Thursday 31 May 2018

Things That Make Me Happy: Planner + Flowers + Netflix + Books + Juice.

Hello! 
&
Achooooo!
I am down with my annual summer cold and fever and life is pretty damn miserable! 
UGH! 
I hate having a sore throat which makes everything horrible. I'd rather have a high fever than have my throat all screwed up. 

So let's take my mind off all things cold and cough and fever and focus on somethings that make me happy! 


1. My gorgeous little blog planner. A full look inside it is coming soon. 


2. Roses. Growing out of my upstairs neighbours window. 


3. More flowers! 


4. This gorgeous little book! 
Nayak by Satyajit Ray, Novelised by Bhaskar Chattopadhyay 
I cannot wait to read it. 


5. Cool summer drinks to beat the heat.
I can't wait for the rains to get here soon. 

Apart from all of these things, I have been loving Netflix and it has been making me so happy. 

Some of the things I've been watching lately on Netflix are...

The Crown/// I am surprised by how much I love this. I had heard so many good things about this show but never felt like checking it out. My sister started watching it and I am hooked! 



Dear White People/// This is pretty powerful and relevant stuff. I have only seen 2 episodes so far but I am really enjoying it. I can't wait to binge more of this! 


Safe/// Based on a Harlan Coben book which I think I've read.. maybe?.. I am not sure.. but something about it is very familiar. I am only one episode in but it is something I intend on binge watching this weekend. A missing girl and a gated community full of secrets is just what a weekend needs. 



I watched a movie called Dude which I liked quite a bit. 




Tuesday 29 May 2018

Book Haul/// Books of May 2018 Part-III Agatha Christie Facsimile Editions!

Hello! 

I've said it before and I'll say it again May has been such a good book buying month for me. 
I've bought a ton of good books and some seriously beautiful books as well a bunch of eBooks that I will soon share on the blog. 
I no longer just buy a ton of books each month, so when this does happen, I rejoice in it. 

For today's post I want to share some books that combine some big loves of mine...

Agatha Christie.
Vintage Books. 
Gorgeous Covers. 

All wrapped up in one. 

These Facsimile Christie covers are KILLING ME!!!! I mean just look at them. They are so gorgeous. I wish I could get them all but I just CANNOT justify getting them. I just can't! I own over 70 of Agatha's Christie's books and I love those editions too and so getting this whole bunch all over again is just too much, even for me. 

Do you know that 25 of these editions even come in a gorgeous limited edition trunk?
GAH!
I want it so bad. 
If I ever get married I am putting that on my list..my wedding registry. I honestly can't think of any other way of getting them. 

I spotted these books in Kitab Khana and picked out 4 from ones I didn't have. TBH, I will be getting more but for now these four are a great way to kick off my collection. 
Some day when I live in a non-Bombay-sized home, I would love to have all of my Agatha Christie books displayed on their very own bookshelves. 
:) 











BOOKS BOUGHT//

The Murder on the Links 
And Then There Were None 
Peril at End House 
A Murder is Announced 

I also met a fellow bookworm when I was getting these books. We were both staring at these edition and completely fan-girling over how gorgeous these books were. We were just gushing over all things book and it made me so happy to randomly strike up a conversation with a fellow booknerd. Seriously! Bookish people are the best people! 


Monday 28 May 2018

Monday Moods: I am Back + What I've Been Reading! (Mini Book Reviews)

Hello! 

Long time no blog post. 
I decided to take a little break from blogging this past week. Mainly to just have a bit of a break. My sister was travelling and I spent last week alone at home and I decided to spend it reading a lot, cooking but mostly just chilling out. 
And I did just that. I also intended to write a lot but what do you know..no writing whatsoever happened! 
I am not beating myself up because last week was a lazy, full of reading wonder. I regret nothing. I did mull over some writing but spent most of my time alone just being happy and reading! 
Bliss! 
My idea of a summer vacation! 

This week it is back to work. 
Back to blogging. 
&
Back to real life. 

For now let's see glimpses of my week alone and some of what I read! 


This is me all of this last week. 

I read 3 books last week. 


Two by Gulzar: A novella set a little before, during and long after the partition. It was short and poignant and showed many sides and the long lasting effects of the partition. I will say, it did take me a little time to get into the story, like around 20-25 pages but once I got to that point the people and the place and the atmosphere was wholly engaging and moving. 
3/5 


Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon: A book that everyone and their mother has read. And I had heard so much about. I finally bought it earlier in the year and I read it this week and really loved it. I will say though I am so surprised that no one, not one single review talks about the little (massive) twist in the end. Wow! I did see it coming and I told myself, "If it's not what I think it is..I will be disappointed!" I wasn't! 
I really enjoyed this book and it's people and even the romance. 
4/5 


A Murder in Malabar Hills by Sujata Massey: This one I am currently reading. I am half way through   and I am loving it. It is set in 1921 Bombay and about Bombay's first female solicitor who gets involved in solving a murder while helping with a deceased client's will. 
I am so happy spending time with this book. It's so good! I want to just down and binge read it all at once. I will come back with a review. But I do love it so much already and I highly recommend it. 



Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur: I also finally read this collection of poetry and I have to say..I was so  right in not reading in all this time. So much of it is just disjointed thoughts and random musings you'd find in anyone's journal.  It is not even really poetry. Some of it is moving and poignant, the section on abuse and rape is very powerful but poetry and writing about these topics often is. The rest of it was very blah. Too try hard and just not special enough. 
2/5 


The happiest mail for this past week. 
A satchel I've wanted for so long. 
Meet Sera from Hyde Studio. 
She was and is love at first sight! 
I can't wait to use it and I better get to it before the rains. 


Squad Goals for life! 
My plushie friends! 
:) 

This was my week in a nutshell. 

I will be back with more bookish posts all through this week! 
And I have 2 months of reading wrap-up posts to do! I better get on that. 

Have a great week ahead folks. 
:) 


Saturday 19 May 2018

Book Haul//// Books of May 2018, Part- II.

Hello! 

Time to share some of my newest bookish loves. So far, May has been a fantastic month for book buying. 
I got all of these books from Amazon in the very beginning of the month and I got mostly a bunch of translated regional fiction. I found some great books and I am so excited to getting to them soon! 

Here's what I added to my bookshelves recently...


BOOKS BOUGHT/// 

The Greatest Urdu Stories Ever Told by Muhammed Umar Memon 
The Story of a Brief Marriage by Anuk Arudpragasam
Diwali in Muzaffarnagar by Tanuj Solanki 
Murder in the City by Supratim Sarkar 
Karmachari by V.P. Kale 



This book sounds so interesting and I am so happy to be reading some Marathi tales in translation.
I also adore the cover illustration, a Mumbai local in all of it's glory. 



My current read which I am enjoying a lot. 
12 Cases from the Kolkata Police case files. 


Short stories set in Muzaffarnagar. I have half a mind to save this book for Diwali but I might cave in and read it early. 




A book from Sri Lanka. 
I might save this for my Indian Books in August. 




This gorgeous book has been on my radar for so long. But it's for ₹ 599 and I just couldn't justify spending so much on a book. Do you have a cut-off for how much you spend on a book? I find anything over 400 a bit much and requires me to think if I should get it or now.  I waited for  so long to get this book and finally got it for 60% off! Yay! 
:)
I was so happy to see so many different writers, most of whom I've never read before. 


All of the books I bought in this haul are from the Indian subcontinent and will make perfect reading material for Indian Books in August, a yearly tradition I have been doing for the last 5 years wherein I read only books from the Indian subcontinent.
Of course, August is still some ways off and I might cave and read some of these books early.

This has been a very good haul! 

Friday 18 May 2018

Friday Favourites: Current Read + Silver Earrings + Kalamkari Kolhapuris + Peppa Pig + Weekend Plans.

Hello! 
And how is this Friday treating you? 
I, unfortunately, had a slight tumble down the stairs on Tuesday and have been trying to quietly recuperate from it ever since. I am trying to stay off my feet and rest the best I can. 
My bruise is a lot better but I am still in a fair amount of pain. Nothing a little bit of rest and reading can't fix. Sadly, being an adult means you have to look after yourself and do a ton of home chores and such. So resting is not as easy as you would think. 
:( 
Don't grow up kids! It's a trap! 

Let's focus on some happy things in life shall we? 
Here are some recent favourites from my life. 


1. My Current Read//// Murder in the City by Supratim Sarkar. A collection of 12 Case Files from Kolkata Police. I am a little bit in, around 4 stories and I am really enjoying it a lot. The cases range from murder, kidnapping and I love that the book comprises of cases from 1930s, 50s and 80s. I am so happy to be reading this book. If you know me at all you'd know that I am BIG True Crime fan. So these stories are just up my alley. And since I've been raised outside of Bengal, all of these stories are all new to me. So good! 


2. These gorgeous shoes from Ajio that I snagged during their last sale. I got these for a pittance and I can't get over how gorgeous these are. So striking and so comfy. I better wear these before the rains hit us. 


3. These gorgeous earrings from Amrapali that we picked up from Jaipur. I love the little crescent motif and I love how light these earrings are. I can't abide silver jewellery that is so heavy that it nearly kills your ears! 


4. Elephant motif bedspreads. We got this beauty from Jaipur and I love it's bright colours and embroidery. 


5. Reading in bed. 
&
Peppa Pig of course is big favourite. 

All I want to do this weekend is stay in bed and ice my leg! 
&
Watch The Crown- a show I've been binge watching lately. 

Have a great weekend folks. 

:) 


Wednesday 16 May 2018

Book Haul//// Penguin Moderns- Books of May 2018- Part-I.

Hello! 

May has so far been a glorious month as far as book buying goes. I've bought some books online and some from bookshops too. 

Today I want to share a very special haul. A haul entirely of these minty gorgeous Penguin Moderns! Ah! Would you just look at them? 
I had been lusting over them for a while but for some odd reason they are kinda pricey online and most of have them have a hefty delivery charge as well! No fun. So I meant to pick them up when I saw them in a bookshop in person. 
Over this weekend, I finally saw them in Wayward and Wise and bought 10 of these beauties. 
I just couldn't resist! 
I think this whole 'mini' trend in books is a good thing be. It is a quick and swift way to read some good fiction and sample a writer you mayn't tried before. Plus, let's be honest these book are adorable. I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but God, just see these beauties. Plus these are great to have in your bag and on the go and at 50 bucks a pop these are pocket friendly too. A whole lot of plusses if you ask me! 

Let's see them now shall we? 













Ah!
I am so kicked I finally got my hands on these beauties.

BOOKS BOUGHT/// 

Lance by Vladimir Nabokov 
The Haunted Boy by Carson McCullers 
Letter to my Mother by Georges Simenon 
The Duke in his Domain by Truman Capote 
Piers of the Homeless Night by Jack Kerouac 
Africa's Tainted Name by Chinua Achebe 
The Finger by William S. Boroughs 
The Vigilante by John Steinbeck 
The Black Bail by Ralph Ellison 
The Custard Heart by Dorothy Parker