Just got a stack of books delivered last night. Had to unpack them in secret to hide the drool dripping from my fangs and the look of desire in my eyes. BH wld have been scared if confronted with this avataar. The list includes:

The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - just to have my own copy,
Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer - I believe the last book needed to complete my collection,
Maximum City by Suketu Mehta - heard a lot of praise for this one,
Love in the time of Cholera by Marquez - have been dying to read this for a long time
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai - finally,
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee - finally 2,
and, the Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George - just because!

Bit busy with work so I cant get at them immediately :( I wonder which one I shall start on first. I think it will be Palace, as Smita knows I have been looking forward to it for over a month now. The anticipation is killing me .....

:(

The shrill ringing of the doorbell woke her up. She lay still, trying to ignore the madman outside but just as she had convinced herself he'd gone away, it started again.

If it was the doodhwala come to collect his payment a day early, she was going to kill him, she thought savagely. Wasnt a body entitled to a sleep-in on their birthday?

A young boy was standing on the doorstep grinning widely.

"For you, madam", he said, carrying two flower arrangements.

He seemed to think it a matter of congratulations that she had rated not one, but two, and his joy at bringing these excellent tidings was palpable. She sighed, no she really couldnt send him away with a flea in his ear, instead, she handed over a generous tip.

Both were orchid arrangements, the sensuous, elegant flower she loved. These could only  have come from two men. Even the flowers they contained revealed something about the pesonalities of the senders. One had the most vivid looking, rich, sumptuous selection of orange & yellow orchids, the colours clashing together in a harmony of exuberance and joy, while the orchids in the second arrangement were a pure stately white.

She pulled out the cards, laughed out loud at the first one which had a sappy love poem and was signed flamboyantly - Akash, while the other one just had 'Have a nice day, R'. Rajan, Rajan, she thought, mentally shaking her head at him. Private & reserved as usual.

After arranging them in the living room to her satisfaction, she wondered about the rest of the day. On a sudden impulse, she called the magazine and took the day off. When was the last time she'd treated herself on a birthday? She had a dinner date with Akash, but now was for her alone. Akash's gift this year was a package at the exclusive Kavya salon. She would go today, get pampered, get her hair done, so she would be glowing in the evening.

Thinking of Akash, in her eyes, he was perfect - intelligent, thoughtful, kind, generous. She and Rajan had a standing date on their birthdays, this changed slightly after the divorce. When Akash found out he had been swift to continue the tradition. Rajan wasnt backward these days, but he wasnt in the city and she loved Akash for wanting to make it special for her. She wondered if she would tell him, Rajan had been giving out some very direct hints about getting back together and she kept putting the decision off.

Who would have thought at the time of their divorce that they would ever be at this point now? It had been particularly acrimonious, two strong controlling personalities determined to hurt the other person worse, but their little boy had been the saving grace. Both loved him dearly and their determination to shield him had caused them to bond again and they had grown into a very easy-going and honest friendship. They could talk to each other about anything under the sun, from career decisions, monetary matters, to discussing their various relationships.  

Truth to tell, they were now even better friends since the divorce and this was one of the reasons why the decision was so difficult. Did she want to lose such a hard-earned friend? She hadnt married all these years, hadnt even came close.

But, this was Rajan, she had carried a torch for him over the years, they'd been through a trial by fire together .. and of course, that their son was so well balanced was proof of how well they did together. Her boy was perfect allright, she thought fiercely, wiping away the easy tears surreptitiously. The girl, Sarita, massaging her gave her a startled look, but she closed her eyes and allowed the repetitive massaging soothe her back into happy somnolecense.

Driving home, she thought ruefully that Sarita must have had magic hands and had bewitched her. What else could explain the nail polish colour she currently sported, Purple Passion? She gazed at her feet aghast anew, ever since the divorce she had been a Bashful Brown or a  Pretty in Pink. Akash wouldnt notice, but Rajan would, he always noticed everything about her. Was her subconscious sending her signals ? She would think about it later, HAD to think about it later, for now she would concentrate on a pleasant evening.

She selected a deep purple, crushed silk saree with golden undertones to the rich colour, tinted her lips with a matching shade, delicately applied mascara and was just slipping her feet into a pair of particulary frivolous sandals when she heard the door open. Akash bounded up the stairs, handsome in a charcoal-gray suit with the special smile he reserved for her and enveloped her in a bear hug.

"Happy birthday, you look gorgeous!", he said, his eyes twinkling warmly as he bent to press a kiss on her cheek.

She laughed, delighted "So, where are we going?" as he ushered her out of the house.

"The Blue Dahlia. I know how you love sushi, Ma!

I hate cooking, but show me a dessert recipe and I can bake, whip, whisk, freeze with the best of cooks. I dont know if I like the controlled measuring and mixing of the baking process, or the sublime aromas generally associated with it (as opposed to crying over teekha onions) or the amazing gratification when you are done. Ok, ok simple fact is I have a heck of a sweet tooth. So, I'm always on the lookout for new recipes to try. For anyone looking for a recipe with just that lil bit of exotica as well as being a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, here's the one I stumbled upon - coconut chocolate pudding (http://www.101cookbooks.com/a
rchives/coconut-chocolate-puddi
ng-recipe.html)

Now, I'm not the biggest fan of the flavour combination, I dont like Bounty all that much. But, chocolate pudding can never be bad in my book, it's been a long time since I had any fun with desserts and the pic alongside had my tastebuds humming with pleasure.

As for being too exotic? The recipe calls for a tsp. of curry powder!! The curry powder available in the US is a spice blend what I would call garam masala, so I tried substituting my own mix - cardamom, cinnamon, cloves & cayenne pepper (the cayenne pepper was because I remotely remembered eating an entree with chocolate and cayenne, but I somewhere in my imagination I overlooked the part about the entree :( ).

Being a bit wary of g.m.p in my desesrts I added half the qty. in the recipe & still found it to be overpowering. In fact the actual feedback I did receive was that it tasted like ... umm.. chyawanprash. So, my recco leave out the gmp, or add just a pinch. As for the pudding itself, the recipe is perfect producing an amazingly melt-in-your-mouth chocolate experience. The canned coconut milk available here didnt bring too much of a coconut flavour, there's a subtle hint in the background. This was quite enough for me, but if you want more I think the recipe mentions adding some coconut extract too.

For myself, the next time I make it again, I'm adding rum. While I dont mind a touch of the exotic from time to time, some flavour combinations just cannot be beat and rum & chocolate's one of them ...

Historical fiction

Mas
ters of Rome - Colleen McCullough
This is the series I'm currently reading, so that I've only read the first book but what an amazing book it is. It lead to sleepless nights and stolen reads during the days. A must-read for anyone fascinated by Rome, it follows the Roman Republic from 110 bc to about 27 bc and chronicles the lives of many of the major historical figures of the period Gaius Marius, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Gaius Julius Caesar and all their women. Of course, there's many more, having read only the first book, these are the familiar ones to me right now. McCullough's writing style is very informal and the books are filled with a tome of information from everyday Roman life, to political and war machinations, to the religions and faith of the Romans. Complete with a comprehensive glossary, detailed maps, drawings of homes and even sketches of busts of her major characters this is a wonderful find. The series in order consists of The First Man in Rome, The Grass Crown, Fortune's Favorites, Caesar's Women, Caesar, The October Horse and Antony and Cleopatra. This is very heavy reading, the first book is about 900 pages long in hardbound form and I think the size only increases after this one.

Detectiv
e fiction 
For the series included here, I've read the first couple of books and really loved them. Time and other constraints have prevented me from continuing, but I WILL get there one day :) 

Inspector Lynley Series - Elizabeth George
This is a favorite series with Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley, the Earl of Asherton and his working class Seargent Barbara Havers. They belong to Scotland Yard and solve murders in present day London & England. The crimes are often complex & gritty, related to contemporary topics, and the characters all go through intense emotional and psychological angst. Very heavy reading, some of the books often leave me low for a couple of days but they are great reads for all that. Being mystery, the series dont have to be read in order but I would recommend doing so because of the complicated and ever-changing relationships between the characters. The series in order are A Suitable Vengeance, A Great Deliverance, Payment in blood, Well Schooled in murder, For the Sake of Elena, Missing Joseph and a Google search should reveal the rest :)

William Monk Series - Anne Perry
Another psycho-drama series, Anne Perry's 18-th century mystery series is fantastic. Featuring William Monk, the tortured police inspector who has lost his memory and isi now a private investigator, the series follows Monk's investigations, alongwith his personal quest to find himself and his relationship with Nurse Hester Latterly. The complete list is here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W
illiam_Monk

Thomas Pitt Series - Anne Perry
The hero here, Inspector Thomas Pitt is not as tortured as William Monk, but from a working class background and married to Charlotte who is his social superior, Anne Perry again creates a fantastic mystery series with complicated mysteries and compelling characters. The complete list can be found at
http://en.wikipedi
a.org/wiki/Thomas_Pitt_%28ficti
onal_character%29

A few other good ones I can reccommend are Just William series by Richmal Crompton, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Doublas Adams, the Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell, Lord Peter Wimsey series by Dorothy Sayers and the Hannibal Lecter series by Thomas Harris.

Will update this list, if and when I can think of any more, until then .... happy reading!!

PS ... For people who havnt found out yet, diary has a limit of 5000 characters :(

I've been obsessed with book series this month. For people who have been reading my diary posts and who are groaning ... sorry :P !! But, I believe this will be my last post on the subject, this is my way of getting it out of my system. As usual, this is for people who are interested and would like some reccos but another huge reason I have for writing (anything) is so that people will in turn recco something to me. So, if you have any favorites, please, please mention them .......

Young Adult

Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
The Anne books follow the story of fiery Anne Shirley, an orphan, adopted by the owners of Green Gables. Anne is quick-tempered, bright and loveable and the series followed her from her teenage years, to college, her life as a teacher, her relationships, married life and her children. There's eight books in the series - Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne's House of Dreams, Anne of Ingleside, Rainbow Valley and Rilla of Ingleside.

Fa
ntasy
This is a genre along with science-fiction that lends itself to a lot of series, I just wish I could read more, or even knew what to read ....

Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
I'm sure no one needs an introduction to these two. As a recco, while the LOTR movies are wonderful, and if the Hobbit is ever made will be the most complete and well made book-to-movie adaptations ever, do read the Harry Potters instead of watching the movies.

Temeraire Series - Naomi Novik
This is a wonderful little historical fantasy series, set during the Napoleanic Wars, with the addition of aerial troops in the form of dragons and their riders. We follow the dragon Temeraire a Chinese Celestial and his Captain, William Lawrence, on their adventures from the thick of war, to China and Africa in the later books. The writing is good, the relationship between Lawrence and Temeraire very endearing and Novik has included journal articles, pencil sketches of breeds of dragons, their treatment in society and a whole lot of other fun appendixes to the books. The series in order is His Majesty's Dragon, Throne of Jade, Black Powder War, Empire of Ivory & Victory of Eagles (to be published  in 2008).

Romanc
e

Earth Children series - Jean M. Auel
A prehistoric romance series reviewed at http://www.mouthshut.com/revie
w/Clan_of_the_Cave_Bear___The_-
_Jean_M._Auel-82369-1.html. The books in order are Clan of the Cave Bear, the Valley of Horses, The Mammoth Hunters, The Plains of Passage, the Shelters of Stone with 2 more yet to be written/published.

In Death Series - J.D. Robb
A futuristic, romance/thriller series we follow the relationship of Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke as a backdrop to Eve's investigations as a detective. J.D. Robb is Nora Roberts' pseudonym and Roberts' (unlike some others  I could name, think vampires) understands the need for readers to have resolution with her characters. Very likeable secondary characters, punchy conversations and a dash of romance makes this very fun for a light read. There's about 30 of them (I think I burnt out at about 11), the entire list can be found here http://www.noraroberts.com/jdr
obbbooks.htm

Outla
nder Series - Diana Gabaldon
A time-travel series reviewed at http://www.mouthshut.com/revie
w/Outlander_-_Diana_Gabaldon-13
5598-1.html. This is the only series in the list I'm a bit ambivalent about, I like the first 2 books and deplore the rest, but of course, if you have that particular bee in your bonnet, you would have to read all and they do have their moments.

I finally finished Guilty Pleasures - Anita Blake book 1, liked it so much that I ran out and got books 2 and 3 (I cant stand to wait if I'm in the middle) ... but, anyway, all that's for later.

Book 1 is very enjoyable, it introduces Ms. Blake, an animator (she raises the dead) and vampire executioner. It also introduces the backstory of the Anita Blake novels, how vampirism is now legal and the rights of the dead and other supernatural beings were-rats/wolves etc (who woulda thunk beyond wolves, Ms. Hamilton does have some crazy imagination). It also introduces us to a huge cast of characters - Jean-Claude a very sexy (think along the lines of the Anne Rice vampires) 250 year old vampire, Edward - fellow executioner, Irving - a werewolf/reporter, Ronnie - detective and Anita's friend, Dolph and co. part of the St. Louis PD, Philip a vampire junkie, Nikolaos a 1000+ year old vampire, zombies, ghouls, animators and all the other supernatural beings of Ms. Hamilton's weird and lurid world. Anita is wise-talking, fast acting and hard as nails and a pleasure to read about - but then I always have liked strong female characters. She also has a weird relationship with Jean-Claude, she doesnt trust him as far as she can spit, but Jean-Claude has given her some vampire marks on the way to making her his human servant ... all explained much better in the book.

Guilty Pleasures by itself is decent pulp fiction, doesnt take long to read and good fun to spend time with. I cant say the same of Book 2 (The Laughing Corpse). I like the characters, I like the world Ms. Hamilton has created, but while reading the second book I must say that the stop-gap here is the writing. It's very bad and going downhill fast. I've been skipping pages in an effort to maintain interest and only because I want to know where the characters are going. Anita has become quite irritating too .... like a spoiled child.

Secondly, I dont like the conceit in naming the books. Guilty Pleasures is a night-club in St. Louis, The Laughing Corpse is a comedy club, the Circus of the Damned is ... a circus or something, I still havnt figured it out, but in each novel there's only one scene even set in these places and it's an afterthought in the 2nd book. They do sound very cute, but I dont like manipulation in any form and to think that an author would be so careless and not even tie in the title of the book to the story irritates me no end.  

So, will read this one and the Circus of the Damned (Book 3) but I think that's it for the series for me. Too bad :( On to the next find ..... the Roman series by Colleen McCullough.

If you like monster movies ..... go right out and watch Cloverfield. I'm not writing a review, I dont think I can but I spooked myself a couple of times last night thinking about this. The monster is a bit Godzilla types, and all the monster(s) are a bit scary, not too much, just that bit in the beginning when we dont see the whole thing. Later on you can get used to it. What's scary though is the execution of the movie, it's shot with a hand-held camera by one of the survivors and so the viewers are in the thick of things with the the actors .... and it's just effective, freaky and hella disturbing. I do get scared easily tho .....

Another reason to watch is that it's by the writer (Drew Goddard) for Lost and I think this is the best show on TV these days. Anyways, so as usual with a lot of his writing there's a ton of backstory given to this simple monster movie, there even seems to be material for a sequel. But, enough hype, now go and watch it!! And stay back for > 2mins after the end-credits roll, the single BG music score can give you the jeepers in a dark audi ......

We moved at the worst time possible. Utah which I hated during the winter season seems like a haven of bliss now. We've moved to the state that the locals laughingly call the Siberia of the Mid-West. As proof, a couple days ago we had blizzard conditions and parts of the state were at -47 f with wind chill (u do the math in degrees c). Even now the sun's shining brightly outside, while my temp indicator indicates it is a cozy -10 f ... brrrr!!!

As I sip my ginger, lavendar, chamomile, honey tea (no I'm not a tea snob, generally I cannot do without my cuppa chai, but in addition to the terrible weather I have a head cold and am pampering myself with herbals) I find myself wondering again what people do in such weather. The locals here are sooooo blasé, I've often seen people jogging/skiing/snow-shoeing/ic
e-fishing with 60 layers of clothing on them ... oh well, I exaggerate a bit, but still !!! With my tropical blood, just stepping out of the house is a major event. At times like this I thank my stars that I read so much, cuddling under blankets with a steaming cup of tea and I can forget the world outside.

Which is the reason for the post ... as I keep mentioning I love a good book series. The last truly decent one I liked, as in something which engaged me and I read feverishly was Nora Roberts' (writing as JD Robb) 'In Death' series. This is a futuristic romance/thriller series, has Eve Dallas a cop and her SO Roarke. Something that amuses me abt Roberts is that sometimes she goes overboard with names .... Roarke has no surname and she's done the same thing many times, the hero is called Just <Insert-Ridiculously-Macho-
Name-Here>. You wont find a John or a Steve not having a last name. But, Roarke is such a fabulous creation that the single name kinda suits him :) Anyway, so the point is that I've started on another series which (atleast on Amazon) has the reputation for being GREAT - the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton. I'm hoping it's not another Buffy, but will find out soon. Ah, the pleasure of a new book to read, I just have to get through this work day now :((