A Little Life and a salad by the side...

I read my first novel at the age of nine, when I chanced upon "The boy next door" by Enid Blyton at a friend's house and she lent it to me with an enthusiasm only a book lover would, in the selfish hope of converting me into one them. And convert I did. Since then, I've remembered every year that has gone by with a book that has managed to bring about a permanent shift in my thinking and has given me a window into this limitless world. The ones in which I've lost myself in the plot and the protagonist's world long after the book has ended.   

And at the end of every such book I read, I was depressingly convinced that I would not find another such soul stirring escapade ever again. Call me superstitious (and (ironically!) I'll risk it in the matter of books) but touch wood I've happily been proved wrong till date. Every year has been a memorable milestone in my book millennia. Like the year 2005, which was the year of Ayn Rand and her inspiring idealism, while 2008 was the year of grudgingly conceding that the movie "A Beautiful Mind" brought more tears than the book did. 2012 was the year of finally(!!) discovering the literary genius that PG Wodehouse was and regretting all the years wasted not knowing his creations. 

As much as I tried, 2016 was not a good year in terms of reading. I could barely read about 10 of them and failed to stick to my commitment of reading at least one book per month. As I ploughed through the months with some slow and wrong choices, September brought with it luck and my best book for the year 2016 - A Little life by Hanya Yanagihara.

The book revolves around 4 best friends and the course of their lives from college through adulthood, their evolving friendship and turbulent lives. While all the 4 characters play their part in making the book engaging and immersive, the lead protagonist - Jude brings in an element of depth to the whole book. His scarry childhood has left deep fears and insecurities and he spends the larger part of his life fighting them. His friends play a crucial role in bringing out the character that Jude is and weaving a complex web of relationships that the book meanders through. 

 The book is a page turner and will have you engrossed almost throughout its 700+ pages. It has several gut wrenching moments of trauma which might make you want to hide the book in some dark cupboard and watch a funny dog (or cat) video just so that you cheer up a little bit.  But in the end, the suspense gets to you.  What particularly stood out for me was how the author was able to morph human emotions into words and conjure up some deeply stirring writing. And in those moments, I had to put down the book for a while, just to absorb the emotions those words held. The book left me devastated but strangely content at the end of it.

While it does have its share of unrealistic and illogical moments, the book forays into difficult topics like homosexuality, drugs and self inflicted abuse with such intense realism, you are left forgiving those little deviations. A powerful, devastating, must read - piece of fiction that will haunt you long after you have read it.

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The salad featured in the picture is something I have been hooked on to for the last two months. It is my go to - easy, quick and healthy snack/meal, and when you see the recipe, you'll know why. 

Green Moong Salad

Ingredients

1 cup Moong sprouts ( soaked overnight and drained)

1/4th cup Pomegranate seeds

a handful toasted almonds

10-15 mint leaves roughly chopped

a small piece of gooseberry finely grated (optional)

Dressing

In a bowl, mix the below ingredients

1 Spoon Olive oil

1 Spoon Vinegar

1/2 spoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

In a big bowl, add the sprouts, mint leaves, gooseberry and pomegranate and toss lightly. Pour the dressing over it and toss till the dressing is fully incorporated. Top it off with the toasted almonds and dig in!