314. Our Haunted Planet by John A. Keel

BOOK REVIEW: Our Haunted Planet by John A. Keel

Aliens have invaded Earth! But are we that far from the ETs than we thought? Ever imagined that possibly we are descendants of aliens? It may be shocking but when you are reading this book, you are going to start questioning your lineage and whether there are visitors from other planets walking in our midst.

Since the beginning of recorded time, man and his world have been plagued by unknown forces and beings, baffled by archaeological phenomena, and haunted by prophecies that often came true.

In this classic book, the author brings into chilling focus strange truths about the earth and its mysterious inhabitants. It is in this book that the author introduces his hair-raising theory of the ultraterrestrials, an unseen prehuman race that guides and misleads us, uses us for its own entertainment and controls our every action.

You will be able to know advanced civilizations existing thousands of years before the cave man, the strange Men in Black (MIB), people who vanish and reappear within hours in another part of the world as well as angels and demigods who appear and make startling predictions.

I was so entranced by this book with so many fascinating revelations of the Little Green Men. Like Adolf Hitler purportedly receiving instructions from a Higher Force to govern His minions, was disturbing to say the least. Although this book is quite backdated, the information is still quite relevant today when you sit down to think about it. So, where did MH370 go then?

313. Spring Break by Katherine Applegate

 

BOOK REVIEW: Spring Break by Katherine Applegate

I like to read teen romances from time to time as the innocence of team love and the exploring of feelings can truly make us realize the current relationships we have or used to. This book was nothing less: the holidays, cute guys (one the boyfriend, the other an unforeseen appearance to rock the boat), friendships and family. 

Summer can't wait to escape the blizzards of Minnesota and head back to the sunny Florida beaches for spring breaks. She'll be reunited with her best friends, Diana and Marquez, but more important, she'll be alone with her sweet-as-can-be boyfriend, Seth, for an entire week.

But when she meets the romantic and mysterious Austin on her way to Florida, he may warm her heart more than her seaside retreat ever could. With Seth and Austin both vying for her affections, secrets and jealousies begin to threaten Summer's picture-perfect spring break. 

Unexplainable flings and the test of love's true strength, this book is about finding who really means a place in your heart and making the right decisions. This is a refreshing read for both adults and teens alike. This book is one out of a series of three books so do grab the others to know what happens to Summer.

312. Eating Korea: Reports on a Culinary Renaissance by Graham Holliday

BOOK REVIEW: Eating Korea - Reports on a Culinary Renaissance by Graham Holliday

The Korean wave has swept the whole planet off its feet. From K-pop to K-food, its all Korean now. Korean food as we know it from Dakgalbi and DubuYo is good soul food. When it comes to the stand-alone Korean restaurants run by Koreans themselves, the food is inexplicably delicious that it's indescribable. But how far is Korean food holding on to its authenticity in its country of origin and what are the true flavours to look out for?

The author is a journalist, world traveler and avid eater who has sampled some of the most intriguing cuisines around the globe. On a pilgrimage throughout the whole of South Korea to unearth the real food eaten by locals, the author discovers a country of contradictions, a quickly developing society that hasn't decided whether to shed or embrace its culinary roots.

Devotees still make and consume classic Korean dishes in traditional settings even as the cuisine modernizes in unexpected ways and the phenomenon of Korean people televising themselves eating (mok-bang) spreads ever more widely. 

Amid a changing culture that's simultaneously trying to preserve what's best about traditional Korean food while opening itself to a panoply of global influences and balancing new and old, tradition and reinvention, the real and the artificial, the author seeks out the most delicious dishes in the most authentic settings - even if he has to prowl in back alleys to find them and convince reluctant restaurant owners that he can handle their unusual flavours.  

The author samples sundae (blood sausage); beef barbecue; bibimbap; Korean black goat; wheat noodles in bottomless, steaming bowls; and the ubiquitous kimchi, discovering the exquisite, the inventive, and, sometimes, the downright strange. Animated by the author's warm, engaging voice, this book is a vibrant tour through one of the world's most fascinating cultures and cuisines.

As I read this book, I recollected my travel to Busan and my visit to Jagalchi Fish Market, the smells and tastes of the food. It brought back wonderful memories and a deep-rooted hankering for good Korean food. Truly a wonderful read for all foodies with a vivid sense of imagination to replay the atmosphere in this book. 

311. A WAG Abroad by Alison Kervin

 

BOOK REVIEW: A WAG Abroad by Alison Kervin

I read a lot of chick lit but I thoroughly disliked this novel. I don't understand what was so humorous about this novel about WAGs (wives and girlfriends of famous sportspeople). Cringe-worthy till the last but anyway let's dive in.

You can take the WAG out of Luton but you can't take Luton out of the WAG. Tracie Martin is back! But this time everyone's favourite WAG is in LA, City of Angels.

Whilst husband Dean swaps life on the subs bench for coaching the LA City Raiders and daughter Paskia-Rose is busy settling into her new school, Tracie is left twiddling her manicured fingers.

It seems LA's not ready for WAGs - the women are naturally golden rather than fake bake orange, there's no boozing and everyone is thinner than her. Surely that's not possible when she last ate a proper meal in 1997? But at least there's plenty of cosmetic surgery.

Enter Jamie, a knight in shining lycra. He'll show Tracie the sights of LA - including the Beckhams. But is he all that he seems? Before long, Tracie is sampling all the city has to offer. 

But then her long-lost father turns up - at the same time as she discovers someone has stolen her identity. Can Tracie leave LA with her pride, bank balance and marriage intact?

This book generally made women quite slutty in the clothing department and stupid in the brainy department. This form of stereotyping was NOT - AND I REPEAT NOT - in the least bit funny. But to each his own. Otherwise it's a light-hearted read that lacked any wow factor.

310. Bitter Chocolate: Anatomy of an Industry by Carol Off

BOOK REVIEW: Bitter Chocolate - Anatomy of an Industry by Carol Off

Chocolate, the food of the gods, is loved by everyone in the world. For both the saddest and the most dreaded moments, chocolate lifts the consumer's soul as the snap of it and the subsequent lusciousness as it melts on the tongue consume one entirely. But did you know that behind every nibble of indulgence, there is a horde of suffering across the earth?

Whether part of a child's Halloween haul or the contents of a heart-shaped box, chocolate is synonymous with pleasure. Yet behind the sweet image is a dark history of exploitation. 

This book traces that history from the banquet table of Montezuma's Aztec court to the bustling factories of Hershey, Cadbury and Mars today, revealing that slavery and injustice have always been key ingredients.

The heart of the book takes place in the Ivory Coast - the world's leading producer of cocoa beans - where profits from the multi-billion dollar chocolate industry fuel bloody civil war and widespread corruption, and poor farmers employ children, who have never themselves known the taste of chocolate, to pick the beans.

In the tradition of Mark Kurlansky's Salt, this book is an absorbing social history, a passionate investigative account, and a shocking exposé of an industry that has institutionalized misery even as it indulges our appetites. 

On a personal level, I have not touched a bar of chocolate since I started reading this. Everytime I pick up my Mars bar, I suddenly begin to visualize the misery and suffering of those in the cocoa plantations in Africa and Belize. This is a painfully raw story of a true scene behind the world of chocolate. I would like to end with this:

"THE GULF MUST BE CLOSED BETWEEN THE HAND THAT PICKS THE BEAN AND THE HAND THAT UNWRAPS THE CANDY"

309. Forbidden Sister by V.C. Andrews

 BOOK REVIEW: Forbidden Sister by V.C. Andrews

Those who are born with siblings, especially sisters-and-sisters, will know sibling rivalry or even the need to look up to your elder sibling. However, what happens if your elder sibling turns out to be a rebel and not in the least accepted by your family? Will you still turn to them or look up to them? This bestselling author unlocks an adventure of intrigue and temptation that shatters the innocence of a girl in search of the sister she's never known.

Emmie Wilcox was only 6 when her older sister, Roxy, was thrown out of their New York City apartment. Their stern father's military-style rules left no room for rebellion, and Roxy was continually defiant and rebellious. Emmie, now an outstanding student at a private school, is obedient, respectful, a fille parfaite, as her Parisian-born mother lovingly calls her.

2 sisters, total opposites - yet Emmie is secretly obsessed with the mystery and imposed silence surrounding Roxy: What had she finally done to deserve being cast out of her home? Where is she now? Emmie can't help but wonder if there is a hidden side to her that resembles Roxy's defiant nature. Sometimes she fantasizes that she is more like Roxy than she appears. Sometimes she wants to be.

She wants excitement, and being a good girl all the time is harder than it seems. Finally learning that Roxy is a highly paid escort to wealthy and powerful men, Emmie goes behind her father's back to track down and spy on the sister she can't help but be fascinated with, a sister whose influence might run deeper than Emmie ever dreamed.

In a tale twisting with heart-pounding suspense, shocking revelations, and the compelling family drama for which the author is known, this book introduces 2 new original heroines to capture any reader's imagination. I have read "Flowers in the Attic" and was left bewildered by how gripping the story was. This is exactly how this book made me feel too. Three cheers for such a talented writer!

308. Super Sushi Ramen Express by Michael Booth

BOOK REVIEW: Super Sushi Ramen Express by Michael Booth

Japanese food is rarely mentioned compared to French cuisine or even Italian cuisine. This undermined culinary world has much to offer, with Japanese food more to works of art then just mere food. This book written almost like a personal food journal traverses Japan's food landscape through the eyes of the author and his family.

Japan is arguably the preeminent food nation on earth; it's a mecca for the world's greatest chefs and has more Michelin stars than anybother country. The Japanese go to extraordinary lengths and expense to eat food that is marked both by its exquisite preparation and exotic content.

Their creativity, dedication and courage in the face of dishes such as cod sperm and octopus ice cream are only now beginning to be fully appreciated in the sushi- and ramen-saturated West, as are the remarkable health benefits of the traditional Japanese diet.

 The author, who is a food and travel writer, takes the culinary pulse of contemporary Japan, learning fascinating tips and recipes that few Westerners have been privy to before. Accompanied by 2 fussy eaters under the age of six, he and his wife travel the length of the country, from bear-infested, beer-loving Hokkaido to snake-infested, seaweed-loving Okinawa.

Along the way, they dine with sumo wrestlers, pamper the world's most expensive cows with massages and beer, share a seaside lunch with free-diving female abalone hunters, and meet the greatest chefs working in Japan today. Less happily, they witness a mass fugu slaughter, are traumatized by an encounter with giant crabs, and attempt a calamitous cooking demonstration for the lunching ladies of Kyoto.

I became educated in the ways of the Japanese cuisine through this book than any other way. It was  so much fun to read this book and so hard to put down. This book is truly a gem to have especially if you are a foodie or an avid reader. Check out a copy online or at your nearest bookstore.