Eye-catching

When one speaks of top-of-the-line sunglasses, the Super brand of Retrosuperfuture from Italy quite often dominates the conversation. While it proclaims itself as a fashion eyewear brand, the commitment to using the finest material for its eyewear line has elevated the brand to being, quite simply, one of the best in the business. For its lenses, Super exclusively uses Carl Zeiss lenses, the same lens manufacturer that the best Hollywood directors, cinematographers and photographers trust, Steven Spielberg being among those who specify Zeiss lenses. Even NASA employs Zeiss for its lens requirements.

High-grade acetate, and not lower grade plastic, is used for its frames. This results in sturdier frames you can actually feel, and it means that the color, print and luster of the frames keep for a longer time.

Like a true fashion brand, Super emphasizes innovation in design and style by coming up with four collections every year. For its 2013 Spring/Summer collection, materials such as snakeskin, suede and crocodile skin were added to the mix, resulting in models that are unique.

Each style is produced as a limited edition product and this has resulted in some enthusiasts flying to different countries just to get hold of a particular pair. And when you count such celebrities as David Beckham, Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton and Rihanna as Super “devotees,” it comes as no surprise to find the fashion-forward in this country more than happy to find that Super now has official representation here.

Duncan Yu, CEO of Immobiliare, was proud to declare that as official distributor of Super eyewear, we can now find the brand at selected LS Pascual stores, Aranaz, Trilogy, Greyone Social, Viktor and Eyecrafts, with several other establishments in the pipeline. It may just be eyewear, but this marvel of engineering and art finds a parallel in anyone calling a Ferrari “just a car.”

Real Time and Not!

The notion of time plays a very important element in these three wonderfully written novels. One is set during World War II, but with a unique twist; while the second is about time travel, but does so with a refreshing take. The third novel is set in the 1950’s English countryside, and is a stellar tribute to the era, and the detective genre.

Prague Fatale — Philip Kerr (available at National Book Store) The Bernie Gunther detective series has always been a treasure trove for those fascinated by World War II, crime fiction, and intrigued by the delicious twist Kerr has created. Gunther is a German police detective who tries to keep his head above water as a good policeman in the midst of the Nazi terror. In this new novel, the location shifts from Berlin to occupied Prague, as Gunther is swept along with SS Supremo Heydrich’s political one-upmanship, and in-fighting, while suppressing the Czech resistance movement. Arianne, a bar girl Bernie “saves” and takes on as a lover, is not what she seems, enmeshing him in a deep conspiracy that involves murdered migrant workers along the Berlin railroad tracks, and all the way to traitors transmitting vital information to the British. Cynical Bernie is a great invention, and he shines in this latest installment.

Company of the Dead — David J. Kowalski (available at Fully Booked) This novel was one of the worst enemies to my getting a good night’s sleep. Time travel, alternative history, military strategy, conspiracy theory, high adventure and interesting characters made this over 700-page novel hard to put down. It opens April 1912 on the Titanic voyage with an individual from the future altering the events that transpired in a way he could never have predicted. Thanks to those changes, America never entered World War I, and the present day finds Germany and Japan ruling the whole world — New York is a Japanese prefecture. Enter one Kennedy (great grandson of Joe Kennedy), who holds a special agenda of eventually traveling back in time himself to right the wrong. Kowlaski is an Australian OB-Gyn by profession and this is his first novel. Be surprised with how he keeps the suspense quotient high despite dealing with “history.”

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows — Alan Bradley (available at National Book Store) A new Flavia de Luce mystery is one of my guilty pleasures. Who else but Alan Bradley would create a precocious, motherless 11-year-old female wannabe detective, bullied by her older sisters, interested in Chemistry and poisons. Set in the ‘50s in the English countryside, the de Luce family resides in their stately home, Buckshaw but is troubled by finances and the upkeep of the home. This time out, it’s December and in order to help maintain the estate, Flavia’s father has allowed a film company to take over their home. A murder occurs, and it’s left to the meddling Flavia to help the local police solve the crime. Along the way, she’s out to prove Santa exists by trapping him in the chimney with a birdlime glue she’s created by herself in her laboratory. Sweet!