Eldest

Even better than Eragon....

Eragon and his dragon Saphira have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the forces of King Galbatorix, the cruel ruler of the Empire. Noe Eragon must travel to Ellesmera, land of the elves, for further training in magic and swordsmanship, the vital skills of the Dragon Rider. It is the journey of the lifetime, each day a fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at each turn, and Eragon isn't sure whom he can trust. Meanwhile, cousin Roran must fight a new battle- one that puts Eragon in even greater danger... Darkness falls... Despair abounds... Evil reigns

Eragon

One boy.... One dragon..... A world of adventure

Mind blowing story by Christopher Paolini, the excitement will not leave you till the end.... Just one word of advice- have a little patience and read the whole book, you will be rewarded for your efforts.

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the luck discovery of a poor farm boy, perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilious new world of destiny, magic and power. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the Legendary Dragon Rider? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.
It beats the movie anytime!!!!!!!!!

The Lollipop Shoes

"Who died?" I said. "Or is it a secret?"
"My mother, Vianne Rocher."

Seeking refuge and anonymity in the cobbled streets of Montmatre, Yanne, and her daughters, Rossette and Annie, live peacefully, if not happily, above their little chocolate shop. Nothing unusual marks them out; no red sachets hang by the door. The wind has stopped for atleast a while. Then into their lives blows Zozie del' Alba, the lady with the lollipop shoes, and everything begins to change...

But this new friendship is not what it seems. Ruthless, devious and seductive, Zozie del' Alba has plans of her own- plans that will shake their world to pieces. And with everything she loves at stake, Yanne must face a difficult choice: to flee, as she has done so many times before, or to confront her most dangerous enemy... herself.
A sequel to the famous Chocolat by Joanne Harris.

Blackberry Wine

Jay Mackintosh is trapped by the memory in the old familiar landscape of his childhood, more enticing than the present, and to which he longs to return. A bottle of home- brewed wine left to him by a long- vanished friend seems to provide both the key to an old mystery and a doorway into another world. As the unusual properties of the strange brew takes effect, Jay escapes to a derlict farmhouse in the French village of Lansquenet, where a ghost from the past waits to confront him, and the reclusive Marise- haunted, lovely and dangerous- hides a terrible secret behind her closed shutters. Between them, a mysterious chemistry. Or... could it be magic? Check out this story by whimsical mistress Joanne Harris.

Chocolat

Check out this whimsical masterpiece of Joanne Harris...
When an exotic stranger, Vianne Rocher, arrives in the French village of Lansquenet, and opens a chocolate boutique directly opposite the Church, Father Reynaud identifies her as a serious danger to his flock- especially as it is the beginning of Lent, the traditional season of self- denial. War is declared as the priest denounces the newcomer's wares as the ultimate sin. Suddenly Vianne's shop- cum- cafe means that there is somewhere for secrets to be whispered, grievances to be aired, dreams to be tested. But Vianne's plan for an Easter Chocolate Festival divide the whole community is a conflict that escalates into a 'church not chocolate' battle. As mooths water in anticipation, can the solemnity of the church compare with the pagan passion of a chocolate eclair?

Breaking Dawn

"When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?"

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation, loss and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fate of two tribes hangs.
Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with a potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences. Just when the frayed edges of Bella's life first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse- seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?

The astonishing, breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions.

Eclipse

In this third book of the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer the story continues...
As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob- knowing that her decision has the power to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

New Moon

This time too Bella is running for her life, this time from the vampire Victoria, he sadistic mate of James, who was killed by Edward. But before that, seeing Jasper's outburst at Bella's eighteenth birthday party, Edward decides it's time to move away from Forks- without Bella. What he had hoped would make Bella safer, in turn pushes her to the precipice of Danger- by Bella herself. Rescuing her from this suicidal lifestyle is Jacob Black, who tries to bring back some of the happiness in Bella's life. But what Bella doesn't know is that Jacob too hides a secret...
When one day Alice foretells Bella jumping of a cliff, everybody thinks that she has committed suicide. Edward rushes to to the Volturi, determined to end his life, having no hopes to live without Bella. But what he doesn't know is that Bella is still alive. Will Bella be able to save Edward in time?

Twilight

Awesome!! This book by Stephenie Meyer is a journey of a peculiar love story- that between a vampire and a human girl.

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks in Washington, and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, that seem to change time to time with his mood, mesmerizing voice and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret.

What Bella doesn't realize is that the close she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And it might be too late to turn back...

Deeply seductive and irresistably compelling, Twilight is an extraordinary modern day love saga that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page. And the at the end of the story you may even be wishing, if every girl had a boyfriend like Edward...

Runway Zero- Eight

Here is an excerpt from the book that says it all:

"We are in distress... Atleast five passengers are sick. Both the pilots are unconscious, I repeat, both the pilots are unconscious and in serious condition. My name is Spencer, George Spencer. I am a passenger of this airplane. Correction: I was a passenger. I am now the pilot."

What happened? Who was the new pilot? Would anyone reach the ground safely, or for that matter even alive? This awesome tale by Arthur Hailey will leave you clutching your seats and gripped on to the tale.

Youthopia

I'd like to write a poem about my youth

A thing so sweet and pure

It brings tears to my eyes

Sometimes

I'd like to write a poem about my youth

But maybe I should leave out all the pain

The angry blows that fell upon my back

The days of biking to school through the freezing rain

I'd like to write a poem about my youth

Of days when innocence had long been lost

And love was but a dream I had read in books

And dreams were, like my Barbie dolls,

Into the attic tossed.

I'd like to write a poem about my youth

Of days when hope awoke with the shining sun,

But then was crushed at breakfast with an angry word

And another day of misery was begun.

I'd like to write a poem about my youth

A common youth that I'd like to forget

But still lingers, souring my soul-

I wonder, why are my cheeks still wet?

-Unknown

Dracula

This book by Bram Stoker is a masterpiece in the true sense. I just can't stop reading it! I must have read like about 50 times! It traces the journey of a London lawyer, who has to go and see Count Dracula in his castle. The count wants to buy a property in London, but why one so old, that too near the gravyard? Why does the Count jump at Jonathan's throat when he sees blood? Why is he afraid of the crucifix? Why can't Jonathan see his reflection in the mirror? How can the Count control wolves and rats like he were their master? Why does the old lady at the inn hesitant and afraid of the Count? Soon Jonathan learns the truth and wants to go back, but the Count does not let him go. What can he do, trapped in the power of this evil? Worse still, the power of the Count reaches him to London where his beloved Mina and her friend Lucy are affected. Simply unputdownable! According to me, a must read.

Of yore 'twas my one earnest prayer unto heaven

from the ranks of ascetics no more to be barred,

But now that such glory to me has been given,

O why should the form of my visage be marred?

The end is accomplished, my task is now done,

The prince once my foe is no longer estranged,

But now that the fame I so envied has been won,

O why should the form of my visage be changed?

When joy turns to sorrow, and weal becomes woe,

Patient souls even pleasure may soring from their pain,

But no such distinction of feeling they know,

When the calm of nirvana poor mortals attain.

- Jataka Tales

Robinson Crusoe

Today's book is the wonderful classic of Robinson Crusoe, written by Daniel Defoe. The sole survivor of a shipwreck, Robinson Crusoe gets stranded on an uninhabited island far from any shipping routes. At first he is in despair, but slowly, with patience and ingenity, he transforms his dismal island into a tropical paradise. But for 24 years he has no human company- until one Friday, he rescues a prisoner from a boatload of cannibals. Now he must choose- to live his life as he is living now on a lonely island or go back to the place he was born in.

Horses to Vijaynagar

This is an awesome and thrill inspiring book written by Monisha Mukundan, especially for young readers. But once you read it, you cannot stop reading it, for you yourself will be journeying with Manuela and Ferninand as they race away from their brother to Vijaynagar, where they seek a better life. You will come time by time again to read it, no matter what your age. I got this book as a school prize, and it is one of my most cherished books, and I do love to read it again and again. The story goes like, Manuela and her brother Ferninand are orphans living with their brother and without money. The opportunity to escape from their village in Goa and put an end to their misery comes in the form of Arabian horses bound for Vijaynagar. In a bid to slip out of the village turns into a thrilling adventure packed with challenges, as they find out that there is more to the horses than it just seems, and forces Manuela to disguise herself as a boy.

Kaijudo Code

I make no excuses.

My actions are my voice.

I have no enemies.

My opponent is my teacher.

I need no deceitful tricks.

My character is my sword.

I think not of quitting.

My courage is my secret weapon.

I know not of defeat.

My experience becomes my strength.

- Duel Masters

The Carrot, the Coffee Beans and the Egg

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?" Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity -- boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water."Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

An Interview with God

This is something I picked up on the internet.

I dreamed that I had an interview with God.

“So you would like to interview me?” God asked

“If you have the time”, I said.

God smiled. “My time is eternity.”

“What questions do you have in mind for me?”

“What surprises you most about humankind?”

God answered…

“That they get bored with childhood,
They rush to grow up, and then
Long to be children again.”

“That they lose their health to make money…
And then lose their money to restore their health.”


“That by thinking anxiously about the future,
They forget the present,
Such that they live neither in the present nor in the future.”

“That they live as though they will never die,
And die as if they had never lived.”

God’s hand took mine
And we were silent for a while.

And then I asked…

“As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons
You want your children to learn?”

“To learn that they cannot make anyone love them,
They can only let themselves be loved.”

“To learn that it is not good
To compare themselves with others.”

“To learn to forgive by
Practicing forgiveness.”


“To learn that it takes a few seconds
To open profound wounds in those they love,
But it can take many years to heal them.”

“To learn that a rich person is not the one
Who has the most
But the one who needs the least.”

“To learn that there are people
Who love them dearly,
But simply have not yet learned
How to express or show their feelings.”

“To learn that two people
Can look at the same thing
And see it differently.”

“To learn that it is not enough that they
Forgive one another, but also forgive themselves.”


“Thank you for your time,” I said humbly.

“Is there anything else that you would like your children to know?”

God smiled and said,
“Just know that I am here… always.”

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years that count.

- Abraham Lincoln

The Three Musketeers

Today's book is the three musketeers. This eternal classic revolves around four men- the Three Musketeers- Athos, Porthos and Aramis, and another young man who is striving to become a musketeer, D' Artagnan. When D' Artagnan comes to Paris to seek his fortune, he finds himself challenged by the three of the King's Royal Musketeers. Thus ensues a journey to save the king from the betrayal of a cunning bishop, and on the way also learns of the killer of his father, who was a renowned musketeer. And on this journey, Athos, Porthos and Aramis will help D' Artagnan to save the king, and also, on the way, find the way to his destiny.

Egypt

A treasury of myths,

A land of mysteries,

A blend of past with the present,

A page out of history.

A musuem in itself,

A storehouse of ancient culture,

The land of the pharoahs,

Has within the seventh wonder.

Cairo or AI- Quahira,

The largest city of Egypt,

A country of Arab culture,

Amidst the Sahara desert.

Like a crown to Africa,

With jewels of artifacts,

And the sphinx on guard,

Are the pyramids proud and tall.

A glance into the past,

Lika a journey back in time,

Is a trip to Egypt,

The gift of the Nile.

- Unknown

Life may be like a rollercoaster, you know they have its ups and downs, and it could end in a split second... the only difference is you can't get another ticket and tyr it again. If you keep your eyes open and look ahead, it coild be the best ride you ever tried. But if close your eyes, then you can really miss out on the great things. So, who are you going to be?

- JV Montana

The Fever Bird

The Fever Bird sang out last night.

I could not sleep, try as I might.

My brain was split, my spirit raw.

I looked into the garden and saw

The shadow of the amaltas

Shake slightly on the moonlit grass.

Unseen, the bird cried out its grief,

Its lunacy without relief;

Three notes repeated closer, higher,

Soaring than sinking down like fire

Only to breathe the night and soar,

As crazed, as desperate as before.

I shivered in the midnight heat,

And smelt the sweat that soaked my sheet.

And now I hear again,

The call that skewers my brain,

The call- the brain- sick triple note-

A bone of pain stuck in its thrat.

I am so tired, I could weep,

Mad bird for God's sake let me sleep!

Why do you cry like one possessed?

When will you rest? Oh, when will you rest?

Why wait all night till alll but I

Lie sleeping in the house, then cry?

Why do you scream in my ear,

What no one else but I can hear?

- from the book 'A Suitable Boy'

The Cherry tree

Six years have passed
Since I dug a cherry tree into the grass.
"I want a tree of my own", I said
Watered it once and went to bed.
And forgot; but cherrt trees have a way of growing
Though no one's caring very much or knowing,
And suddenly that summer at the end of May,
I found a cherry tree had come to stay.
It was small, a tiny child,
Lost in the tall grass running wild.
Goats ate the leaves, the grasscutter's scythe,
Split it apart, and a monsoon blight,
Shrivelled its slender stem... Even so,
Next spring, I saw three more new shoots grow.
The young tree reached for the Sun.
The months passed, one by one,
And we went away the following year,
On a holiday in Kashmir.
When I came home, again I saw,
A cherry tree growing at my door.
Six feet high, my own dark cherry,
And- I could hardly believe it- a berry!
Ripe and shining from the sun,
Hung from a branch- just one!
And the next year there were blossoms small,
Pink, delicate, and quick to fall,
At the smallest breath, the sleepiest breeze.
I lay in the grass, at ease,
Looked up through the leaves,
At the blue clear sky, And at the finches as they flew
And flitted through the dappled green
While happy bees drank
Nectar from each blossom, and the sun sank
And the stars turned in the sky,
And moon moths, singing crickets and I,
Praised night and stars and tree;
A small, tall cherry tree, planted by me.

- Ruskin Bond

The Notebook

This book by Nicholas Sparks ia heart warming and enriching story told by a frail old man living in an old age home to an old woman there- about two people falling in love on a vacation. Then they parted. The girl had to go back and now has to marry a successful lawyer, who is rich, handsome, loves her a lot, but apparently has no time for her. Now she decides to go back to meet the man for the last time who she loved a lot.... and maybe even now. But the man never forgot her, loves her passionately still, and never will love another liked he loved her. He doesn't know where she had gone, why she had gone... or worse still, whether she'll come back. She comes back to him, thinking, she'll just tell him and go, but she can't, not now, not forever. But then her mother and fiance find out, a few hidden secrets are coming out, and now she has to choose whether she wants to marry a man who will give her all, or a man, that is her all...