Magnolia Wednesdays - A Review, A Challenge and a Tag/Award

This post as the title suggests is going to be a 3 in one.  The challenges that I am taking part in have encouraged me to do a bit more of challenges.  These are like catalyst to squeeze my already busy schedule to read a bit more.  So lets get started with the Review first

Vivian Armstrong Gray, the 41 year old reported, becomes the talk of the nation after her not-so-fatal accident of getting shot in the rear end.  The video recorded during the incident, goes viral on YouTube and she loses the reputation that she had worked so hard for the past decade and a half.  Though she recovers from the injury, she loses her job and discovers she is pregnant all at the same time.  She tries for a better job but her evident scenario lands her a much lesser job by her standards.  Desperate she accept the job and goes to live with her estranged sister Melanie.  Her current stay would be ideal for her column, Postcards from the Suburbia.

Except for her sister, she is not given such a warm welcome as she had expected.  But never the less, Vivien tries to blend in and absorb as much as possible for her work.  Due to her guilt, she also further takes up to investigate her brother-in-laws death.  Ignoring her boyfriend Stone's warnings, she goes about doing her works behind her sister's back.  The only time when she actually relaxes of her worries and stresses is the time when they practice Belly Dancing on Wednesdays in Magnolia Dancing Hall.  Eventually they start bonding as a family and she starts to realize how little she had put family in front of work.

Time flies by and life goes smooth until the day when her undercover is exposed and the whole neighbourhood is incensed by her judgemental column.  Her investigation reveals truth that were so bitter, which again strains her relationship with her sister.  Added to all the above miseries is that she has not told Stone that she is pregnant and is now about to deliver their baby.  How will Vivien take in all the wrath and how will she patch her relation with her Melanie and Stone.  What will she do about the column that has now alienated her from the Suburbia.

It was a very light read and despite the number of pages I was hooked because of the story.  Wax has yet again proved her way of etching characters that are so perfect yet flawed in their own ways.  The writing was lucid and funny and you could never feel bored.  The interesting aspect was the suspense that she has mildly lined through out the story that keeps you guessing.  The pregnancy and the way it changes women has been used to subtly change the arrogant, judgmental and adamant character of Vivien to a soft, sweet and forgiving and confessing character.

I am sending this review to the Whats in a name challenge and A-Z challenge, along with 2012 good reads challenge.

Now for the part of challenges

I am going to take part in the South Asian Challenge 2012.  I am not going to mention any number of books that I am going to read, as I feel that it will be quite too ambitious.

And I have already participated in the good reads 2012 reading challenge.  So far I have completed 3 books and I hope I will complete the goal of 30 books.

It has been a year since I started this blog and I am honored to receive my first award from Bhargavi of Bedazzled and Jyoti of Pages.  Both of them have also tagged me to do random facts about myself.  Here are a few rules that I must follow

The rules of the award are as follows:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for the award (Thank You Bhargavi and Jyoti)
2. Nominate 15 other bloggers and inform them of the same
3. Share 7 Random facts about yourself
4. Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your Blog Post


I would like to pass it to the following friends, some of them I had known since my first cooking blog Salt to Taste.

• Padma of Padma's Recipes
• Rajeshwari of Raks Kitchen
• Pavithra of Dishes from my kitchen
• Lata Raja of Flavours and Taste
• Susan of Well Seasoned Cook
• Laura of Library of Clean Reads
• Nithya of Nits Arts and Crafts
• Cloud Nine of Cloud Nine talks
• Jennifer of Mrs Q book addict
• Sandhya of Maradhi Manni
• Divya of Dilse..

Coming to the toughest part of the award, 7 random facts about myself.

1. I like to travel.  I like to spend my holidays travelling to exotic places and / or on a pilgrimage.  I prefer the window seat to watch the scenery that pass through.

2. I like shopping.  But of late, shopping has become a stress of watching over the kid, keeping a list in mind and picking up what I would like. 

3. I like to sing.  But right now my voice is so rusted I dare not try even in the bathrooms.  But once I was good at it and had won a few prizes and medals too.

4. I love Pizzas.  Though I am blown out of shape or out of proportion, I would still relish over all that cheese and meat and veggies.  Its such a sinful indulgence

5.  I am a coffee addict.  I love coffee.  My mornings ought to start with a cup of coffee.  Otherwise my head starts spinning, my moods takes a swing or I do not know what wrath might happen.  My coffee is my panacea.

6. I am a stay at home mom, without much thrills or adventures everyday.  I whine a lot about the days spent worthless.  But as days pass by I am also amazed by how much love and energy has gone into the making of my little one.

7. I am a very traditional person.  I had a very long hair (I had tonsured my hair recently) which I keep braided (and if lucky I would also have jasmine).  My favorite attire would be saree or salwar and I had never worn any make up (except for my marriage) and dont prefer facials, bleaches, pedicure or manicure.  I like to keep it simple, just the way God had created me.

Phheww.. atlast.. I have completed all 7.  It was brain racking but I have completed it.

Thanks to everyone who have been a support to my work in any small way possible.