My Year in Books 2020 + My Top 20 Books of 2020.

Hello Loves! 

Here we are at the very end of 2020 and I think most of us are happy to see the end of this year. It's  been one hell of a ride hasn't it?

Yet, here we are. 

We survived what this year threw at us.

If a year ago someone told me that come March the whole world would be forced indoors and sanitisers would be our new best friend and I'd buy so many masks, I'd ask you what you had been smoking?! 

Yet we were thrown a curve ball and we survived. 

It sucked. 

We complained. 

Worried. 

Cried. 

Found comfort in food and books and sleep and TV shows. 

MY YEAR IN BOOKS 

When it came to books I had a mixed bag of a year. 

I honestly thought I'd read so much more, since we were going to be home but the stress and anxiety about this pandemic made reading harder on some days and overall I think read quite less this year. 

But honestly I am not going to be hard on myself for my not-so-stellar reading. 

 It was good for most parts. 

I read a ton of older books from my shelves.

Read a ton of ebooks and was so grateful for my Kindle. 

I read a lot of thriller. 

Read some incredible works of literary fiction. 

Read a little bit of non-fiction. 

Re-read quite a bit, more than usual for sure. 

Read a lot of new releases. 

So net-net it was not so bad. 

165 Books Read. 

Around 40 books or so bought. 

I also bought a ton of used books, which is quite new for me. 

Sadly, this was a year of zero bookshop visits. 

Zero.

Not one! 

 I also managed to blog quite a bit which makes me very happy. 

I also successfully blogged everyday for Blogmas. 

I could have done so much better but honestly given the year we've had I am going to cut myself some slack. 

TOP 20 BOOKS OF 2020. 

I've already shared a lot of my favourite reads for 2020, broken up in little genres and categories, so I won't be going into a ton of detail on each book here, this is just a list of 20 books I loved best. But as is tradition, here are my Top 20 Reads of 2020. 

In no particular order..

1. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

2. Remnants of a Separation by Aanchal Malhotra 

3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett 

4. Educated by Tara Westover 

5. Good Talk by Mira Jacobs

6. The House with a Thousand Stories by Aruni Kashyap 

7. Treasure by Oyinkan Braithwaite 

8. Zikora by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

9. A Burning by Megha Majumdar 

10. The White Tiger by Arvind Adiga 

11. Bombay Balchao by Jane Borges 

12. The Green of Bengal by Gautam Benegal 

13. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

14. The Gopi Diaries by Sudha Murty 

15. How To Raise an Elephant by Alexander McCall Smith 

16. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager 

17. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James 

18. Suralakshmi Villa by Aruna Chakravarti 

19. The Greatest Works of Tagore 

20. The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghost (a re-read but it's to brilliant to not make it to this list). 

I am so grateful for all the books I've had the good fortune to read this year.

The good.

The not-so-good.

The bad. 

These stories and these worlds gave me so much comfort and gave me place to escape into when my own world wasn't as rosy. 

:) 

So thank-you Books. 

You are the best! 

💜💜💜💜💜💜

Also, I wrote 3 stories and released them in the world and I am so grateful for all the love and support I got from all of you. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

I cannot wait to write more next year. 

PS: All of my books are currently available on Kindle Unlimited to read for free, if you are signed up for Kindle Unlimited. 

:) 

 You can find my books HERE. 

I hope wherever you are you are having a good New Year's Eve. 

I hope you are safe and sound and happy.

Thank you for being a part of my 2020, you made it infinitely happier. 

See ya next year loves! 

Byeeeeee 2020. 

You weren't perfect, by a long stretch but you were here and now you are on your way out, you taught alll of us so much and for that I am grateful. 

See you in 2021. 

2020 Favourites: My Favourite Bookmarks of 2020!

 Hello Loves! 

I have a huge thing for beautiful bookmarks. I may be slightly obsessed and this year I allowed myself to buy a ton of absolutely gorgeous bookmarks from a ton of artists and illustrators and they've made me so happy. 

So freaking happy. 

So I figured I would share my most loved bookmarks of the year. 

So here goes, in no particular order! 

1. Books and Teacups Shop: The first-is bookmarks I acquired this year were from Books and Teacups Shop that has some of the most darling illustrations ever! Ever!!! Everything in her shop is warm and cozy and lovely and I can't wait to go back and get more from this beautiful shop! 

2. Sparrow Official: This indie brand mostly does clothing but they upcycle their leftover fabric to make these adorable embroidered bookmarks. I got 4 bookmarks from them and I love how pretty they are. You can find their bookmarks here. 

4. The Spring Palette: I fell in love with The Spring Palette's aesthetic and art and had to get myself some of her beautiful bookmarks. Mostly floral and so vivid and stunning. I am hoping to get some of my her mugs soon. So pretty! 

Also from The Spring Palette

5. Artoverted: Aren't these just lovely?! I spotted Artoverted on IG and it was love at first sight. Tanushree's work is sublime and has such an old world charm to it. I can't wait to add more from her in 2021. I seriously love everything she makes. 

6.  KartikeyShruti: Floral goodness. My sister surprised me these beautiful bookmarks as a Pujo gift and nothing could make me happier. Just look how absolutely stunning these works of art are?! You can find her on IG here. I cannot recommend her work enough. So gorgeous. I have since even got a set of prints from her. 

7. Rimjhim Artopia: Earlier in the year, right before the pandemic started, I treated myself to these beautiful works of art from Rimjhim Artopia. Floral and so neat and precise and just perfect for my flower loving heart! 

8. Debdyuti Creates: Debdyuti is an artist, who creates beautiful art work and sells them as prints, bookmarks and, sometimes, even as jewellery. Last month, I ordered some bookmarks from her Instagram and this is one of them! A girl reading in a beautiful book-filled corner with a steaming cup of coffee to keep her company. 

9. Tazz Bookmarks: This beautiful bougainvillea bookmark is from Tazz Bookmarks and they make many beautiful pressed flower bookmarks such as these! You can customise the quotes/ words on the bookmarks and truly create something unique for yourself. Do check them out! 

10. Diary of a Flower Girl: I have been a long-time admirer of Aarti's art and, finally, I bought myself a few of her prints as a little Christmas treat! This little bookmark was kindly sent by her along with my order. Isn't this girl just so lovely? I can't wait to buy more of her art, which you can buy via her Instagram page. 

Top 10 Thriller Books of 2020

 Hello, hello!

Today I will be sharing my favourite crime/ mystery/ thriller books of 2020! 

This year we (sister and I) read a lot of Thrillers and a fair amount of Horror too. I guess this year was a horror it felt nice and oddly comforting to visit and for a brief period of time be immersed in the world of someone else's horror and worry. It makes for a perfect escape. My sister, especially, read a lot of thrillers and read them in quick succession. So this list is mostly her top reads of 2020. 

This a collection of books that range from the classic murder mystery to a few nice little experiments and departures from the classic formats of the genre. All of these will, however, keep you engaged, engrossed and guessing!

Let's get into it, then! 

1. Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling): Full review can be found here. This was the first cold case for Cormoran Strike and Robin and, boy, was it a complicated one! 40 years ago, a young GP leaves her practice for home on a rainy London evening. She vanishes without a trace. The police investigation leads nowhere and the family is left without any answers. At 888 pages, this book is a chunky one, but it is gripping and very engaging. Robin and Cormoran, literally, leave no stone unturned to find out what became of Margot and the whole investigation was nicely done as well. 

2. Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz: This is the third book in the Susan Ryeland series by Anthony Horowitz and like most of the books in this series there is a book within a book! I don't know about you but I love the book-within-a-book format! Both the cases in the book- the one solved by Atticus Pund (the fictional detective) and the case set in the real world are both interesting, full of twists and very gripping. We reviewed it here. 

3. The Killings at Kingfisher Hill by Agatha Christie, Sophie Hannah: This is the fourth book in the Poirot series by Sophie Hannah written for Agatha Christie's estate. The other books in this series have been a little disappointing, but this one was slightly better! A series of mysterious events plague Poirot as he travels by bus to a housing estate to meet with a new client. The journey to solve a murder ends with another murder and Poirot ends up solving a very complex murder case. The motive for the two murders in this book is a bit different from the very obvious ones and some may be let down by it, but I didn't hate it at all. The full review can be found here. 

4. One by One by Ruth Ware: An office retreat to a Swiss chalet ends in tragedy when, during an avalanche, one by one, the team members start getting murdered. There is a killer in the chalet and he or she is out to kill everyone for some unknown reason. A good slasher style book and even though the killer was very obvious, the motive is interesting. Full review can be found here. 

5. The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda: Leah leaves Boston under a cloud, her career as a journalist over. She moves with an old friend, one she hasn't kept in touch with for a few years, to a little town in rural Pennsylvania. One day her friend- Emmy- vanishes and Leah realises that everything she thought she knew about her friend was a lie. The Perfect Stranger is a quick and pacy thriller with an interesting premise and full of secrets and secret identities. A quick read if you feel like you are stuck or going through a reading funk! Full review here. 

6. The Patient by Jasper Dewitt: A psych ward and a patient that belies any kind of diagnosis and is one that terrorises the doctors and patients alike. Dark, creepy and wholly immersive. Full review can be found here. 

7. The Murder Game by Rachel Abbott: Four childhood best friends and their significant others gather at a beautiful island off the Welsh coast for a wedding. Before the ceremony, the groom's sister is found murdered. One year later, the friends and plus ones return, but this time it is to expose one of them as the killer. A pacy and not-very-easy to guess murder mystery. Full review here.

8. The Guest List by Lucy Foley: Another book set on an island during a wedding and a storm! A very gripping and atmospheric book, which keeps you hooked right up until the end. A detailed review can be read here. 

9. Rules for Perfect Murder by Peter Swanson: This book just made me giddily happy. A book about books, more specifically a book about a bookshop that sells thriller books! I mean, come on, what's not to love? Plus, I do enjoy most of Peter Swanson's books and this one full of references and hat tips to classic thriller fiction was an absolute delight to read. 

10. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager: This book is a homage of sorts to the infamous Amityville case and is about a young woman trying to make sense of a story that has been a part of her life for far too long and she would like some answers and some closure. I did a full review for it too, you can find it here. 

Top 5: Favourite Non-fiction Reads of 2020.

Hello Loves! 

Today I want to talk about my favourite non-fiction reads of 2020. 

If you know me or have followed me for any amount of time, you'd probably have noticed that I am not a big non-fiction reader. 

I would much rather read a work of fiction. 

But ever now and then I read a bit of non-fiction and find myself very, very taken by it. 

Here are my favourite Non-Fiction Reads for 2020.

1. Remnants of a Separation by Aanchal Malhotra: This book should be an essential read for people in our subcontinent. Seriously, everyone should read this book. It's brilliant and fantastic and I loved it so much. It is definitely something I'll re-read over and and over again and one that I will always recommend.   A full review can be found HERE. 

2. Good Talk by Mira Jacob: A graphic memoir of what it means to be brown or black in today's America. It's a book about race, racism- both overt and micro-aggressions and identity. A mother's conversations with her son about these sensitive and troubling topics was a revelation and brilliant. I did a full review for this one too, can you can find it here. 

3. Educated by Tara Westover: I am very, very late to this party but I am glad I finally found my way to this book. For years now (ever since this book came out) I have heard only incredible things about it. A journey of a young girl from a very...different family, one that lives by it's own skewed principles and doesn't value a formal education and is often cruel and abusive and how she charts her own course and finds herself soaring in the most respected educational institutions in the world. It's both inspiring, surprising and frightening. I reviewed it here. 

4. Behold, I Shine by Freny Manecksha: I went into this book thinking it's fiction but I was happily surprised to find it's a non-fiction collection of stories about the women and children in Kashmir and how the problems in the valley have affected them and how their lives have been altered by living and surviving in a place torn apart by violence. I really liked this book so much and I think it's important to talk about and hear about the lives of these women. Highly recommend! 

5. Parveen Babi by Karishma Upadhyay: Finally, on my list is a Bollywood star's biography, however even if you are not a Bollywood buff or know anything about retro Bollywood or Parveen Babi, this is still an incredible book about mental illness and how truly debilitating it is. It was enlightening and heart-breaking and so well and sensitively done. I did a full glowing review for it here. 

Blogmas Day- 25 A Christmas Gift- Art from Diary of a Flower Girl.

 Hello Loves! 

Hope you've had a Merry Christmas and I hope it involved good food, family, love and laughs and cake..definitely cake. 

Mine was a good and slow and happy one. 

For my last Blogmas Post I want to share one of my favourite Christmas gifts of this year. 

I first chanced upon Aarti's shop: Dairy of a Flower Girl,  sometime this year and I kid you not it was love at first sight. Her art just makes me happy and makes me smile. Its so darling and sweet and full of such joy, I knew I had to get some of it in my life. And come Christmas I did just that. I ordered a set of six prints from her shop and she sent across 4 Christmas prints and a little bookmark. 

 I am so in love and I know I will go back to her for more! 

First we have the special Christmas freebie prints that are so darling. 

These bunnies just make my heart happy. 

Hello Santa! 

My heart is merry as can be. 

This bookmark is so perfect. 

This little girl might just be my favourite, she reminds of my sister when she was kid. 

Sisters! 

This one is also one of my faves. 

I am so in love with everything and so glad I have some of Aarti's incredible art in my life. 

I can't wait to go home and put up some of these up on bedroom walls! 

You have to check out the shop and treat yourself to something beautiful. 

:) 

Blogmas Day- 24 A Day in my Life.

 Hello Loves! 

Happy Christmas Eve folks! 

Today's blooms post is just a little glimpse into what life has looked like today in my corner of the world. 

Our pumpkin plant has sprouted flowers and looks mighty cute.

Some gifts under our Christmas tree. 

I am so proud that this year, for the first time since 2014 I managed to keep my gifts unopened till Christmas! 

Our tree went up this evening, super duper late but its up and its tiny and its cute. 

Today is also my Dad's birthday. This year for various reasons, he didn't want to celebrate his birthday in a big way. 

One of my Dad's closest friends passed away two days ago and he wanted a quiet birthday. 

So we just had cake and ate some good food and watched a web-series. 

This Motichoor cake was a thing of joy. 

Another look at our yellow beauties. 

Today was a quiet but good day. 

I've been crazy busy finishing up a new story and editing it and doing all sorts of last minute admin shizz, will hopefully be able to release the book tomorrow and I am so excited for you to read it! 

Ok back to work I go again! 

Blogmas Day- 23 Floral Favourites: Notebooks + Books + Brooches + Journal Pages.

Hello Loves! 

Today I want to share some of my favourite floral things from 2020, an odd sort of list to make and an odd sort of thing to document, but I do end with getting a lot of floral beauties over the year and I wanted to share some of floral loves.

 

A floral explosion!

Notebooks and Dairies from The Inkbucket.

So perfect! 

Perfect flower bookmark from Rimjhim Artopia on Instagram. 

Books with floral loveliness. 

This is The Gopi Diaries by Sudha Murty. 

Floral brooches from Vastriyan. 

Journal Pages from my Birthday Month. 

Floral and Whimsy. 

Blogmas Day- 22: Book Review: Kate and Clara's Cornish Craft Shop by Ali McNamara

 

Book: Kate and Clara's Curious Cornish Craft Shop

Author: Ali McNamara 

Pages: 285 

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: 3 hours 

Plot Summary: Kate thinks all her wishes have come true when she opens her own little craft shop in the idyllic harbour town of St Felix.

But she soon finds a mystery lingers in her new shop - a sixty-year-old love story told through beautiful paintings and intricate embroideries. 

Jack, the owner of the nearby art shop, volunteers to help Kate unravel the mystery, but in doing so they realise their own lives share some uncanny similarities with Clara and Arty, their 1950s counterparts . . .

Can Kate and Jack put right a decades-old wrong, and maybe find their own happy ending on the way?

Things I Liked: 

1. What attracted me to this book was its cute and cozy premise. A tiny craft store in a small Cornish costal town. Hints of a romance. Hints of some mystery from the 1950s. It seemed like just the perfect kind of book to read this time of the year! 

2. The story of this book moves between present day to the events that took place in the late 1950s. It moves between a love story in present day and a budding love story in the late 1950s. It also has hints of magical realism or just plain old magic. There is also a little mystery about a painting and the artist who painted it. So, basically, it has lots going on and each sub-plot, as it were, is quite engaging. 

3. The book is a very cosy read. It is full of sweet characters, beautiful descriptions of a little costal Cornish town and also of cute stationery stores! What is not to love? However, this book is not all shallow and cutesy (nothing wrong with being those things) but also has a character grappling with his disability. There is also an attempt to correct an injustice. Lots of nice, kind things happening, which is always a good thing! 

4. In a year where all we have had is one bad news after another on TV (and perhaps even in real life), it is nice to read a book where good things happen to good people and life showers a little bit of magic on those who need it! Always a nice thing to read this time of the year. 

Rating: 4/5 

Blogmas Day- 21: Book Review: Best Served Cold by Bhaskar Chattopadhyay

 

Book: Best Served Cold (#4 in the Janardan Maity Series)

Author: Bhaskar Chattopadhyay 

Pages: 217 

Read on: Kindle (via Kindle Unlimited)

Read in: ~3 hours 

Plot Summary: Twenty years ago, four boys were wronged by a vicious man in an idyllic tea estate. Now, they have returned to avenge the crimes committed against them. 

His simplest case might just be the most challenging puzzle that detective Janardan Maity has ever faced.

General Thoughts: We have read and enjoyed most of the previous Janardan Maity books. Bhaskar Chattopadhyay writes a good crime thriller and his 'detective' is more interested in uncovering the truth than anything else; much like Byomkesh Bakshi. We highly recommend the previous three books in the Janardan Maity-Prakash Ray series. Reviews can be found by following the links to Penumbra, Here Falls the Shadow and The Disappearance of Sally Sequeira. So, when I noticed that a new Maity-Ray book was out and was available for free on Kindle Unlimited, I did not waste a single second in getting it! 

Things I Liked: 

1. The premise of the book, much like all of the author's previous books in the series, was very interesting. I love the idea of 'old sins cast long shadows' and the mere thought of four friends ganging up to extract vengeance upon an evil man was very thrilling! Plus, this seemed more like a case where Maity would have to talk these young men down and maybe do his best to avoid a murder. Also, if a murder did happen, then there was a huge moral dilemma facing the detective- would he try to save the killer? If the murdered man was a vile piece of garbage, who, perhaps, deserved death, would Janardan Maity let the killer get away with it? So, with revenge + the promise of a moral dilemma thrown in, this book had me at hello, so to speak. 

2. Loved the tea garden setting of this book. This book is set in a fictitious tea garden in our neck of the woods here in West Bengal. So, reading a murder mystery unfold in familiar surroundings was very interesting and relatable. The world of a tea garden, much like any other large plantation-based business, is a rule of law unto itself. There is a lot of exploitation that happens and there is not much that happens in the way of justice. So, these four young boys', who were wronged by the tea garden own, feelings of frustration and anger was also very relatable. Plus, like all his books, even this one was very atmospheric. The tea gardens, bungalows, the large, looming forest and the general rustic nature of Dooars was brought to life very evocatively. 

3. The mystery itself was decent. There were four potential killers. Each had a strong motive. One's dad was killed and his death was passed off as a suicide because he stood up to the powerful tea estate owner. Another's sister was gang raped by the man and his cronies in front of him. Another's mother was accused of stealing and, humiliated, she burnt herself. Another young boy was sexually abused by the same man. So, powerful motives all around. Plus, these boys had a made a pact to return to the tea estate 20 years later and kill the man. Even though the case was rather simple, there were some surprises and twists and turns, which made the book interesting. 

4. We don't really get much time with the four primary wannabe killers in this book at all. In fact, once Maity takes the case, the whole matter is wrapped up in a little over 3 days. So, there was not much scope for character development, but even within that narrow time frame, we did learn a lot about all four boys- their pasts, the pain and what became of them once they left the tea estate. I wish there was more time for character development like we saw in Here Falls the Shadow but both these are fairly different stories with different timelines. 

5. The final reveal was nicely done. Some of it you would see coming, some of it you won't. There is a nice little twist in the end, which I liked. Not going to reveal anything more here for the fear of spoiling the book! 

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. One of the little mysteries in the book was VERY predictable! I guessed it much before it was revealed that one of the friends had ditched the group and had not shown up to murder the tea garden owner. I wish it was not that obvious, but the two other twists made up for it. 

Rating: 4/5 

Blogmas Day- 20 Favourite Indian Books of 2020 (Fiction).

Hello Loves! 

Today I am here to list some of my favourite Indian Fiction Reads of 2020.

I read a lot of Indian books, they are certainly my favourite kinds of books to read, there is so much talent in our country and so many incredible writers. So picking just a few faves is a little bit of a struggle. 

Oh, not all of these books were released in 2020, some are older gems that I Read this year. 

Cool. 

Chalo let's jump in. 

 

1. The Greatest Works of Rabindranath Tagore: This was my first read of 2020 and it was a good way to kickstart my reading year. Tagore is a Bengali home staple. I have always been surrounded by his work, whether songs or poetry or his stories. I haven't read a lot of his work. But over the last few years I've tried to fix that. I loved this collection of stories, I picked it up at my local book fair and read it in the first week of January. I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend it. 

2. The House of a Thousand Stories by Aruni Kashyap: A novel about coming of age,  family, struggle, insurgency and life in a village in Assam during the early 2000s and how a young boy who grew up in a sheltered and protected bubble in Guwahati sees the reality of life in the face of a tragedy. I loved this book, it took to me a place and world I don't know enough about. So good! This book also made me want to read more stories from Assam and I am happy to report I've read some 4 other books set in Assam this year. 

3. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara: This for some odd reason was my birthday read this year. This book came with a lottttt of hype and a whole bunch of positive reviews. So going in, I was a little apprehensive but boy this book blew me away! It was heartbreaking, difficult to stomach in parts but necessary and wonderful and well-written. So good, so bloody good! Full Review is Here. 

4. Suralakshmi Villa by Aruna Chakravarti: This book combines a few of my favourite things: family- a Bengali family at that, secrets, a slight air of mystery, love and kinship and ties and bonds that defy logic. A warm, sometimes sad but wholly immersive read.  Full Review is Here. 

5. The Shape of Family by Shilpi Somaya Gowda: A book about a family in the face of a loss, seeing each member recover/fall apart/deal with this loss and where it leads them is so fascinating. Also- Cults. If you've wondered what kind of people fall prey to charismatic cult leaders...look no further. I really enjoyed this book and the surprising turns it took and the places these characters ended up. 

6. A Burning by Megha Majumdar: This book felt like someone read all the horrible News stories in 2020 and put them in a book in a way that will get under your skin and stay there. Relevant AF, doesn't quite feel like fiction and scary...scary in the way that something reflects our sad reality is. Please read it. It's terrifying but so good. 

7. The Green of Bengal by Gautam Benegal: I loved this collection of short stories. LOVED IT. Comforting, wonderful and so familiar. It made me so homesick for home...Bengal. Full of characters warm and flawed and life in a middle class Bengali homes. What's not to love?! 

8. Wonder-World and Other Stories by Sunil Gangopadhyay: A collection of short stories is next on my list by one of my favourite Bengali writers- Sunil Gangapadhyay. Written in his trademark style and about a wide mix of topics- villagers, city folks and even characters from mythology. 

9. The Radiance of a Thousand Suns by Manpreet Sodhi Someshwar: This sweeping novel just took my breath away. It managed to keep me hooked, broke my heart, introduced me to some incredible women and felt like a hug. Set in India, New York and set across tragic events- the partition, the 1984 riots and 9/11...I know it feels like a lot but I promise it's done just right. 

10. Bombay Balchao by Jane Borges: This wonderful book was perfect in every which way...even how it looked! Interconnected short stories set in a Bombay that is rapidly vanishing. A book about my favourite city in the whole wide world and full of some amazing people. Full Review is Here.

11. The Alchemy of Secrets by Priya Balasubramanian: Another story set firmly in today's India and what communal violence and this those 'us-them' othering does to even the closest relationships and bonds. Set in Bangalore in the aftermath of the 1992 riots and then in the early 2000s, this novel takes you inside the fear and paranoia that comes with communal tensions. Sad, relatable and well-written, this was such a joy to read. 

12. Undertow by Jahnavi Barua: A story about family, estrangement, loss and reconnection. It was beautiful and moving and so relevant in our current climate. I loved it, even though it made me sad...very sad but it was well worth it. 

Now for some honourable mentions: 

Those Delicious Letters by Sandeep Mukherjee Datta: Warm, cozy, fun and full of Bengali food and a kind grandmother-esque character and letters! This book was a delight! 

White Tiger by Aravind Adiga: This book took me by surprise, I went in expecting...not a whole lot, which is possibly kinda stupid since this won the freaking Man Booker Prize in 2008. But I loved it..so much. Full Review is Here. 

Blogmas Day- 19 Little Joys of Life Lately ~ Flowers, Stickers and Planner.

 Hello Loves! 

How is your weekend going? 

Mine is off to a slow and soothing start, one that included a lot of sleep, some fruit cake and coffee and luchi and aloor torkari made by Maa. 

I am trying to slow down, read a little and write my little butt off in these day few days of the year. 

Here are some things that have brought me joy in the last few days...

Flowers that are blooming around my home. 

Happy yellow blooms that have come to life in the front of my house. 

And these dark genda phools that have shown up on the roof. 

The promise and excitement of a new planner. 

I am so excited for 2021 and using my new planner. 

Cake for no reason. 

Well, to celebrate a Sunday. 

This was a Dutch Trfuffle and it was delicious. 

My planning and journaling supplies, siting pretty. 

A book sleeve from Fitoor Company that holds all my stickers and washi tape and Kitta stickers.