250. Shattered by Dean R. Koont

BOOK REVIEW: Shattered by Dean R. Koontz

We have seen many cases of psycho killers in Malaysia and abroad, and even most recently Thailand where an army personnel opened fire in a shopping mall, putting down anyone in his path. The blood and the fear turns them on, placing them on a killer rampage devoid of meaning or reason.

How would it feel if an actual psychotic killer tracked you down and constantly tried to kill you every chance he had? Would you brave it out or succumb to his murderous intentions?

In Shattered, Alex and Colin are relocating to their new home. Alex's wife, Courtney is awaiting them in their new home. Little do Alex and Colin know that a man with murderous intentions is hot on their heels and won't stop till he achieves what he set out for.

George Leland finds Alex and Colin in the way to be with his girlfriend Courtney (his ex-girlfriend, now Alex's wife). His demented mindset believes that Courtney is still communicating and in love with him. His deranged self makes him go after the two human barriers to his imaginary love.

This thriller was a tidal wave of a read as it tossed me around in the psycho's mind, revealing a melange of horrifying thoughts that made me a spectator in the life of a psycho killer. Wonderfully written, with the requisite thrills and spills, I highly recommend this book to those who have a knack for the thriller genre. 

249. A Noble Nyonya by Esther Low

BOOK REVIEW: A Noble Nyonya by Esther Low

Malaysia is rich in culture, the intermingling of various communities, Indians, Malays, Chinese. Then we have the unique Baba Nynonya, a unique community born out of the communion of the Chinese with other races. Their own community has a lot to offer in terms of cuisine, clothing, history and most importantly culture.

In this story, which is weaved around the Baba Nyonya community in the early days, a lot of insights into one of Malaysia's special communities is revealed. Through this reading, it enables one to learn something about their traditions.

An intriguing, poignant and inspiring tale of a young Thai girl, Meh Nya, who escaped death during the murder of her aristocrat parents, fled from Thailand to Penang in Peninsula Malaya in the early 1900's. She grew up in the stately 'Pelangi' Mansion to emerge as a notable matriarch of a clan.

Find out what happened when a local mafia group, locked her in the mansion and set it ablaze and her agony watching her loved ones and friends raped, tortured and killed. Tear-jerker scenes depict her sharing in her daughter's intense persecution for intermarrying an Indian and the trauma of another daughter who lost her husband and son and tenciously fought for her life against tuberculosis.

Nevertheless, share in her blissful escapades and eye-opening Baba Nyonya traditions and practices as she belonged to this exclusive community whose intriguing culture flourished in the former British Straits Settlements of Singapore, Penang and Malacca. 

Be awe-struck with her bizarre, mind-boggling experiences with the local cultures as well as repulsive homeopathic practices of the indigenous groups in Thailand, Malaya and ancient China (think powdered cockroach for toothache, yuck!).

In the last part of this story readers will come face to face with the atrocities of the Japanese during World War II in Malaya. Meh Nya's family advocated love, peace and forgiveness during these hard times, helping to reconstruct many battered, war-torn lives. 

Informative in a narrative way, I found the storyline confusing at certain parts with the mish mash of dialogues and mind voices among the many characters in this book. This was the only drawback which made me less receptive towards the mood that the writer aimed to bring. However, it's a good introduction on Baba Nyonya culture without being stiflingly educational.

248. Pinch Me by Adena Halpern

BOOK REVIEW: Pinch Me by Adena Halpern

Who doesn't enjoy a fairytale, even a modern one at that? Girl meets boy, falls in love, marries, gets entangled with a family curse that breaks the marriage...wait, what!? That's not the happy endings in fairytales! But you just have to pull the reins on your thoughts as this story does have a happy ending, showing that true, pure love conquers all.

"Never marry a man unless he's short, bald, fat, stupid, and treats you badly". That is the advice that 29-year-old Lily Burns has heard her entire life from her grandmother Dolly and her mother, Selma. Despite this, when she meets Gogo, the handsome, successful pediatrician who treats her like a queen, she has no choice but to let her heart take over.

When she agrees to marry him, Dolly and Selma are inconsolable. They decide it's time to tell her the truth: their family is cursed. If she marries for love, there will be unimaginable consequences.

Nevertheless, Lily and Gogo elope. Unable to believe her good fortune, Lily asks Gogo to pinch her - to make sure all this isn't just a dream. That's where all hell breaks loose. The moment he does, Lily finds herself transported back to the house she lived in when she was single. 

Gogo is gone. When Lily tracks him down, she finds that he's married to someone else and has no memory of her. In this modern fairytale, Lily must find a way to break the curse and turn her nightmare back into a dream come true. 

A hilarious and at times a powerful tearjerker, the storyline encpsulates the essence of true love perfectly. The words "If you truly love them, let them go" reverberates throughout the story. It portrays that if you truly are mindful of your beloved's wellbeing, sometimes it's much better to give in, as either way someone has to bear the brunt. However, if it was meant for you, she or he will be back in your arms again.

Truly magnificent read, I give my thumbs-up to this chick-lit that is not soppy and purely on the physical side. The book plays on human emotion and the power of true love.

247. Choice Cuts: A Savory Selection of Food Writing from Around the World and Throughout History by Mark Kurlansky

BOOK REVIEW: Choice Cuts - A Savory Selection of Food Writing from Around the World and Throughout History by Mark Kurlansky

Food, glorious food...what can give the most comfort besides books? Definitely good food and drink to bless the tummy. In any conversation, the topic never fails to encapsulate food, be it someone's memories or the tastes surrounding it. Numerous books, not only cookbooks, have painstakingly invoked hunger through lyrical prose describing food.

Mark Kurlansky is one of our most erudite and entertaining food writers: he is the bestselling author of Salt and Cod, and winner of the prestigious James Beard Award for Excellence in Food Writing. In this delightful compilation he serves up a true platter of "Choice Cuts" by the world's most discerning gourmets and gourmands through the ages - from Plato on the art of cooking to Louis Prima at the pizzeria.

This book offers more than 200 mouthwatering selections, including Brillat-Savarin on chocolate; M.F.K. Fisher on gingerbread; Alexandre Dumas on coffee; and a vast variety by Escoffier and Ernest Hemingway, among others. Filled throughout with recipes, menus, classic photogrphs, and the author's own drawings, this book is a must-have for any serious "foodie".

Be well-prepared with snacks on hand though as the writings can tend to make you ravenous. I personally have a connection with this book as I love food and what can be more joyous than to read on sumptious food.

246. Transmission by Hari Kunzru

BOOK REVIEW: Transmission by Hari Kunzru

What with all the hoo-haa over the nCov aka Wuhan virus commotion, why don't we look at another kind of virus which attacks the cyber world? Malware, trojans and the like have incapacitated cyber security and computerized devices all around the world. Who are the creators and what do they actually gain from their intelligence? This work of fiction delves into the heart of an Indian IT engineer turned virus-creator due to his unfortunate circumstances.

Meet Arjun Mehta, an Indian cybergeek catapulted into California's spiralling hi-tech sector; Leela Zahir, beguiling Bollywood actress filming in the midge-infested Scottish wilds; and Guy Swift, hyped-up marketing exec lost in a blue-sky tomorrow of his own devising.

3 dislocated individuals seeking nodes of connectivity - a place to fit in. Yet this is the 21st century, and their lives are about to become unexpectedly entangled as a virus spreads, and all their futures are rewired. But will it take them further from their dreams, or closer to their hearts?

Not dissimilar to our current global crisis involving a mutating pathogen, computer viruses can contribute to major crashes on the economical and social sectors on a large scale. Deeply moving on how even the innocent can become revengeful due to unjust treatment and racial discrimination, as well as the issue of Indian workers in America, this creative storyline is not to be missed.

245. Taste: Surprising Stories and Science about why Food Tastes Good by Barb Stuckey

BOOK REVIEW: Taste - Surprising Stories and Science about why Food Tastes Good by Barb Stuckey

I'm passionate about food, always have been and always will be. I always space out from the rest of the world while eating, analyzing flavour profiles and diagnosing tastes. The mere enjoyment of food is sufficient to set me into a frenzy. So what's all this hype about taste and what does it actually encompass? This book will enlighten you and guide yo into the light of cuisine.

Whether it's a salted caramel or pizza topped with tomatoes and cheese, you know when food tastes good. Now, the author, a seasoned food developer to whom food companies turn for help in creating delicious new products, reveals the amazing story behind why you love some foods and not others.

Through fascinating stories, you'll learn how our 5 senses work together to form flavour perception and how the experience of food changes for people who have lost their sense of smell or taste. You'll learn why kids (and some adults) turn up their noses at Brussels sprouts, how salt makes grapefruit sweet, and why you drink your coffee black while your spouse loads it with cream and sugar.

Eye-opening experiments allow you to discover your unique "taster type" and to learn why you react instinctively to certain foods. You'll improve your ability to discern flavours and devise taste combinations in your own kitchen for delectable results. This book even provides suggestions on calorie-free ways to get more pleasure from every bite.

After reading this book, I stumbled upon a revelation to bring out full flavours of food not by dousing it in salt, but to add a dash of sugar, a squirt of umami-rich fish sauce or a sprinkle of fiery but stimulating chilli powder. Wonderfully scientific in an understandable way, the fun write-ups throughout the book is an enjoyable way to get closer to what's on your plate.

244. Grown Ups by Marian Keyes

BOOK REVIEW: Grown Ups by Marian Keyes

We have all read novels on disshevelled families and the ugliness that lies beneath the camaraderie. Giving a breath of fresh air to this scenario, Marian Keyes twists a plot that's whimsical, tear-jerking and beautiful all at the same time.

They're a glamorous family, the Caseys. Johnny Casey, his two brothers, Ed and Liam, their beautiful, talented wives and all their kids spend a lot of time together - birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, weekends away. And they're a happy family. Johnny's wife, Jessie - who has the most money - insists on it.

Under the surface, though, conditions are murkier. While some people clash, other people like each other far too much...Everything stays under control until Ed's wife, Cara, gets a concussion and can't keep her thoughts to herself.

One careless remark at Johnny's birthday party, with the entire family present, starts Cara spilling out all their secrets. In the subsequent unravelling, every one of the adults find themselves wondering if it's time - finally - to grow up?

Taking issues such as loving guys younger to a woman and vice versa, bulimia and dominant behaviour, this book was light-headed and so readable it was hard to put down. Totally an awesome read, I'd recommend this book for mature adult readers for it's sensitive points throughout.