. 

Until next time,

Alya 

Rory Gilmore's Book List

Picture from Google

I used to watch Gilmore Girls a lot and I remember just falling in love with Rory. Everything about her personality just makes me love her even more. Today I came across a blog that mentions her reading challenge, I am not going to make the challenge but I thought it would be nice to see how many books we both have read. 

This list basically shows the books she was seen reading or that she had mentioned throughout the show.

List is taken from this blog:

1. 1984 by George Orwell
2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
3. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 
4. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
5. An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
6. Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
7. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
8. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
9. Archidamian War by Donald Kagan
10. The Art of Fiction by Henry James
11. The Art of War by Sun Tzu
12. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
13. Atonement by Ian McEwan
14. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
15. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
16. Babe by Dick King-Smith
17. Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi
18. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
19. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
20. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 
21. Beloved by Toni Morrison
22. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney
23. The Bhagava Gita
24. The Bielski Brothers: The True Story of Three Men Who Defied the Nazis, Built a Village in the Forest, and Saved 1,200 Jews by Peter Duffy
25. Bitch in Praise of Difficult Women by Elizabeth Wurtzel
26. A Bolt from the Blue and Other Essays by Mary McCarthy
27. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
28. Brick Lane by Monica Ali
29. Bridgadoon by Alan Jay Lerner
30. Candide by Voltaire 
31. The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
32. Carrie by Stephen King
33. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
34. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger 
35. Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
36. The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman
37. Christine by Stephen King
38. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 
39. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
40. The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
41. The Collected Short Stories by Eudora Welty
42. The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty by Eudora Welty
43. A Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
44. Complete Novels by Dawn Powell
45. The Complete Poems by Anne Sexton
46. Complete Stories by Dorothy Parker
47. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
48. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas père
49. Cousin Bette by Honor’e de Balzac
50. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
51. The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber 
52. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
53. Cujo by Stephen King
54. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
55. Daisy Miller by Henry James 
56. Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
57. David and Lisa by Dr Theodore Issac Rubin M.D
58. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
59. The Da Vinci -Code by Dan Brown 
60. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol
61. Demons by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
62. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
63. Deenie by Judy Blume
64. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
65. The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band by Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx
66. The Divine Comedy by Dante
67. The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
68. Don Quijote by Cervantes
69. Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhrv
70. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 
71. Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales & Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
72. Eleanor Roosevelt by Blanche Wiesen Cook
73. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
74. Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn
75. Eloise by Kay Thompson
76. Emily the Strange by Roger Reger
77. Emma by Jane Austen 
78. Empire Falls by Richard Russo
79. Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol
80. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
81. Ethics by Spinoza
82. Europe through the Back Door, 2003 by Rick Steves
83. Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
84. Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
85. Extravagance by Gary Krist
86. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 
87. Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore
88. The Fall of the Athenian Empire by Donald Kagan
89. Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World by Greg Critser
90. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
91. The Fellowship of the Ring: Book 1 of The Lord of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
92. Fiddler on the Roof by Joseph Stein
93. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom 
94. Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce
95. Fletch by Gregory McDonald
96. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
97. The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem
98. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
99. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
100. Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger
101. Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers
102. Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut
103. Gender Trouble by Judith Butler
104. George W. Bushism: The Slate Book of the Accidental Wit and Wisdom of our 43rd President by Jacob Weisberg
105. Gidget by Fredrick Kohner
106. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
107. The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels
108. The Godfather: Book 1 by Mario Puzo
109. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy – started and not finished
110. Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Alvin Granowsky
111. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – on my book pile
112. The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford
113. The Gospel According to Judy Bloom
114. The Graduate by Charles Webb
115. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
116. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 
117. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
118. The Group by Mary McCarthy
119. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
120. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling 
121. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling 
122. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
123. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (TBR)
124. Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry (TBR)
125. Henry IV, part I by William Shakespeare
126. Henry IV, part II by William Shakespeare
127. Henry V by William Shakespeare
128. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
129. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon
130. Holidays on Ice: Stories by David Sedaris
131. The Holy Barbarians by Lawrence Lipton
132. House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III (Lpr)
133. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
134. How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
135. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
136. How the Light Gets in by M. J. Hyland
137. Howl by Allen Gingsburg
138. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
139. The Iliad by Homer
140. I’m with the Band by Pamela des Barres
141. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
142. Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
143. Iron Weed by William J. Kennedy
144. It Takes a Village by Hillary Clinton
145. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 
146. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
147. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
148. The Jumping Frog by Mark Twain
149. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
150. Just a Couple of Days by Tony Vigorito
151. The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander
152. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 
153. Lady Chatterleys’ Lover by D. H. Lawrence
154. The Last Empire: Essays 1992-2000 by Gore Vidal
155. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
156. The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield
157. Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
158. Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
159. Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken
160. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
161. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
162. Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
163. The Little Locksmith by Katharine Butler Hathaway
164. The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen
165. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 
166. Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton
167. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
168. The Lottery: And Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
169. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold – read
170. The Love Story by Erich Segal
171. Macbeth by William Shakespeare 
172. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
173. The Manticore by Robertson Davies
174. Marathon Man by William Goldman
175. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
176. Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter by Simone de Beauvoir
177. Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman by William Tecumseh Sherman
178. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
179. The Meaning of Consuelo by Judith Ortiz Cofer
180. Mencken’s Chrestomathy by H. R. Mencken
181. The Merry Wives of Windsro by William Shakespeare
182. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
183. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
184. The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
185. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
186. The Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion by Jim Irvin
187. Moliere: A Biography by Hobart Chatfield Taylor
188. A Monetary History of the United States by Milton Friedman
189. Monsieur Proust by Celeste Albaret
190. A Month Of Sundays: Searching For The Spirit And My Sister by Julie Mars
191. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
192. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
193. Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall
194. My Lai 4: A Report on the Massacre and It’s Aftermath by Seymour M. Hersh
195. My Life as Author and Editor by H. R. Mencken
196. My Life in Orange: Growing Up with the Guru by Tim Guest
197. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult 
198. The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
199. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
200. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
201. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin
202. Nervous System: Or, Losing My Mind in Literature by Jan Lars Jensen
203. New Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson
204. The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay
205. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
206. Night by Elie Wiesel
207. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen – read
208. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism by William E. Cain, Laurie A. Finke, Barbara E. Johnson, John P. McGowan
209. Novels 1930-1942: Dance Night/Come Back to Sorrento, Turn, Magic Wheel/Angels on Toast/A Time to be Born by Dawn Powell
210. Notes of a Dirty Old Man by Charles Bukowski
211. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
212. Old School by Tobias Wolff
213. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
214. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
215. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
216. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
217. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
218. The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life by Amy Tan
219. Oracle Night by Paul Auster
220. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
221. Othello by Shakespeare – read
222. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
223. The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan
224. Out of Africa by Isac Dineson
225. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
226. A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
227. The Peace of Nicias and the Sicilian Expedition by Donald Kagan
228. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
229. Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
230. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
231. Pigs at the Trough by Arianna Huffington
232. Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
233. Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain
234. The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby 
235. The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker
236. The Portable Nietzche by Fredrich Nietzche
237. The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O’Neill by Ron Suskind
238. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 
239. Property by Valerie Martin
240. Pushkin: A Biography by T. J. Binyon
241. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
242. Quattrocento by James Mckean
243. A Quiet Storm by Rachel Howzell Hall
244. Rapunzel by Grimm Brothers 
245. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
246. The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
247. Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
248. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 
249. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin
250. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
251. Rescuing Patty Hearst: Memories From a Decade Gone Mad by Virginia Holman
252. The Return of the King: The Lord of the Rings Book 3 by J. R. R. Tolkien 
253. R Is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton
254. Rita Hayworth by Stephen King
255. Robert’s Rules of Order by Henry Robert
256. Roman Fever by Edith Wharton
257. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
258. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
259. A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
260. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
261. Sacred Time by Ursula Hegi
262. Sanctuary by William Faulkner
263. Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford
264. The Scarecrow of Oz by Frank L. Baum
265. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 
266. Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
267. The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
268. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd 
269. Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette by Judith Thurman
270. Selected Letters of Dawn Powell: 1913-1965 by Dawn Powell
271. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen 
272. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
273. Several Biographies of Winston Churchill
274. Sexus by Henry Miller
275. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
276. Shane by Jack Shaefer
277. The Shining by Stephen King
278. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
279. S Is for Silence by Sue Grafton
280. Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut
281. Small Island by Andrea Levy 
282. Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway
283. Snow White and Rose Red by Grimm Brothers 
284. Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World by Barrington Moore
285. The Song of Names by Norman Lebrecht
286. Song of the Simple Truth: The Complete Poems of Julia de Burgos by Julia de Burgos
287. The Song Reader by Lisa Tucker
288. Songbook by Nick Hornby
289. The Sonnets by William Shakespeare
290. Sonnets from the Portuegese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
291. Sophie’s Choice by William Styron
292. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
293. Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov
294. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
295. The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
296. A Streetcar Named Desiree by Tennessee Williams
297. Stuart Little by E. B. White
298. Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
299. Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust
300. Swimming with Giants: My Encounters with Whales, Dolphins and Seals by Anne Collett
301. Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber
302. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
303. Tender Is The Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
304. Term of Endearment by Larry McMurtry
305. Time and Again by Jack Finney
306. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 
307. To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway
308. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 
309. The Tragedy of Richard III by William Shakespeare
310. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
311. The Trial by Franz Kafka
312. The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson
313. Truth & Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett
314. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
315. Ulysses by James Joyce
316. The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath 1950-1962 by Sylvia Plath
317. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe – started and not finished
318. Unless by Carol Shields
319. Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
320. The Vanishing Newspaper by Philip Meyers
321. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray 
322. Velvet Underground’s The Velvet Underground and Nico (Thirty Three and a Third series) by Joe Harvard
323. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
324. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
325. Walden by Henry David Thoreau
326. Walt Disney’s Bambi by Felix Salten
327. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
328. We Owe You Nothing – Punk Planet: The Collected Interviews edited by Daniel Sinker
329. What Colour is Your Parachute? 2005 by Richard Nelson Bolles
330. What Happened to Baby Jane by Henry Farrell
331. When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
332. Who Moved My Cheese? Spencer Johnson
333. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee 
334. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire 
335. The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum
336. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
337. The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
338. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
339. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

I have read 33 out of 339 which is a little compared to the list however, I find it quite good. A lot of these books I actually plan on reading sometime soon so, I would do an update after some time. Additionally, through this list I can discover new books I haven't heard of. Let me know how many of the list you have read in the comment section.

Happy reading!
Alya