Sunday 31 December 2017

2017 Favourites/// Top 17 Books of 2017 + My Year in Books!



Hello! 

In a few hours 2017 will be gone. 
A year which the world will remember as not so stellar. 
For me personally, it was an OK year. 
Not too bad...not too great. 
A perfectly average year! 

I am sorta glad to see it leave. 
I cannot wait for 2018 and all that it bring with it. 

But now let's stick to 2017 shall we?

It was a year of reading, writing 25,000 words in one month, going back to Landour, watching over 100 films, cooking some amazing food, beautiful bags, lots of stationery and journaling and being content with my little life.
:)


READING HIGHLIGHTS! 

1. I read over 200 books! 210 new books to be precise.
To me this is a fantastic thing. I read over 170 books in 2016 and this year I wanted to do a little better. Even though my Good Reads Challenge was still 100 books, in my heart I wanted to double it; and I am so happy I was able to do just that. 


2. I even re-read some old loves, which is another thing I am happy about. What is the point of a flourishing personal library if I don't re-read? 

3. I read a TON of psychological thrillers. In fact, this was my most read genre all year round. I am so pleased. This is my favourite genre and I glad I read so much from it. 

4. I read some truly amazing books! (List coming below!) 

5. I read a lot on my Kindle. 

I really had a good reading year and for that I will always be grateful to 2017. 

As far as my book buying went, I think I bought books very sensibly this year. There were many months in which I didn't buy a single book! Go me. I am so proud of my restrained book buying in 2017. 

I also blogged pretty consistently- getting a total of 280 posts up. 

READING MISSES! 


1. Not reading enough classics. 

2. Not reading some books I hoped to read this year. 

3. Not reading older books from my shelves. 

4. Not reading enough graphic novels. 

Now on to my 17 TOP BOOKS OF 2017! 

I have listed some favourites from specific genres but this is whole mish-mash all encompassing master list if you will! 

So here we go... for links to the full review  click on the name of the book. 

2017 TOP 17 BOOKS! 


8. The Lonely Monarch by Sunil Gangopadhyay 
9. Death Under The Deodars by Ruskin Bond 
10. Sister One, Two and Three  by Nancy Star 
11. Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi 
12. Into The Water by Paula Hawkins 
13. The Woman on the Orient Express Lindsay Jane Ashford
14. Monsters by Emerald Fennell
15. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesco Cavallo
16. Zoon by Selina Sen 
17. Jihadi Jane by Tabish Khair

I've done reviews for most of these books, click on them to be taken to the full reviews.

Thank you 2017 for all the great books, amazing stories and fantastic characters.
&
Thank you Dear Reader for coming along for the ride.
:)

I'll see you in 2018!


Bullet Journal Set-Up/// November 2017.

Hello! 

I thought I'd share my November 2017 Bujo Set-Up before the year is up. 
November being my sister's birthday month is one of my favourite months of the year. And with winter making it's presence felt and general mirth in the air, it is a month I tend to enjoy a lot. 

My Bujo for November was very special too. 
I once again used a Lyra & Co. Rifle Paper Co. fabric dori and even used a shiny metallic cover Field Notes. 

Let's jump into some details..


Winter florals FTW! 


A close up of the print. 
A thing of beauty! 


Front page love. 
Dainty floral stickers and some other darling things. 


Usual first few pages of wish lists and monthly to-dos. 


The pens of the month. 
A slim black gel pen from The Planner Society Kit
Orange gel from Sarasa Zebra. 


Inside decor elements.
Diecuts and stickers. 





A Rifle Paper Co. fabric wallet insert for added pockets to store stickers and diecuts. 
This fabric is so gorgeous. 



Details/// 

Fauxdori and Wallet Insert- Lyra and Company 
Stickers- Ali Express 
Diecuts and Slim Gel Pen- The Planner Society Kit 



I love the colours and the vibe of this month of Bujo-ing. 

Will be back with my December Set-Up soon...maybe even in the New Year! 

:) 


Haul/// Earrings from Jaypore Part- II.

Hello! 

Coming at you with a quick little haul of some earrings I got from Jaypore earlier in the month. Some  beautiful traditional, very desi pieces of jewellery! 

Let's jump in shall we? 


A gorgeous little bali. 
OK not so little! 



Two slightly similar styles. The mirror detail is so pretty. 
I am totally having a jhumka moment. 



And another slightly different jhumka! 


Ah! 
Things of beauty! 
These earrings are so well-made and the details and designs are perfect and they light too, so easy to wear and style. 

All of these are from Jaypore, which has been one of my favourite places to shop from all year round! 



Saturday 30 December 2017

2017 Favourites /// Top 5 Pens

Hello there!

My name is Pooja and I am a stationery addict!

Of course, you knew that! If you've been around here for even a few months, you'd know that I love me some stationery- notebooks, pens, papers, washi tapes etc. etc. etc.

So, today, I thought I will share my five favourite writing instruments. These are tried and tested and highly, highly recommended.

Let's get into it, shall we?

1. Black 0.5mm Gel Pens from PaperGeekCo on Etsy 




Image Source: PaperGeekCo Listing 

These pens are just so, so, so smooth! They are jet black, flow flawlessly and are a joy to write with. The ink is waterproof as well. Plus, aren't they cute?! Their cuteness is just the cherry on top, really!

Go here to buy them.


2. Zebra Sarasa Vintage Clip Pens 


Image Source: Tokyo Pen Shop 

These pens are such a treat! They are 0.5mm gel ink pens and are super-smooth and available in really interesting colours like blue-grey, brown-black, red-black and so on! My sister and I have all these five colours and love, love these pens!

Buy from: Tokyo Pen Shop or Cute Things From Japan


3. Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen 




Image Source: Amazon.in 

Haven't written with a fountain pen in a while but really, really want to?
Afraid to invest in an expensive fountain pen 'cos what if this desire to write with a fountain pen is just a phase?
Plus, what if you ruin the nib of that pricey fountain pen?
If your answer is 'yes' to all of the above, then Platinum Preppy is the answer to your fountain pen-related conundrums!
Priced at Rs. 350, the Platinum Preppy is a beginner's fountain pen with a fantastic nib and writing experience!
It is smooth, has a capping technology that prevents the ink from drying up even if the pen is unused for a whole year and is light enough to make your fingers glide effortlessly over paper!

Buy it from Amazon India.

4. Zebra Mildliners 


Image Source: Amazon UK 

Zebra Mildliners are dreamy, pastel-y, dual-ended highlighter pens.

This is a must for all bullet journalers or for anyone who loves making lists and then colour-coding them. Or just for anyone who loves highlighters!

They're available in three different types of colours- soft fluorescents, calm and pastels.

Buy them from the Cute Things From Japan.


5. Staedtler Pigment Liner


Image Source: Amazon India

We love these pigment liners for doodling and drawing in our journals. The ink is this super dark black and is waterproof and smudge-proof! Been using these pens for two years now and highly, highly recommend it!

Buy it from Amazon India.


Friday 29 December 2017

2017 Favourites/// Top 10 Fashion Favourites of 2017.

Hello! 

Time to list some of my favourite fashions for 2017. 
I loved so many different elements and styles through the year and today I want to share some of my absolute favourites. 

So let's jump into it. 


1. Closet Clean-Up/// The best fashion decision I made in very early 2017 was to clean my closets properly and re-organise it thoroughly. It took some time and a lot of effort but it was so worth it!
It has made getting dressed super-duper easy. I hadn't re-organised my closet properly since 2012 and this overhaul was a long time coming!


2. Bangles/// I fell back in love with an armful of bangles. I dug out old favourites- like these wooden ones from Fabindia and paired them with my silver ones.





3. Pins/// 2017 was the year of pins. I bought pins and wore pins and I even stuck some pins in my bags and backpacks. It is such a wonderful way to add a little something special to an outfit. I am obsessed and I don't see my love for all things pins waning any time soon!
The pin above is from Accessorize and the two below are from Ali Express.




4. Comfy Keds/// I am all about the comfy shoes. I see no point in torturing myself for the sake of fashion. Flats and keds dominated my footwear choices and in 2017 I wore such gorgeous keds that I could run a marathon in (not that I want to!) and they looked so pretty! 
Both these keds are from Chumbak and I honestly couldn't recommend them enough! 





5. Totes/// Loved and used whimsy totes all year round. There is something so timeless and chic about totes. I always have a tote bag in my handbag if I need to carry groceries or even shopping back home. A beautiful way to say no to plastic bags! 




6. Afghan Jewellery/// A trend that I love wholeheartedly!
I looked far and wide and even on several Instagram shops but finally my sister picked up these delights from Delhi, M Block to be specific and they were a whole lot cheaper than so many other online options.
Seriously, look in your local markets or beg a Delhi dost to ship these to you instead of getting them online where they are obscenely marked up!




7. Backpacks and Mini-Backpacks/// 2017 for me was the year of the backpack! I fell in love and how. My inner 90s child was out to play. A few years ago when this trend started up, I was vehemently against it. Now, I've had humble pie and am proudly and happily part of the bandwagon.  I mean, backpacks are madly convenient. Who doesn't like being handsfree?! I know I do! 

Some of my absolutely favourite purchases this year were backpacks. 
I loved Sir Bearington above- he is from Forever 21.
And I loved my Little Sister backpack from The Burlap People. 


8. Boho Bags/// Specifically ones with gorgeous embroidery on them. I am an ardent lover of handicrafts and handlooms of India, incorporating them in our daily life makes me very happy. Whether in my home or my style, Indian motifs always make a presence.

This year I've added a lot of colour and boho-ness to my outfits!

Both these bags are from Udaipur!
I can't wait to go to Rajasthan and shop till I squeal!



9. Chunky Jewellery/// I much preferred chunky and statement jewellery of the ethnic and boho persuasion. Rings, cuffs and big pendants. I generally prefer bigger, bolder pieces over dainty jewellery in any case and 2017 was no different.




10. Mojris/// 2017 saw me add and find some super comfortable mojris to my life.
The ones above are from Dilli Haat and the beautiful pair below is from Fabindia!
I am currently ogling at some gorgeous mojri/jootie style shoes from The Fizzy Goblet!


There so many other things I loved in 2017..

Ajrakh 
Dabru 
Jhola bags 
Nose pins (the clip on variety) 
Jhumkas 



So much more. 

Style is a very important part of my life and a big part of who I am. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. 

Tell me what were some of your fashion favourites of the year?! 

:) 


Wednesday 27 December 2017

2017 Favourites: Top 5 Non-Fiction Books of 2017.

Hello!!! 

I always intend to venture away from my usual reading styles. One of those forays away from my reading comfort zone is reading some non-fiction books. I prefer fiction and literature over non-fiction any day. But there are a few types non-fiction titles that interest me- memoirs & biographies and true crime. I absolutely want to read more from this genre and broaden my reading horizons. 

I am so happy that I actually read quite a few non-fiction titles in 2017 and here are some of my favourites. 


1. Found Dead by Shantanu Guha Ray/// Some of India's most popular and headline grabbing crime stories. 
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it in pretty much one sitting. 


2. Sold by Patricia McCormick/// I loved this book and it's incredibly important topic. Sex trade is a menace  that has to be curbed and books like this and conversations around the issue are good place to start and raise awareness. 



3. Mafia Queens of Mumbai by S. Hussain Zaidi/// More true crime stories, but this time about the perpetrators of crime and gangs and gang-wars  and gang lords. 
A full review can be found HERE. 


4. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie/// A TED talk put into book form. A little slice of why we all need to be feminists and fight for equal rights and an equal position in society. 
A fantastic and concise piece. 
Highly recommend. 


5. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls/// I love that this book has already achieved cult-classic status and rightly so. 
Inspiring and so inclusive of so many women from across all walks of life and all time periods as well. 
So good! 
Great for kids and adults alike. 

Some other honourable mentions. 


Khullam Khulla by Rishi Kapoor// Fun and nostalgic and a good read. 


Indira by Sagarika Ghose// A very detailed and well-researched book about India's most talked about and sometimes revered and at times controversial Prime Minister. I really loved it.