Sunday 30 September 2018

Stationery Sunday/// Haul from Wish- Stickers & Bookmarks

Hello! 

Earlier in the year, I went through a minor Wish obsession. I discovered the nifty little App and I went a little mad adding things to the cart. It's hard to pass up things for as little as 60 rupees. So I have acquired quite a few goodies from there. I really enjoyed my little foray into the world of Wish. There is so much to see and choose from and it can just suck you in. I have been very happy with all things I got from Wish, everything arrives pretty promptly and everything looks just like in the pictures. The quality differs from vendor to vendor and thing to thing. I have, thankfully, had a good experience. 

Here are just some of my things that I hauled from there. 


I went a little insane getting individual stickers. 
These chubby cats ones are too cute for words and I paid like 65 bucks for this pack. 


The moon in all it's glory. 


The fancy rabbit doing things. 



Flowers always have my heart. 


Heavenly bodies...planet and space inspired bookmarks. What's not to love?! 



 Stamp sized stickers. So vintage-y looking. 


Travel stickers for my sister to decorate her journaling spreads. 


Saturday 29 September 2018

A Day in my Life: Travelling to the Hometown.

Hello! 

I write this post sitting in my hometown of Jalpaiguri. Now if I am being serious this isn't as much my hometown as much as it is my parent's hometown and my family home. I visit here once a year if I can manage it. The last time I was here in 2016 and last years I couldn't come here, so this year we, the sister and I were determined to come here and stay for Pujo. 

I love coming here and just being a big lazy slob. 
But there is a lot to do here. People to meet. Family to catch up on and gossip with. Places to go and hopefully head to the hills. 

Got here yesterday after a whole day of travel. It's a four hour flight in total. 
Mumbai- Guwahati- Bagdogra. 
Then around 2 hours drive later we were home. 
Here are some snippets of my travel day. 


Early morning flights can be brutal! Leaving home at 4:30 AM is no fun. But seeing the sun rise and seeing it over the clouds is pretty neat. 


Bye Bye Bombay! 
See ya soon! 


Cloudssss! 
:) 




Scenes while driving home. Littered with greenery and mini tea-gardens. A treat to the eye. 


Home! 
Our home here is named after my Thamma (paternal grandmother) Nupur. I choose the name for our home here, my Dad couldn't decide on the name so I suggested naming it after my Thamma who built this home. 


Flowers in bloom in my mother's little garden. 


I love how this part of the world is so green and lush, it makes me so happy to see fields brimming with crops. 

I am so thrilled to be home. I am all about getting a break from cooking and being an adult. It's so nice to have my parents around and being a kid again. 

:) 


Tuesday 25 September 2018

General Whimsy//// A Few of my Favourite Things.


1. Indigo Curtains from Ibbani Designs. 
I will forever and ever love all things Indigo. 


2. A super cute magnet that a friend got us a few years ago from Turkey.


3. The last of our cloudy days.


4. A Kindle Case I love and my phone case which is too cute for words. 
Both from Ali Express. 


5. This darling owl brooch from Deesa. 
Look at it's cute face! 


6. My stack of Modern Classics. 


Friday 21 September 2018

Book Haul: Books of September 2018, Part- I

Hello! 

Time to share another bunch of books I've added to my shelves lately. 
September has been a slow-ish reading month for me. I have been reading slower or more intently if you will all of this month. My book buying has also been slower and more restrained, which I can assure you is a good thing be. 

I got these books from Amazon in the first week of the month and I have added more books in the weeks that followed, I will be sharing them soon. 

Let's see what I've added to my shelves lately..


I can't remember the last time I bought a Penguin English Library book. I love these editions like mad and own over 30 books from this line of gorgeous classics. But it had been a hot minute since I had added a new books from the line. I saw this book a couple of weeks ago on Instagram and I knew it was time to get another gorgeous book. The yellow flowers were just too pretty to pass up and a novella is something I could read more of. 



I am always, always interested in reading mythology re-tellings or re-imaginings. Add short stories to the mix and I am a goner. I am so excited to read this book, I think it's going to be a good one! 



I read and absolutely LOVED Elizabeth is Missing a couple of years ago and when I saw that the author had a new book out I had to get it. 



I am all in for a any new Poirot book. I know some people want nothing to do with these new books but man it's another chance to visit with my favourite detective. I am not going to pass on it. Of course, it isn't Agatha Christie and honestly no one can measure up to her standards but it's still great have some more Poirot in the world. 



BOOKS BOUGHT/// 

Whistle in the Dark by Emma Healey 
The Mystery of the Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah 
The Birth of Kali by Anita Sivakumaran 
Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth Von Arnim 

A tiny but a happy book haul! 

:) 

Happy Reading Folks! 

Tuesday 18 September 2018

Book Review: Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter





Book: Pieces of Her

Author: Karin Slaughter

Pages: 480

Read on: Kindle

Read in: 4 hours

Plot Summary: Andrea knows everything about her mother, Laura. She knows she’s spent her whole life in the small beachside town of Belle Isle; she knows she’s never wanted anything more than to live a quiet life as a pillar of the community; she knows she’s never kept a secret in her life. Because we all know our mothers, don’t we?

But all that changes when a trip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura. Because it turns out that before Laura was Laura, she was someone completely different. For nearly thirty years she’s been hiding from her previous identity, lying low in the hope that no one would ever find her. But now she’s been exposed, and nothing will ever be the same again.

The police want answers and Laura’s innocence is on the line, but she won’t speak to anyone, including her own daughter. Andrea is on a desperate journey following the breadcrumb trail of her mother’s past. And if she can’t uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either one of them.


Things I Liked: 

  • The premise of this book is quite interesting! A daughter going about trying to unearth the secrets in her mother's past! What is not to like?! This book is sort of a thriller meets historical fiction (of sorts) as the narrative moves between Andrea's perspective in the present to her mother's perspective in 1986. Plus, there was a hint of domestic terrorism/ anarchism, which is a topic in recent American history that I haven't read much about, so that also got me to pick up the book! 
  • I really liked Laura- she is kickass and cool under pressure. She is fiercely protective as a mother and the steps she takes to keep Andrea safe from the demons of her past are so well thought out. I also liked seeing how she evolved from a confused, lost young woman to the woman she is at 55. Her journey is very interesting. I won't reveal too much here as it would totally spoil the book. 
  • Andrea is endearing. She is lost (does not know what to do with her life) and confused and in a state of shock as she sees a new side of her mother and has to suddenly be on the run from an unknown enemy! However, she still soldiers on and I liked that she is able to handle a crazy and scary situation all of a sudden. 
  • The events of 1986 were nicely done as well. I liked reading about Nick Harp and the charismatic influence that he managed to wield over some fairly intelligent, educated and wealthy people. I liked reading about how this rag-tag bunch of "revolutionaries" planned and went about their, in my opinion, pretty random attempts at "down with capitalism" type attacks. Nick and Laura's relationship dynamics were, especially, nicely done- his manipulation and control of her was well depicted. 
Things I Didn't Like: 
  • This was not a unputdownable book. It went into too many details about Andrea's plans and movements as she hid from the mysterious people after her. It also had too many internal monologues of Laura's from the past, which did not add anything to the narrative. The book could've done with sharper editing to keep it gripping and pacy. 
  • There was a twisty reveal in the end, which came out of nowhere! I like twisty endings but there needs to be some breadcrumbs dropped so that the reader is surprised but not too surprised. So, that's what I felt about this twisty reveal. This particular character displayed no such inclinations as were revealed in the end (not talking about sexuality here, more of a worldview) and it came as a forced attempt of leaving the book at a shocking juncture! 

Rating: 3.5/ 5

Book Review: You by Caroline Kepnes




Book: You

Author: Caroline Kepnes 

Pages: 433

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: 5-6 hours 

Plot Summary: When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

General Thoughts: We've had You on our Kindles for almost 3 years now! But for some reason or the other, this book kept slipping through the cracks, which is very, very odd when it comes to us and thriller books. Last week, the first episode of the TV adaptation of You was aired and after watching it (it's good!), we simply had to go back and read the book! 

Things I Liked: 
  • This is a creepy, creepy, creepy book! Stalking is creepy all on its own! Now add to that, this crazy guy, who will go to any lengths to insert himself into one's life! *shudder* Just the perfect amount of creepiness that one seeks in a book like this! 
  • Joe Goldberg- our resident stalker and psychopath- is an interesting voice. He is a classic narcissist, who thinks he is better than most people even though he has a lowly white collar job and not even a full high school education. He looks down on most people- judges them based on their wealth, reading preferences and pretty much everything about them! Like a typical psychopath, he does not like anyone! So, it is quite interesting to see how once he fixates on 'Beck', he finds many things about her that he dislikes and thinks of himself as someone who can 'fix' her! 
  • Beck is an interesting character as well. We get to see her and interpret her actions through Joe's biased and, often, deranged lens, but even then, since actions speak louder than words, we get an interesting enough perspective on her. She is not your typical 'victim' or even a 'romance/ love story' heroine. She has her share of flaws and she is indecisive about her life, career and, even, Joe, but no one deserves the attentions of a stalker! Not even flirty, flawed girls! 
  • The kinds of things Joe does to get Beck to like him and, later, to keep her interested in him are quite, morbidly, interesting as well. 

Things I Didn't Like: 
  • There are some murders that Joe manages to commit with great ease and he also gets away with them! Those murders don't look like suicides or death due to natural causes, but he still manages to get away with it! I hate crime writers who don't do basic research on police and forensic procedures! And that's a huge let down in this otherwise engaging book. 
  • The book meanders a lot! Joe and Beck hook up at, I think, the 40-45% mark, but after that the story pointlessly meanders through Beck ghosting Joe and Joe dating a nursing student and just endless amounts of blah that is just not required in a story like this! This book could've been 100 pages shorter for greater impact! 
  • The ending of the book is predictable but a few things are a bit out of the left field, so to speak. We, finally, get to see Beck from her own perspective and, somehow, she is much worse than even Joe made her out to be! How convenient! The reader, almost, feels no remorse for poor Beck, who, for almost all of the book, is at the receiving end of tremendous manipulation! 
Rating: 3/5 
The book is not bad, but if you're interested in a story such as this, watch the TV series! Much grittier! 

Saturday 15 September 2018

General Whimsy: Saturday! What I Am Reading Today.


Saturday Reading/// The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. 
A girl who can taste the feelings of the person who has cooked it.
Strange. 
Odd. 
Interesting. 
I am only some 80 pages in and the plan for today is to focus and read a chunk of this book. 


Saturday Mood/// Sleepy forever! 
TBH, I've been awake since 4:45 AM and doing a ton of chores. 
Dusting and sorting my make-up table. 
Cleaned out my fridge. 
And some other small little tasks. 
I was wide awake and very motivated. 
So I am certain a nap looms large in my future. 


These darlinggggggg little cloud and raindrops are new additions to my bed and from Pinklay a shop I found through Instagram. This was in the kiddie section but of course I am an over grown child so I couldn't resist getting them. They are so adorable! 
:) 


Kinda cloudy skies but I don't think it's going to rain. I am so miffed with this year's monsoon! It hasn't rained here properly since July! 


A sneak peek into my newest book haul. This book is seriously so pretty! I am so tempted to read it now! 

I hope your Saturday is going wonderfully well. 
If you are wondering what to watch this weekend, I have some recommendations for you. These are some things I've watched in recent times and I recommend wholeheartedly..

To All The Boys I've Loved Before- a charming rom-com based on a book series I really enjoyed earlier this year. 

Sierra Burgess is a Loser- not Earth shatteringly great or anything but still good fun. 

Lavender- a horror film about the photographer who remembers very little about her childhood. Creepy and with a good twist. 

Manhunt: Unabomber- I am only 2 episodes in but I am enjoying it quite a bit. 

Yeh Meri Family- so full of nostalgia, if you grew up in India in the 90s you have to see this. It will bring back so many memories. 

All of these can be found on Netflix. 

Have a great weekend folks. 

:) 

Thursday 13 September 2018

Vignettes/// Ganesh Chaturthi 2018.


वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटि समप्रभ।
निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा॥

Lord Ganesha is back visiting us for 10 days. 
:) 
Happy Ganesh Chaturthi everyone. 
May the remover of obstacles bless us and remove all the hardships from our life. 
Ganpu is the most darling of Gods. 
I mean look at this cuddly modak loving little face. 
:) 




We celebrated at home today with a simple Puja. 
Flowers. 
Incense. 
&
Prayer. 







Not to choose favourites but this my favourite murti of Ganpu. I love how round it is. 
:) 





May the next 10 days bring nothing but joy and light into your lives. 

Ganapati Bappa Morya!



Tuesday 11 September 2018

Book Haul: Books from BookChor + My Thoughts on Buying Old Books.

Hello! 
Hope your day is going well. 
:)
Today I want to share some books I recently got from Book Chor and share my muddled thoughts about being a germaphobe. 
So here goes..

 I have major OCD when it comes to "fresh" pieces of all things- bags, books, clothes. I have often not bought something I really liked because the store did not have an unopened/ "fresh" piece of that bag/ book/ garment etc. What!? It makes proper sense, especially when it comes to shoes, don't ever, EVER buy shoes that have been on display because so many people have worn them and worn them in. So a part of my OCD about is rooted in being sensible but most of it is in my head. I am very, very vary of second hand anything. I keep my distance from all things old.

Recently, I read this quote by Virginia Woolf that sorta, kinda broke my heart.

It goes a little something like this-

“Second hand books are wild books, homeless books; they have come together in vast flocks of variegated feather, and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack.”

I kept thinking of this quote and all the homeless books out in the world.
I have bought old books before, from Blossom Book Store in Bangalore and from little bookshops on MG Road. My OCD was a little milder then but over the last few years things got a bit much and I want to change it.
I won't lie, I will always prefer brand new books over older books. But I do see a lot of merit in buying second hand.
My OCD will not control me. My germaphobic tendencies will not stop me.

So, buying pre-owned books is a HUGE, HUGE step for me!








Parade's End is a series of three novels, which start at the beginning of World War I and spans the life of Christopher Tietjens- an honourable aristocrat- for the next ten years. We saw the TV series, er, mostly because Benedict Cumberbatch was in it! And so, now, we are excited to read the book series! 






I could do with reading some milder, happier love stories. And this collection has some amazing writers, some of whom I've read before and a ton of people I have never read before.









The Radleys is a very interesting vampire book- as you can, probably, guess from the plot summary up there!  








The Carrier just sounds super interesting! Sophie Hannah writes the new Poirot series and so, we are excited to read this book!








The Legacy sounds like a great mix of historical fiction and family secrets! Just the kind of mystery my sister likes to sink her teeth into! She'll be reading this one first! 







The House I Loved also sounds interesting. Mostly, because, I don't think we've read any fiction based on life in France in the late 19th century! And this book, which seems to address social change in the country, sounds quite interesting!







The Unseen sounds like a historical + horror combo, which is just all kinds of perfection! Can't wait to read this one! 






The Cold Season sounds wonderfully mysterious! A new village, villagers, who are behaving mysteriously! And "winter is coming"! Excited to read this one as well! 





Here is the full stack of my book haul from BookChor


BOOKS BOUGHT/// 

The Wilding by Marin McGann
A Cold Season by Alison Littlewood 
The Unseen by Katherine Webb
The House I Loved by Tatiana De Rosnay
The Legacy by Katherine Webb
Parade's End by Ford Maddox Ford 
The Carrier by Sophie Hannah 
The Radleys by Matt Haig 
The Book Lovers Appreciation Society 
Fruit of Lemon by Andrea Levy 


My future has a lot of good reading.
Happy Reading Folks :)