My Year in Books (+Life) & Top 22 Books of 2022.

 

For the last time in 2022... Hello Loves! 

And just like that, 2022 is over. 

This was a good year. Overall, for most part this has been a decent year for me. 

I spent six months with my parents in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. 

And then after 20 months away from home, I came back home, to Mumbai. To my books and my flat and set about finding my way back to my old life, 

Before we get to books, let's just talk life shall we? 

2022 was different. 

Better, so much better than 2021. 

I lived in two places. 

I spent time with my parents. 

Came back home. 

Mostly stayed home, I haven't quite shaken off my pandemic mindset, I am hoping to step out and do more in life. 

I shopped for little and big things. 

Still mostly bought from small businesses. 

Got an iPad Mini. A new addition to my reading step-up. I do plan on doing more with it and not just using it to read. 

I cooked so much. Like a lot. 

Then in April, my left hand just decided to make life difficult. I started having crippling pain and that made life difficult. I've had bouts of Carpal Tunnel before (thank you phone and writerly life) and normally after a few painful weeks it goes away. This time it was something else altogether. I was eventually, I think in June, diagnosed with De Quervain's Tenosynovitis. And he's been a total bitch to live with. It's remarkable but unsurprising how a chronic pain situation can change your life. I still have mild pain and tenderness and for most part I've just learnt to live with the pain. It sucks. I can't lift anything heavy with my left hand and I can't grasp most things. I try to keep off my phone and am very mindful of how I do certain things. But even everyday things like cooking, cleaning and in the beginning even shampooing my hair was hellish. 

Ugh. Easily the worst thing that happened this year. 

:( 

In brighter happenings, I well we, my sister and I started a new IG page for all our planner and stationery nerding and that's been so fun! 

I didn't blog as much as I would have liked to. 198 posts in total, which is not bad but I am hoping to be a little more regular in 2023. 

I didn't write a word. Nothing. Not a single word. I can't believe this happened. I wrote so much in 2020 and a little in 2021 but in 2022 I completely dropped the ball on writing. I really want to focus on writing more in 2023. Really focus on it. 

I didn't travel, not even a little. But it's OK. 

I took one flight. 

I didn't do a lot, but in spite of it all, life was good and gentle and I was happy for most part. 

I spent some time alone, I got be quiet, I journaled, I listened to music..I was happy. 

And healthy...apart from my left hand. But overall I am grateful for this year and for everything it brought my way. 

:) 

xoxo 

~~~~ 

OK, now let's talk books shall we? 

Cool. 

BOOKISH THINGS: 

I read a lot. I read well. Most of the books I read were decent. Some good. Some great. Some outstanding. 

I read mostly fiction, which is who I am, so there's no surprise here. 

I read more Literary Fiction- which is something I did very intentionally. 

I read a fair amount of translations. 

I read fewer thrillers, which again was a conscious decisions. 

I read some poetry. 

And I read a lot of non-fiction, by my standards at least. 

For the first time ever, I kept a count of how many books I bought and I added 100 books to life. Most of them physical, some on my Kindle and some were kindly sent to me for review. 100. Wow! 

I read physical books- old and new. 

I read on my Kindle. 

And I read a few books on my iPad. 

I bought some beautiful book sleeves and book marks. 

I highlighted and underlined my books more. 

I read some classics, mostly modern classics. 

I made notes as I read. 

I re-read a few things. 

I read a lot of Indian Lit. 

In total I read 229 books (according to my Book Journal and 225 according to my IG). Weird.  

I am really proud of my reading life. 

I did good. 

Now, as is yearly tradition, here are my TOP 22 BOOKS OF 2022. 

22 books I loved best in 2022. 

In no real order, just books I loved very much and I recommend wholeheartedly. 

1. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy. ~~~ I started my year with this, my first read of 2022 and what a brilliant little book this is and it was just what I needed. Perfect in every which way. 

2. Tiny Sunbird Far Away by Christie Watson. ~~~ I quite randomly bought this book, a used copy at that. It sounded good and it was. I love chancing upon books that weren't on my radar and this was such a wonderful read. Based in Nigeria, it's about a family adapting to a new way of living. It was moving, funny and poignant and so good. 

3. I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys. ~~~ Young adult + Recent-ish History. Shows what life was really like behind the Iron Curtain and how living under a dictatorship can be stifling and it changes how a family functions and how loyalty can be thrown out the window. Incredible. 

4. Next Door by Jahnavi Barua. ~~~ Short stories set in Assam and elsewhere. Wonderful and heartfelt and so so food. I really enjoy Barua's writing and have loved everything I've read by her. These stories were no different. 

5. Boys Don't Cry by Meghna Pant.~~~ I meant to talk about this book but never quite around to it. So let's do it now. You have to read this book. From what I understand, this book is based on the author's own life and experience and surviving an abusive marriage. This book will get under your skin. This marriage, the relationship- one that starts out with love and romance, turns into a veritable nightmare. Marriage is hard but then you add a total sociopath and his evil family and it's a recipe for disaster. This was so good. 

6. Winter in Sokcho by Elise Shua Dusapin, Trans. by Aneesa Abbas Higgins. ~~~ This book is a whole vibe. Not very plot heavy, this short read is about two people meeting in the cold month and in desolate tourist town. It is quiet and still. The kind of book that's perfect for winter and great for when you want to read something good and moving. 

7. A Friend for Poochi by Meera Ganapathi. ~~~ A sweeeeet little book, perfect for kiddos and you. 

8. Beauty is Missing by Priya Kuriyan. ~~~ Gorgeous art and a lovely little book for littles and you. 

9. The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James. ~~~ A thriller/horror mix. A true crime blogger is hell bent on solving an old case from her town. A perfectly atmospheric read and genuinely creepy and spooky. This was such good fun. 

10. Heartstopper Vol. I to IV by Alice Oseman. ~~~ Just alll the feels with these books. So darling and reminded me so much of being young and falling in love for the first time. Just perfect. 

11. 3 Ray by Satyajit Ray. ~~~ Ray will always make it to my list of favourites. This year I read quite a lot by him and it was all very good. This book features not just Satyajit but his father Sukumar and grandfather Upendrakishore. An amazing book. 

12. In The Language of Remembering by Aanchal Malhotra. ~~~ This might just be the best thing I read this year. A piece of powerful writing and stories and people that we need to read about it. Just so good. This is something I'd recommend everyone read. 

13. Seeking Fortune Elsewhere by Sindya Bhanoo. ~~~ A collection of short stories I enjoyed immensely. Mostly about South Indian immigrants and their lives in America. Funny, sharp and moving and so real. 

14. The Beauty of All My Days by Ruskin Bond. ~~~ Of course a Bond makes it to my faves list. This is a memoir, not too detailed or in depth, but it had these beautiful pictures from his life and stories from his life and as always Bond is always a good time. 

15. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. ~~~ A short but wonderful book that I absolutely loved. Set in Ireland, during the years of the troubles and is a story of a little village and a horrible thing that's happening quite casually and a man who decides to be kind. A fantastic little book. My favourite from  the Booker Short List this year. 

16. Chronicles of Lost Daughters by Debarati Mukhopadhyay, Trans. by Arunava Sinha. ~~~ A historical novel about women that are lost in the pages of history. Women who suffered and survived. Wonderful and infuriating and such a good read. 

17. The Return of Faraz Ali by Aamina Ahmed. ~~~ A debut novel that I loved so much and didn't talk about enough. Set in Pakistan in the 1960s, this is about a  young man, a cop goes to investigate the murder of a young sex worker/courtesan in the red light area and is reminded of his own early childhood, spent in the same neighbourhood. Told from a couple of different perspectives, this is the story of identity and power and how some lives seem to matter more than others. 

18. The Books of Indian Ghosts by Riksunder Banerjee. ~~~ Of course I loved this mini encyclopedia of Indian Bhoots. This book was both fun and educational. If you love ghosts (you know what I mean) as much as I do. you have to pick this book up. 

19. Normal Family by Chrysta Bilton. ~~~ A memoir of a very, very not-so-normal family. If dysfunctional, yet loving family units are your thing you'll enjoy this book. I did, very much. 

20. A Bend in the Ganges by Manohar Malgonkar. ~~~ India in the 1930s and 40s will always be one of my favourite things to read about and learn about. This one took me by surprise. Loved it and can't recommend it enough. 

21. The Mendicant Prince by Aruna Chakravarti. ~~~ A fictionalized account of a true incident, one that is full of intrigue and even nearly a 100 years after all this went down, it still makes people wonder about the Bhawal Sanyasi, and his return from the grave. Loved this book and how it handled this narrative and the research that must have gone into it. 

22. No Way In by Udayan Mukherjee. ~~~ This book, that I read in December might be my favourite fiction read of the year. Set in Calcutta in 2014, this is fantastically done look at how the changing social climate in the country effects the daily life and equations of people. This was such a nuanced look at the ways in which things have changed in India in the last few years. So so so good. I will do a full review soon. 

~~~~~~

I hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve. 

Have a fun time and I hope you are warm and safe and happy. 

Thank-you for reading my posts and hanging out with me this year. 

I will see you next year. 

:) 

 

Best Things We've Watched in 2022! OTT Recommendations- Hindi, English, Korean

 Hello, hello!

We'd recently shared our Favourite Movies of 2022 and so, now this post right here is going to be the master list of all our favourite web series, documentaries and other OTT content that we loved in 2022! 

If you haven't watched any of these, then you simply should use this long weekend to do just that! 

Let's start with our favourite K-dramas/ Korean shows (and one film) of 2022! 

Heartfelt, heartwarming, heartbreaking. If you are in the mood for all of the feels, then these Korean shows and movie are an absolute must-watch! All are streaming on Netflix. 

A legal drama with a lot of heart, an extraordinary character and a story about three gritty sisters! Both so different but so amazing! 

Moving on to Indian web series.. we have a mix of Hindi, Bengali and Tamil recommendations.. 

These are all quite good and interesting! Enlarge the image to see where each is streaming. 

And now, a couple more Indian shows and some of our favourite International shows. 

Special shoutout to Ms Marvel & She Hulk- two Marvel shows that didn't get much love from the dude bros but are really good! 

And now some fiction and non-fiction favourites! 

Girl in the Picture is an absolute must-watch! As are Severance, Slow Horses and Derry Girls! Actually, all of them are pretty good! :) 

So, those were our favourites! 

There is a lot of variety in there and if you haven't watched any of these, you absolutely must! 

Have a great weekend, folks! 

Top 5 Translated Books of 2022

 I am so grateful that translated works of literature exist! If not we would not have access to so many great books written in a language that we don't speak or read! 

Here are my top 5 translated literary fiction books of 2022: 

The Korean Wave has brought us great music, TV and film content over the past couple of years. I love that now we also have access to some South Korean books that have been translated into English! 

Three of my top 5 translated works are South Korea-related.

Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin is originally written in French but is based in the South Korean beach resort town of Sokcho in the non-touristy and bleak winter season. A brilliant little novella that delves into themes of belonging, loneliness and love, Winter in Sokcho is truly bleak and beautiful. 

The Hundred Choices Department Store by Ginger Park tells the story of a small town in Korea, the department store and the family that owns it as well as what happens when Russia marches in to "liberate" Korea from the Japanese at the end of World War II right up until the formation of North Korea. Heartbreaking and beautiful, this is an absolutely wonderful book! 

Almond by Won-Pyung Sohn is a wonderful, brilliant book! Full review can be found here. 

Chronicles of the Lost Daughters by Debarati Mukhopadhyay follows the journey of a family, especially, of their daughters as they make a hellish journey to Guayana to work as indentured labour. Beautifully written and very moving, this is a slice of our history that is seldom talked about. A good one to read. 

Heaven by Mieko Kawakami is a powerful, triggering book about bullying in Japanese high schools. A difficult-to-read book but a very, very powerful one and one that deserves to be read. 

Reading Wrap-Up: December 2022.

  

Hello Loves! 

December ends in a few days but my reading for this month, well mainly for this year is all done and dusted. 

Ho gaya. 

I got to 225 books and it feels like the perfect number to stop at. So I have stopped and reading will now commence only in the New Year. 

So I figured I'd get my Reading Wrap-Up for December out of the way and not save it for the end of the month. 

So here we are. 

December was a good reading month. I read 12 books. I bought nearly the same amount of new books. I allowed myself to be a little indulgent and buy as many books as I wanted to..within reason of course. I also went to a bookshop and came back with five books, which was so wonderful after over two years of no book shop visits! 

I read enough. 

I read well. 

And I did a ton of bookish posts and overall this was a good month reading wise. 

OK, let's jump into all the books I read this month. 

BOOKS OF DECEMBER 2022: 

1. Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng: I went into this book with my expectations pretty well managed, let me explain, I've read the author's previous two works and I left them feeling with a lot of mixed emotions. I enjoyed the writing very much but something about the characters and their actions and especially the ones we were supposed to root for...didn't work for me. So much of her first two books didn't make sense to me. But this one..this one blew me out of the park. It was so good. Slightly speculative fiction-y and done so well. And so much of this world, that is our world but a little off felt so real and completely believable. I am glad I put aside my misgivings and gave this book a shot. 

4/5 

2. Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell: This month has been about giving authors I don't exactly love a second chance. Rainbow Rowell is a phenomenally success author and people adore her work. ADORE. She has literal stans. However I am not one of them. I have read two of her books- Eleanor and Park and Fangirl...and I didn't exactly love them and didn't understand the hype. So ever since I read those two books, back in 2015 or so I guess..I have kept my distance. She is not for me. But I saw this collection of short stories and in the beginning of the month I was in the mood for something lighter and fluffy. So I picked this up and I had such a good time with it. It was just what I needed. It hit me in the feels and made me smile. This is a decent collection if you have never read Rowell and want to read her. This is a good place to start. I enjoyed these stories and the art work. Good times. 

3/5 

3. Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: I read this book in a day or two and I did a review for it too. 

You can find it here. 

I have some additional thoughts that I had once I finished the book and after I wrote that review. 

This is a decent book. 

Yet....it's nowhere near the level of her earlier work. I know it's perhaps wrong to compare an author's work with her back list, but her earlier work had so much more soul and heart. Something about this books felt lacking. My sister read it and downright hated it. I just thought you should know this before you think about buying it. It's nice. Just not great. 

3/5 

4. Luck by Dhruba Hazarika: Then I picked up a slim collection of short stories, set in Assam and mostly dealing with men and nature and wild life and the nature of loving something wild and ephemeral. It was quite wonderful and I enjoyed it quite a bit. 

3.5/5 

5. Under the Tamarind Tree by Isha Sasay: Next I read some non-fiction and a book I have had for a while and I randomly started reading it. This book tells the tale of the young school girls abducted by Boko Haram and how they found their way back home and the things they endured and how their families fought for their release. Moving and harrowing and reading about the impossible situation these girls found themselves in was just so upsetting and the writer does a good job of making you feel like you are right there with them, every step of the way. 

3.5/5 

6. The Princes by Manohar Malgonkar: More historical fiction for me. This has been such a beloved genre for me this year. This book is mainly about a Prince of an erstwhile Princely State in pre-independence India, his growing up, his family life, the privilege and bubble. It was so interesting to see the world from this perspective. And seeing a slice of India in the 1930s and 40s from this particular lens. To see that not all people wished for freedom and to them this was justified and it also made sense. I enjoyed this book and this fairly unique perspective. 

4/5 

7. No Way In by Udayan Mukkherjee: The best thing I read this month and a long, long time. 

So good. 

I want to do a full review of this one. 

But for now I just want to say: Pick this up. 

It's set in Calcutta in 2014, in a country that was about to change and how these changes affect the people in this story. 

It's sooooo good. 

5/5 

8. Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian: This book has been on my Kindle since it came out, last year I think? I liked how it started. Small town America and an immigrant Indian family in 2006. Nice. Solid stuff. There is some magical realism...or plain old superstition..but then when it moves into 2019, I just lost any and all interest in this fairly melancholic tale of woe. 

Nah. 

Started strong and then tapered off into something I didn't quite like. 

2.5/5 

9. I'm The Girl by Courtney Summers: I read and loved Sadie by the same author, but this one was just odd and off. The main lead is an idiot and so incredibly unlikable. Set in a small resort town, it's about the abuse of young girls by those in power and how the rich and powerful get away with literal murder without any repercussions. Important things but just not done quite right, not great. 

2/5 

10. Meet Me in Mumbai by Sabina Khan: More diaspora reads for me. This book starts off in 2000 in a small-town in America, where our protagonist Ayesha is in her senior year of High School and very fresh off the boat. She misses her family back in Mumbai and meets a fellow Mumbaikar, Suresh and they fall in love, very quickly and very deeply. This love leads to an unplanned pregnancy. And then we see Ayesha deal wit this impossible situation the best she can. This makes the first half of the book. 

Then we move to 2018 and meet Mira, Ayesha and Suresh's daughter, who lives with her two moms and sister in the US and finds out about her birth mother and wishes to reconnect with her. 

I quite liked this book. The first half, with Ayesha in the lead was my favourite and one that I liked way more than Mira's bits. 

But nicely done and fairly realistic. 

3/5 

11. Sold to the Duke by Joanna Shupe: Then I read a short smutty novella...about a fair maiden sold off to a Duke. Then love and steaminess ensues. Fun and short and steamy. 

4/5 

12. Foster by Claire Keegan: My last read of the month and of 2022 was this wonderful short read by Claire Keegan whose work I love. I adored Small Things Like These (which if you haven't read you absolutely must, it's perfect for this time of the year and is a short read you can squeeze in before the year is up). 

This one is set over a summer when a child is sent off to live with distant relatives by overwhelmed and sorta uncaring parents. In her new home she finds love and is seen for the first time and given love and attention she so craves. This book is short but it just crawls into your heart. 

So good. 

4/5 

So there we have it. 

Everything I read in December. 

A good month of reading and a good way to end my year! 

I am so happy I managed to post a Reading Wrap-Up every single month this year. 

Go me! 

You can read all my 2022 Reading Wrap-Ups HERE. 

xoxo 

Favourite Movies of 2022

 Hello, hello!

Sharing our favourite movies (a mix of Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam and English) of 2022 with you. 

These are across genres like thrillers, drama, dramedies, horror-comedies, action and such. 

As we wind down the year and, hopefully, you have a little more time on your hands, these movies are good ones to watch! 

Without further ado, let's get into it! 

We will be back with our Top OTT series faves across fiction and non-fiction very soon! 

Enjoy! 

Favourite Non-Fiction Reads of 2022.

 I am a fiction girl, through and through. Always have been and it's safe to say I always will be. 

I do however try to read a little more non-fiction every year. Just to try something a little different and venture out of my comfort zone. 

This year I did very good on said resolution to read more non-fiction here and there, I read more non-fiction than I normally do and I have really enjoyed mixing it up. 

So here's my FAVOURITE NON-FICTION READS OF 2022: 

Here we go in no particular order: 

1. Sapiens, A Graphic History Vol. I by Yuval Noah Harari: I read this back in January and this is the book that everyone has read but I never got around to reading the..non-graphic version, so I figured I'd pick up the graphic novel version and I am glad I did and I loved this book and this style of story telling so much. Can't wait to read Vol. II at some point and if you haven't read this condensed lesson in human history and our beginnings, you absolutely must pick it up. 

2. Cat People Edited by Devapriya Roy: If you love Cats this is a delightful little book of essays and anecdotes you have to pick it up. The stories here are so full of love and life and the struggles of raising our canine loves and the sweet joys of being a cat human. Wonderful and fun. 

3. Cultish- The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell: A perfect look at how cults use words and language to pull in people and make them feel like they are a part of something larger than themselves and others the rest of the world. I found this book very enlightening and gave me so much to think about and mull over. So good. 

4. A Normal Family by Chrysta Bilton: I love memoirs. Adore them, I sometimes feel a little nosy  for liking memoirs as much as I like them, but there is something incredible about stepping into someone's life and seeing their world up close and personal. I especially love reading about home situations and family lives so dramatically different from mine. Different from what is considered normal. I did a full review for this book, you can READ IT HERE. 

5.  I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy: This book! Oh Man! It made me so grateful for my mother and the life outside the spotlight and fame that I had. So honest, unflinching and often difficult to read but if you've ever wondered how child stars live and the perils of fame at a young age and especially if toxic mother and daughter relationships are something you are curious about, this is the book for you. 

6. The Mothers of Manipur by Teresa Rahman: The twelve incredible women, the mothers who shocked the nation with their powerful protest against the rape and murder of a young Manipuri woman, here we meet these twelve ordinary women and learn about their lives and what made them take to streets and protest in the nude. I had this book on my shelves for a while now and I am glad I finally picked it up this year. An important book that more people need to read. 

7. Azadi- Freedom, Fascism and Fiction by Arundhati Roy: A collection of essays of Roy that I immensely enjoyed, I haven't read much of Roy's non-fiction, this collection has made me want to reach for her non-fiction. These essays dealt with everything from Kashmir to the rise of fanaticism and the cost of being honest and speaking your mind. Really good. 

8. Janani, Mothers, Daughters and Motherhood by Rinki Bhattacharya: I loved this book so much, women from all walks of life- writers, activists, actors and academics talk of motherhood and being daughters and mothers. Interesting and moving and even heartbreaking. A great pick if you are mother and for every daughter. 

9. The Book of Indian Ghosts by Riksunder Banerjee: I love all things ghosts and this was such a definite collection of all things Indian Ghosts and Ghouls. So nicely put together and includes so many different kinds of ghosts and spirits. A perfect read for people like me who love all things bhoot and I also loved that this was a mix of fiction and non-fiction. It covered ghosts from all over the country and if want to learn about Indian ghosts this is the book for you. 

10. In The Language of Remembering by Aanchal Malhotra: I saved the best for last. 

This right here is the BEST DAMN THING I'VE READ ALL YEAR. 

I won't say much, except..Please pick it up right now. 

You need to read it. It's so so so good. 

A full review can be found here. 

~~~ 

Merry Christmas!! {Blogmas Day-25}

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas! 

Some fun larger-than-life ornaments at Jio World Drive Mall. 

Festive coffee! It is a tradition of sorts to try all festive Starbucks flavours! This one is the Toffeenut Mocha Frappuccino. 

Our tiny little tree with a few presents at the bottom! 

Hope you have a wonderful holiday full of big and small joys and things to be grateful for! 

Christmas Book Haul! {Blogmas Day- 24.}

 Hello Loves! 

& 

Happy Christmas Eve to You. 

I hope you are feeling sufficiently Merry and Festive! 

:) 

Two days ago, I went to a bookshop, a proper physical bookshop after agesss, like years and of course I had to buy some books, what am I a monster? No. I bought some books and let's see what I got. 

I am calling this my Christmas Book Haul! 

The new Upamanyu Chatterjee, this is a literary thriller and when done right, I tend to love this genre. Plus, I have read him before and I had this book on my radar since it came out a few months ago. Love how trippy this cover is. This something both me and my sister want to read come January. 

I won't lie, this book was initially a cover pick, as in I found myself pulling this one out because look at these damn colours! So pretty! This chunky little beauty also has a mystery element and a queer love equation. 

Sounds interesting and I can't wait to read it soon. 

This is not exactly a book, it's a journal for anxiety. To quiet your anxiety. I am an anxious bish, so when I saw this I felt like it was calling out to me...I hope this helps on anxious days, I will let you know how I get along with this. 

This one was on my radar since it made it to the Booker Long List, I loved the sound of it. This is another literary thriller set against the backdrop of racial injustice. Sounds soo good. I am glad I finally picked it up and I cannot wait to read it. I know a lot of people who loved this one and I hope I love it too. 

My sister picked this one out, this is some historical fiction and about a horrible thing that happened in a boarding school. Sounds right up my sister's alley and I think I'll love it too. Also, what a stunning little book! 

BOOKS BOUGHT: 

1. The Trees by Percival Everett 

2. Create Your Own Calm by Mira Lee Patel 

3. Villainy by Upamanyu Chatterjee 

4. A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe 

5. Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth 

So much happy reading in my future! 

:) 

Things I Love & Am Grateful For. {Blogmas Day- 23.}

 Today we just talk about the things that make me happy and things I am immensely grateful for. 

Going out, especially with people I like. Dressing up. Bookshop hangs. 

And cute little backpacks. 

All good things. 

Home and it's many comforts, mostly my books and spots to curl up and read in. 

My planners and journals. 

A place to put my thoughts away. 

Festive vibes. 

And Christmassy mugs. 

Little joys often bring the biggest smiles. 

The others things I am super grateful for//// 

Kind People. 

Family.

A spot of gossip. 

Laughs. 

Art. 

Light. 

Non-anxious days. 

Fun dreams. 

Day dreaming. 

Music, especially older music, the kind I have million memories attached to. 

Alone time. 

New notebooks. 

Ink Pens. 

Cake. 

Sleeping well. 

~~~~

Out and About- A Day in my Life! {Blogmas Day - 22}

 After a very, very long time (don't ask, it is slightly shameful!), I went out into the world today! 

Went to a lovely bookstore that's been on my list for ages and did a spot of book buying and beauty shopping! Ate some yum food and just had a lovely day out people watching, meeting with friends and having a good laugh! 

Here are some pics :) 

A glimpse of my outfit and my cute mini backpack. The backpack is made of jute with leather trimmings and straps and  is from The LIFIC. 

I stuck on some of my favourite pins and badges. These are ones I've had for a while now. Some are from Ali Express, some from Etsy. 

We attended my sister's work Christmas party and so, both of us are in red because there was a dress code- only red, green, white and gold colours allowed. So, we did our best! 

Our kurtas are from Kameez and shoes from Vrajbhoomi. 

The highlight of our day was spending quality time in a lovely bookstore called 'The White Crow'. It has a very different selection of books compared to other bookstores in Bombay and I have picked up some really interesting books! Haul coming soon! 

Also, how cute is this chair!?! 

Ended the day with some frappuccinos and gratitude! :) 

Hope your week has been going well! 

Favourite Historical Fiction Books of 2022. {Blogmas Day- 21.}

 Hello Loves!

 2022 has been the year of Historical Fiction for me. My sister has always enjoyed reading from this genre, and in the past whenever I've shared one of these posts- you know, Top Historical Fiction Reads, it's usually always just been her picks. I almost never read from this genre and not because I have something against it, I don't, I am just not drawn to this particular type of book. But something changed in 2022, I just fell in love with all things historical fiction, especially Indian Historical Fiction. 

Here are our (my sister and mine) favourite HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS FOR 2022: 

1. The Mendicant Prince by Aruna Chakravarti: The life and death, and then mysterious return of the Sanyasi Raja is a tale that every Bengali has an opinion on. Or you've heard of his remarkable life and the court case that went on for years. It is something I've grown up hearing about and so when this book popped up on my radar, I knew I had to read it. I initially thought this was a work of non-fiction but this was a slightly fictionalized account of the Bhawal Raja and his return from the grave. This book does a fantastic job of showing the relationships at play, the people who make up this tale and it focuses a chunk of it's time on the the actual court case. The research is thorough and sound, and the writing is fantastic. I have read and utterly loved everything Aruna Chakravarti has ever written and for that alone I'd recommend you pick this up. And honestly, Bengali or not, you'll enjoy this tale of human follies.

2. A Bend in the Ganges by Manohar Malgonkar: I have a full review up for this book, you can read it here. 

So won't go into detail on this one, but I cannot recommend this enough. 

3.  Chronicles of the Lost Daughters by Debarati Mukhopadhyay, Trans. Arunava Sinha: I loved this book so much, even though it made me so mad and broke my heart. Set in one of my favourite periods in time, Bengal in it's Golden Age, this book mainly focuses on the less than blissful lives of women. Especially vulnerable women- young and widowed and how the world and society didn't often do right by them. 

We follow a couple of story lines, and a couple of characters through some impossible situations and this book made stop and thank my stars I wasn't around in those times or my life would for most part be some kind of hellish. Brilliant and wonderful and so important to read. 

4. Breaking Free by Vasanthi, Trans. N. Kalyan Raman: This beautiful book is about two women, two young girls both born into the Devdasi tradition. While one wants no part of this life and lifestyle and follows a path that takes her away from this way of living, the other follows tradition and finds herself eventually questioning her choices and her lack of freedom. Very well-written and thought provoking, this book was a great read. 

5. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: This is a lovely book set in the US during the 'Red Scare' of the 1950s. Set in San Francisco in the Chinese community, this book delves into the lives of Chinese immigrants and their quest to prove their 'American-ness' in the midst of the Red Scare. This is also a wonderful LGBTQ story. 

6. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens: A wonderful book that is about othering, nature and the determination of one young girl to make a worthy life for herself. Full review can be found here.

7. The Missing Sister by Dinah Jefferies: Set in Burma (Myanmar) at the brink of World War II, The Missing Sister is the quest of one young British woman to find out more about the cataclysmic event from twenty years ago that tore apart her family. 20 years ago, Belle's parents lived in Burma- happy, very much in love and with a newborn daughter. One day, the baby goes missing- stolen from the garden in broad daylight. Belle's parents were never the same. A really wonderful book about families, connections and about life in Burma in the 1930s from a colonizer's point of view. 

Favourite Young Adult and Children's Books of 2022. {Blogmas Day-20.}

 Hello Loves! 

Getting back to sharing my favourite reads of 2022. 

Before we jump into adult fiction and historical fiction and literary fiction, I thought let's go age wise and get the kid lit and YA books out of the way. I didn't read a whole lot from this particular genre but the ones I did read I loved a lot and they deserve a post of their own. 

So let's go. 

In no particular order, here are some my favourite books from YA and Kid-Lit: 

1. I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys: I adore everything this author ever writes. She exclusively writes historical fiction, set in turbulent times usually and from the perspective of young people. This book took us to a part of the world and a time period I knew next to nothing about, apart from the very, very basic facts. I recommend pretty much all of her books and this one is so so good. 

I have a done a full review, so I won't go on about it. You can read it HERE. 

2. Heartstopper Vol. I to IV by Alice Oseman: This one I binge read in a matter of days after I binged the Netflix show in a day. Ah! This is the cutest, sweetest, warmest and real (est) portrayal of love and longing and being queer and figuring your shit out. Sweet and wonderful. Love it so much. The show is gorgeous too and if you haven't watched it you should, but the books are absolutely darling! Cannot recommend enough. 

3. The Agathas by Kathleen Glasglow and Liz Lawson: I don't read a lot of YA anymore. Especially YA romance. But the genre I am reallllly enjoying lately is YA Thrillers. I think it's because growing up teen slasher films were my favourite things to watch. I still love some of those 90s classics, you know films like I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream and Urban Legend. So Ya thrillers have me all invested and excited. 

This book was fun and I really enjoyed my time with this book. Two girls, very different from each other, come together to solve the murder of a girl from their high school..and one of them takes inspiration and tutelage from the great Agatha Christie to solve said murder. Sounds amazing and it was good fun. The twists and turns keep you hooked and I really had fun reading this. 

And I think this might turn into a book series so there's more adventures to look forward to. 

4. The Hundred Choices Departmental Store by Ginger Park: I loved this book so much. It's a middle grade book, though I'd even realise this while I was reading this. It doesn't feel quite like a children's book, maybe because it's about such a difficult time in history. Set in Korea (unified Korea) during WWII and immediately after, this is the story of a young girl and her family. What a brilliant little book! I read it in a day, I could not put it down. And then I made my sister read it too, which only happens when I absolutely adore a book. So so so good. 

5. Our Sister Again by Sophie Cameron: This book is curious mix of a family drama and a touch of sci-fi. I don't read sci-fi, at all. This to me, from the outset seemed like a slightly dystopian world, not in the classic sense, perhaps it's even mildly speculative. 

A young girl, Isla, and her family suffered an unimaginable loss of her older sister a few years ago. And now they've been given an incredible chance to have her back, well almost have her back. A version of her, an AI version of her. This book really made me stop and think about grief and what makes  a person a person, is it your memories, your thoughts or a mix of your history and interactions? I loved this book and how much it made me stop and think about things. 

6. After We Were Stolen by Brooke Beyfuss: This book had everything I love in a thriller/mystery. 

A cult. Let's face it, I am kinda obsessed with cults.  

Life in a odd sort of family. 

Abduction. 

Siblings. 

Finding your place in the world again. 

Loved this book and breezed through it. It shows how people adapt to life after stepping away from the controlled and often abusive world of a cult. Two siblings survive an inferno in their family compound, a cult type situation and must now not only adapt to the real world but also learn devastating secrets about who they are and where they go from here. Really interesting. 

7. The Storyteller by Kathyrn Williams: I have been very into historical fiction all of 2022. And it started early with this book that I read in January. A young girl wants to solve a mystery, about her family and a mystery that has the world curious. Anastasia Romanov, did she survive? If yes, where did she end up? Is she in the US? Is she our main character's great aunt? 

I loved reading about both the last of the Romanovs and seeing the investigation into the possible scoop of the century. 

(The book is set before the discovery that answered the questions about Anastasia's fate once and for all.) 

Those were all my YA and Middle Grade favourites.

Now let's talk about my three Kid Lit Favourites. 

8. A Friend for Poochi by Meera Ganapathi, Art by Rohit Kelkar: Just the sweetest thing ever. Poochi is a bug, he has no friends, most people take one look at him and run the opposite way. Poor Poochi really wants a friend. This book just made me smile and I made my sister read this because she is petrified of bugs like poor Poochi. 

I read this on  Story Weaver. 

Loved. 

9. Beauty is Missing by Priya Kuriyan: Ah!! This lovely little book is a thing of joy. A beloved buffalo goes missing and her human looks for her and even puts up with the jeers of the people around her but doesn't give up. Sweet and funny and the art was just gorgeous. Just a wonderful little book, read this on Story Weaver too. 

10. This is How We Do It- One Day in the Lives of Seven Children Across the World by Math Lamothe: I randomly picked this book up on KU, and loved it and it's very concept. We see the daily lives of seven kids from all over the world. I would have loved reading something like this when I was little, to see how kids my age lived and how similar and different our daily lives are. The art was lovely too. A good and fun read. 

~~~~ 

Book Haul: Books of December 2022. {Blogmas Day- 19.}

 Hello Loves! 

Time for a little book haul. 

Bought some books a few days ago and I swear there is nothing as nice as opening book mail and dreaming about reading these new books you've added to your shelf. And something about December makes me feel a little less guilty about buying books and adding to my over-flowing shelves. 

:) 

There are 8 new books I've added to my shelves. 

A debut novel that's got so much buzz and it sounds so good. 

A young couple is filmed while making out or more, and this video then goes viral in their small town and shenanigans ensue. Scandalous! 

Sounds like something I'll enjoy immensely. 

Saving this for January. Can't wait. 

Some campus tales set at BHU. 

I think I'll enjoy this. Stories set on a college campus and slice of life and young people finding themselves and love. 

A good time. 

Plus I got this for like really cheap. 

99 bucks only. 

I can't resist a deal! 

Read Vol. I of this collection back in 2020 and I am excited to read this bunch too. I am always up to read some short stories and an anthology, when picked right can work wonders. I am hoping for some amazing writing and finding some new-to-me authors. 

I love reading a good novella and these two from a Bangladeshi writer seem promising. Might just save it for April when I read only Bengali books and authors. 

A Booker Prize short list that is a very short read and I've heard nothing but good things about it. 

Excited to pick it up and see how we get along. It's supposed to be quite clever and inventive and I am curious, very curious to see if it works for me. 

 I am having a historical fiction moment right now and I just can't seem to get enough of Indian Historical Fiction, so this book sounds just perfect for my current frame of mind. 

A Prince falls for a Singer and it's not exactly a match made in heaven. The cover says this is soon to be a major motion picture and I wonder if this is what Qala (on Netflix) is based on? 

I haven't seen Qala yet, so maybe I'll read this and then watch that. 

This reminds of a certain legendary singer and her life long love with a Prince/Cricketer...if you know your Indian gossip you might know of this story too. 

See I told you I was having a historical fiction moment. 

This book was sent to me very kindly by the publisher and I am currently reading it and really enjoying it. 

It tells the story of a Crown Prince of a Princely State in pre-independence India, growing up in this little bubble and immense previlege and how he comes of age in a country on the cusp of change and how he learns to find his place in this new world. 

I love this book and I am really enjoying it and the journey it's taking me on. 

Finally, I picked up my third Neel Mukherjee. I read his previous Booker Short List novel...The Lives of Others and I loved it. I have always meant to read more from him but I've not quite gotten around to it.  I own another of his books, something I want to get to soon but this one I had to get and my sister wanted to read this too. 

Here's everything. 

I do hope to maybe..make a little Christmas book haul..maybe...

But for this I am more than thrilled about these books. 

BOOKS BOUGHT:

A State of Freedom by Neel Mukherjee 

The Prince by Manohar Malgonkar 

The Prince and The Nightangle by Abhishek Bhatt 

Treacle Walker by Alan Garner 

Life and Political Reality by Shahidul Zahir

Best Indian Short Storied, Edited by Khushwant Singh, Vol. II

Banaras Talkies by Satya Vyas 

Teen Couple Having Fun Outdoors by Aravind Jayan

Oohh so much happy reading in my future. 

:)