Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: February 2022.

Hello Loves! 

My favourite month is over already and it's time for my reading wrap-up. 

February was a good month in my life. Reading-wise it was a little bit of a mixed bag. I read some good books and then, for about a week or so, I didn't really read anything. I had a lull of sorts and had a lot of starts and stops. Just nothing was clicking. I took a bit of break from reading. I started and stopped on some of my faves too- Ruskin Bond and Ray. So you know I was in a weird mood, plus I was sick and in pain. So books weren't my way to self-soothe. 

So, I only managed to read some 10 books and two delightful Champaks. 

I am happy with the reading. Some months you just consume other kinds of stories and this month I definitely found myself watching more films and TV shows and reading a little less, it's OK. It happens. 

FEBRUARY READING WRAP-UP: 

1. Mahabharata for Children by Upendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury: I, finally, read a version of the Mahabharata that a lot of my cousins grew up reading and which was their first exposure to the epic. I am always up to reading any and all adaptations and version of this great epic and this one, while comprehensive enough, didn't exactly blow my mind. I found it a bit choppy. It's narrative structure wasn't my favourite and I felt it had a lot of the elements missing, which is not the worst because it's meant for children and it did cover the important things...yet overall this wasn't my favourite spin on my all time favourite story. 

3/5 

2. The Bride's Mirror by Nazir Ahmed: The first Urdu bestseller that took the readers of 1868 by storm and sold a whole lot of copies. In so many ways this story of two sisters married to two brothers and all the petty politics of their marital homes, is so relevant. Some of the issues and ins and outs of an Indian home are still the same. The themes and the emotions and the follies are all still relevant. So in that aspect this is a classic that holds its own and its relevance all this time later. As I started reading this I kept finding this story so familiar and soon enough, and a little Googling later, I realized that I have seen the TV adaptation of this story. A Pakistani TV show called Dulhan ka Aaina is a modern adaptation of this story. 

Overall this was an interesting read but the translation wasn't my favourite but I mean it's done by a white man so I am sure he did the best he could. 

3.5/5 

3. The Christie Affair by Nina De Gramont: Based on Christie's own Gone Girl situation back in 1926, this is a fictionalized take on Dame Chrisitie's life and marriage and has a very Christie-esque murder mystery to boot. A full review for this book is up and you can read it here. 

I did enjoy this book a lot. I wasn't the biggest fan of our main protagonist nor did I particularly care for the ending. 

3/5 

4. The Greatest Short Stories of Leo Tolstoy: I finally read my first proper foray into Tolstoy. I am surprised by incredibly accessible and easy these stories were to read and I actually quite enjoyed it. I am all set to finally read Anna Karenina later this year. Let's do this! 

4/5 

5. Wahala by Nikki May: Another book I absolutely enjoyed and breezed through. I always love stories about friendships and this one did a very good job of showing the intricacies of old female friendships. 

A full review can be found here. 

4/5 

6. How to Tell the Story of an Insurgency by Aruni Kashyap: Going back to Assam is always a good thing. It's a place I've been to several times through books and stories. I loved this book and a did a full review for this one too. Read it here. 

4.5/5 

7. Chhotu by Varud Gupta and Ayushi Rastogi: I went into this book with some pretty high expectations and frankly I am not sure I loved this as much as I had hoped to. The story and the art is decent enough. Yet...overall I found myself a little..less than charmed. Not my favourite. 

2/5 

8. More Adventures of Kakababu by Sunil Gangopadhyay: The second volume of Kakababu and Shontu's adventures and this was such a fun time. Chasing yetis, finding spies and fighting dacoits. Stories full of adventure and thrills. I loved this and I also recommend the film adaptations by Srijit Mujherjee if you haven't seen them yet. 

4/5 

9. Sapiens - The Birth of Humankind, A Graphic History  by Yuval Noah Harari: I finally read a book that everybody has read and loved. I was looking to pick it up when I saw that a graphic novel version exists of the same and figured I'd give it a read instead and I am so glad I went this route, I will maybe some day read the actual book-book. But this beautiful book was a great way to learn some new things about human history and it gave me so much to think about, I can't wait to read the second volume of this book. 

4/5 

10. Blood Island: An Oral History of the Marichjhapi by Deep Haldar: My last read of the month left me numb. In a good way, in the way that I think books should more often. Books should shake us and teach us about something, especially things in our past and things that affected so many people. I knew nothing about Marichjhapi. Nothing. And this book took me to a place and time and a people that we all should know about. I am glad that books and reporting like this exists. 

4/5 

~~~

I hope you had a good month. 

Reading and otherwise. 

:) 

I read OK I think. 

Read 10 books. 

2 Graphic Novels. 

A classic. 

A nonfiction. 

A good mix of books. 

:) 

Stationery Sunday: Cute Pocket Notebooks and Sticky Notes from Peach by Vishnu

 Hey everyone!

Wanted to quickly share some really cute stuff that we ordered from Peach by Vishnu. 

We ordered a set of pocket notebooks, which are in the classic Field Notes size and a set of 3 sticky notepads from this store and are very happy with the quality of everything! Let's take a look into it, shall we? 

The items came with a sweet note! 

These are the 3 notebooks. One is lined and two are blank. Aren't they cute? Below is a closer look at each of the covers. Love the colours used on them! 

These are the 3 sticky notes. The blank one feels like vellum paper and is transparent. Love all of them! 

Love the cute stickers that were sent as a freebie. Thank you, Peach by Vishnu for these stickers! 

Hope you have a good week ahead! 

Weekend Reads: Sapiens & Thrillers.

 Hello Loves! 

Another weekend and another set of our Weekend Reads. 

Here is what me and my sister are reading this weekend. 

Let's start with me. 

Sapiens The Birth of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari: I think everyone and their second cousin have read this phenomenon of a book. Well, I haven't but I had been meaning to for ages. I will someday get the OG book and read it but for now I am so happy to be experiencing this book in it's graphic novel avataar. I bought this beast of a book for Christmas and I started reading it yesterday and I am really, really enjoying it. 

I can't wait to soak it up over the weekend and maybe then get it's second volume. 

So glad I finally made my way to it. 

I think I'll probably finish it soon enough and then I might go looking for my next read. I am not sure what I am reading next. I have been reading Devil House by John Darnielle, which is giving me massive Sinister (2012) vibes but I am not sure if I am fully into it. Also it has some very mixed reviews on Goodreads. So I don't know if I'll fully commit to it. I might just re-watch Sinister instead. It's a film I really love. 

So maybe a little Kindle scrolling and I'll find something thriller-y to read. I have a few books to choose from. I am in the mood for a good thriller. I might pick up the new Lucy Foley. 

My sister is all about them thrillers this weekend. She just finished reading The Appeal and is currently reading..

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain: When Kayla Carter's husband dies in an accident while building their dream house, she knows she has to stay strong for their four-year-old daughter. But the trophy home in Shadow Ridge Estates, a new development in sleepy Round Hill, North Carolina, will always hold tragic memories. But when she is confronted by an odd, older woman telling her not to move in, she almost agrees. It's clear this woman has some kind of connection to the area...and a connection to Kayla herself. Kayla's elderly new neighbor, Ellie Hockley, is more welcoming, but it's clear she, too, has secrets that stretch back almost fifty years. Is Ellie on a quest to right the wrongs of the past? And does the house at the end of the street hold the key? Told in dual time periods, The Last House on the Street is a novel of shocking prejudice and violence, forbidden love, the search for justice, and the tangled vines of two families. 

Historical fiction. 

Mystery. 

Social justice. 

My sister is a little bit in and is really enjoying it immensely. If she ends up loving it, expect a review soon. 

:) 

Hope your weekend is going well and is full of good vibes and good reading. 

I am trying to avoid the bleak news and hide in my books and stories. Though it's not really helping. 

I really hope and pray that good sense prevails and we don't all just devolve into all out war. 

The last thing mankind needs is more war and more hardship, life hasn't exactly been peachy these last few years! 

Monthly Favourites: February 2022.

 Hello Loves! 

The last Friday of the month means it's time for my Monthly Favourites. 

And this time it's a favourites for my favourite month ever. My birthday month. While I don't exactly do a lot for my birthday itself, I do like celebrate all month long. I eat good food. I cook. I buy little things. And it's the one time in the whole year when I buy books without too much guilt. And I try to be as happy as I can. This month was rather good for me. Nothing major, just littered with little joys. 

Here are some of my favourite things/moments. 

FEBRUARY 2022 FAVOURITES: 

1. Rainy Days:  The early days of the month we were blessed with some rains and thunder and clouds. If you know me, you know how happy it makes me. Winter rains brought out the chills and I spent a few days under quilts watching spooky films and honestly living my best life. It honestly felt like a gift from the Gods. 

2. Birthday:  Turning a year older and hopefully wiser was another highlight of this month. This year I had 3 birthday cakes and felt most spoilt. Sadly I was a little sick in the days leading up to my birthday and even on my birthday I was a little less than all there, still I had a good day. Full of good food. Many laughs. So many wishes and lovely messages. And even a spot of Scrabble and winning at Scrabble. A good day. 

3. Planner  & Journal Pages in February:  I try to go all out and do something special in my planners and journals in my birthday month and this year I did more of that. I tried to make each page a little special. 

I especially love my Journal for Daily Thoughts this month. I love how it turned out. I have done a whole post on it so you can go see how I did my journal there. 

A little look at my Gratitude Journal this month. 

:) 

My sticker stash and my kind of a happy mess. Most months begin in my world looking a little like this. 

My beautiful journal. 

I am low-key obsessed. 

An entry from Valentine's Day, featuring a favourite quote from Carrie Bradshaw. 

I really like how simple and beautiful this page turned out. 

4. Saraswati Pujo: This month we (Bengalis) celebrated Maa Saraswati and I asked for more wisdom and keep my love for knowledge alive and well. 

5. Terrace Reading and Being:  Some of my favourite moments this month and in all of winter is spending my days up on my terrace. Packing up a tote full of things I need- journals, books, pens and highlighters and going up and watching my small town amble up and reading and being. It's the perfect sort of day and it makes me so happy. 

A look inside my tote bag. 

Very on point for #hotgirltotebag 

:) 

6. Book Sleeves and Pouches:  Some of the favourite things I added to my life this month were some book sleeves (from Taaga by Reema) and a couple of other pouches that act a covers for diaries and journals and are made by small businesses and NGOs. 

My favourite sort of place to buy from.  I will do hauls and share my new joys soon. 

Look at this stunner from Chhoti si Asha. 

Love it. 

7. Birthday Book Hauls: There is nothing more joyful than buying books on my birthday. Back when the world was good and things were normal, my birthday included going to multiple bookshops and buying as many books as I wanted, no guilt and allowing myself to go wild! 

:) 

This year I did a spot on online book buying. 

Some old.

Some new. 

All good. 

Hauls coming at you soon! 

I also did my birthday tradition of clicking an Instax of my birthday book stack. 

:) 

8. Reading:   I'll be honest, my reading didn't exactly go according to plan this month. This was the stack I had allll lined up and ready to jump into at the very start of the month. 

But life got in the way. 

But my reading overall was pretty good this month. 

I will do my wrap-up on the 28th we'll talk about all that I read this month. 

I also loved the moment this picture was clicked. It was the 1st of February and I spent alllll night cleaning and re-jigging my books and making my room as cozy as possible. And that is pretty much my idea of a good time. I started my birthday month doing things I love so much- cleaning and playing around with my books. 

A good start. 

:)

February was a good month. 

Full of big joys. 

Happy mails. 

Oh and watching, re-watching some of my favourite films- Scream (every single film) and Urban Legend and a ton of other horror and slashed films. 

Rainy days. 

Celebrations. 

Joy and Love. 

I am so grateful for a yet another birthday and so much love from the world and having a solid good month. 

:) 

Book Review: The Appeal by Janice Hallett

 

Book: The Appeal 

Author: Janice Hallett 

Pages: 432 

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~5.5 hours 

Plot Summary: 

ONE MURDER. FIFTEEN SUSPECTS.
CAN YOU UNCOVER THE TRUTH?

There is a mystery to solve in the sleepy town of Lower Lockwood. It starts with the arrival of two secretive newcomers, and ends with a tragic death. Roderick Tanner QC has assigned law students Charlotte and Femi to the case. Someone has already been sent to prison for murder, but he suspects that they are innocent. And that far darker secrets have yet to be revealed...

Throughout the amateur dramatics society's disastrous staging of All My Sons and the shady charity appeal for a little girl's medical treatment, the murderer hid in plain sight. The evidence is all there, waiting to be found. But will Charlotte and Femi solve the case? Will you?

Things I Liked: 

1. I really enjoy reading about (and observing) group dynamics. How do people interact in groups? Who is the Alpha? How do the others behave vis-à-vis the Alpha? What are the said and unsaid norms within a group? How do outsiders fit into this group? So, it was such a delight to read such an interesting and interestingly structured murder mystery whose primary focus was on group dynamics of a small community's amateur theatre group! 

Sam and, her husband, Kel have just returned from Central Africa after having worked with Doctors Without Borders as nurses. They find themselves in a new community and, heavily encouraged by their colleague, Isabel, join the local amateur theatre group. It is here that Sam begins to notice something suspicious about the theatre group's founder- his two-year-old granddaughter has cancer and he is raising funds to procure an experimental treatment from the US, but is tight-lipped about what this treatment is. The events stemming from this leads to a murder and it is this murder that law students, Femi and Charlotte, have to solve whilst going through emails, text message transcripts. 

2. So, while the entire story is told via emails and text messages, the author still manages to do excellent context setting, world building and, even, character development. It may take you some time to get used to how this book is written and for you to get to know the cast of 15+ characters, but it is not very challenging as the same set of people are there throughout the book and the author gives us timely reminds of who is related/ connected to whom. Since the book is basically all evidence, the reader gets to play detective along with the law students reading through all this material. I formed my own theories and came very close to cracking the case. 

3. Quite a few nicely done red herrings/ suspects. A very nice twist-in-the-tale. Very satisfying when a thriller/ crime fiction book is able to be unpredictable! Doesn't happen often in the genre these days and when it happens, I am always most impressed. 

4. An interesting array of characters- good, bad, evil, weird, in-between all the shades of grey. You'll find yourself disliking almost everyone in the amateur drama club at some point or the other. They're all nosy, opinionated, prejudiced and very insulated, but they make for an interesting cast in a murder mystery for the very same reasons. 

5. The author has sprinkled some nice breadcrumbs throughout the book and eagle-eyed readers might spot those and figure out what's what! Even if you do, I assure you, the book is still pretty great and will still surprise you! 

Rating: 4.5/5 

Highly recommend! 

International Mother Language Day: Top 10 Bengali Books.

 Hello, hello,

February 21st is celebrated as International Mother Language Day.  a day to celebrate and honour diversity in languages. 

Bengali is my mother language. 

The language of love and lullabies and my first stories. 

And not to be biased but man my people have written some of the best stories in the world. I mean I am proud of being a Bengali for multiple reasons and it's outstanding literature is pretty much at the tippy top of this list. 

Sadly, I can't read Bengali (the fallout of growing up outside Bengal) but I have, over the years, made a concentrated effort to read some our best works and it's been some of my favourite things I have ever read. 

Here are my Top 10 Books Originally Written in Bengali. 

Books I 100% Recommend with my whole heart. 

TOP 10 BENGALI BOOKS: 

1. The Adventure of Feluda Vol I and II by Satyajit Ray: Mysteries. Crimes. And a Bengali Super Sleuth! Feluda is the kind of cousin we'd all like to have. Smart, intelligent and good at so many things and solves crimes like a pro. These stories are a Bengali staple and generations have grown up with these stories and Feluda, Topshe and Jatayu are a part of the family. I read these stories very late in life and I loved them so much and have re-read them over and over. I cannot recommend these stories enough. 

2. Those Days by Sunil Gangopadhyay: This sweeping novel will take your breath away. Set in the golden age of Bengaliana, the truly golden days when Bengal was blessed with some incredible people. Vidyasagar, Michael Madhusudhan Dutta, Dwarkanath Tagore and so many more. It is also about the immensely wealthy Singha and Mukherjee families, and the intimacy that grows between them. Ganganarayan Singha’s love for Bindubasini, the widowed daughter of the Mukherjees, flounders on the rocks of orthodoxy even as his zamindar father, Ramkamal, finds happiness in the arms of the courtesan, Kamala Sundari. Bimbabati, Ramkamal’s wife, is left to cope with her loneliness. A central theme of the novel is the manner in which the feudal aristocracy, sunk in ritual and pleasure, slowly awakens to its social obligations. A amazing book that I think you'll enjoy. 

3. What Really Happened Stories by Banaphool: These snappy and short tales are truly genius. Banaphool is often called the O Henry of Bengali fiction and these short, yet moving stories are often very reminiscent of O Henry's stories. Moulded out of everyday occurrences and happenings, these sparkling vignettes range from poignant and tragic to whimsical and satirical. In these tales, Banaphool invokes a host of enduring characters even as he makes sharp observations about the human condition. I read these stories a couple of years ago and absolutely loved them. I think you'd really enjoy these stories too. They are also perfect for busy days and perfect to step in and out of. 

4. My Kind of Girl by Buddhadeva Bose: I won't lie, this book was mainly and predominantly a cover buy, it's designed by Sabyasachi and I needed it in my life. Over the years it's become one of those books I tend to go back to often. A tiny collection of three short stories these are tales of love, love lost and found and melancholy and longing. Moody and wonderful. Highly recommend. And please try to this find the beautiful cloth bound edition if you can. 

5. The Boat Wreck by Rabindranath Tagore: Of course any list of Bengali novels would have a mention of  Tagore. This tale of love, a mishap and a mixed identities and confusion and domesticity and ufff the kind of angst and deep attachment only Tagore can pen. An incredible book and if you haven't watched Rituparna Ghosh's excellent adaptation you absolutely must. 

6. Parineeta by Saratchandra Chattopadhyay: This book was my Thamma's (grandmothers) favourite love story. It reminded her of her own love story and I loved it even before I ever really read it. A timeless love story. An absolute classic. The love between Shekhar and Parineeta is one that never gets old. 

7. Matchbox and Other Stories by Ashapurna Debi: If you want to read some truly sharp and incisive stories about women and commonplace domestic issues yet brimming with so much life and sparkling with brilliance and occasionally shocking. I really enjoyed these stories and Ashapurna Debi's writing is really something else entirely. 

8. The Middleman by Sankar: This book was one of the first books I read when I earnestly started diving into Bengali literature. Set in the turbulent 70s in Calcutta,  a city rife with young men looking for jobs and often getting disillusioned with the world. Moving, an so rooted in the reality of the time. Amazing. Also please read Chowringhee and watch the film adaptation too. 

9. Byomkesh Bakshi by Saradindu Bandopadhyay: Byomkesh might just be my favourite Indian sleuth. He is sharp and focussed and clever and pretty ingenious. Classic tales of murders, crimes and detection. Golden stuff. An all time favourite. 

10. Abol Tabol by Sukumar Ray: Any Bengali child will tell you their childhood was made better with these fun and funny rhymes. My earliest memories involve these rhymes and how they made me laugh. 

Stationery Sunday: Uni-Ball One Gel Pens Haul and Review

 Hey guys!

Uni-ball One Gel pens have taken the planner and stationery world by storm! These are multi-surface, richly pigmented pens and when we found them on Amazon, we decided to buy a set for ourselves! I was seriously seeing them alllll over IG and my planner and stationery loving needed these in my life. 

Here are some writing samples and our first impressions! 

These pens are available in a pack of 8. The colours are similar to other Uniball gel ink offerings and are colours we've had before. 

Here are the writing samples. The ink is pigmented and the pens are really smooth. These are all 0.38 mm in thickness. These are, basically, fine nibs. 

The colours are a good mix of basic sober, everyday writing ones and some fun colours like pink, aqua and orange. 

These pens write easily on vellum paper and other semi-glossy and transparent papers, which make them very good for journaling. 

I have been using these for a week and I am very happy with the smoothness and how well these write. Plus these look so sleek and beautiful. Super happy we got our hands on it. Highly recommend. 

If you decide to buy these pens, let us know how you like them! 

Have a great week ahead, guys!

Weekend Binge Recommendations: Sharing Some Recent Indian OTT Favourites

 Hey all,

Sharing some decent and recent Indian OTT content- series and a movie- that we quite liked watching. 

A Thursday on Disney+ Hotstar is the spiritual prequel of the cult movie 'A Wednesday'. It centres around a play school teacher- Yami Gautam- holding 16 of her little students hostage. As the movie unfolds we learn about the reason behind her actions and her extreme demands (wanting to speak face-to-face with the Prime Minister). 

A decent enough movie. Quite taut. But requires loads of suspension of disbelief. 

Rawkto Bilaap on Hoichoi is a Bengali wegseries that is a horror-thriller. A group of seven friends get together for a reunion at a reclusive friend's home. One by one they start dying. Is it a deranged killer? Or something supernatural? 

This show is a little try-hard but quite spooky and atmospheric. A lot has been left up to the viewers' interpretation and so, if you like that kind of a take in fiction, then you'll enjoy this one. 

Mithya on Zee5. Literally just finished watching this web series and it is quite nice. A professor's husband has been murdered and the series looks back over the past few weeks of their lives to unearth the events leading up to his death. 

Byadh on Hoichoi. It is 2001. Someone is murdering sparrows in several villages in Bengal. The Department of Unusual Cases is tasked with looking into it. Who is killing these innocent birds? And why? 

A nicely done show about a different kind of serial killer. Definitely worth watching. 

A Day in my Life: Birthday 2022 ~ Books + Cake + Instax + Cuteness.

 So your girl turned a year older today. 

Wiser too...hopefully. 

Had yet another quiet birthday this year. 

Read. 

Had so much love and wishes come my way. 

Opened a few gifts. 

Ate cake. 

Played Scrabble with my family after agesss...years in fact and I won! 

:) 

It was a good day. 

A very, very good day. 

Oh and there was amazing food involved too. 

Basanti pulao and chingir malaicurry and Chinese grubs for dinner. 

I am so grateful for this life and everyone who made me feel special. 

:) 

Here are some snippets of my day. 

Just some things I am manifesting for myself this year. 

My cake. 

I cut 3 birthday cakes this year! 

*feeling most spoilt*

Did a tiny bit of journaling today. 

Wrote some goals and hopes for the coming year. 

Took pictures of my birthday book haul. 

And took an Instax of it, it's a little bit of tradition of mine. 

Haul coming soon! 

No birthday of mine is complete without a bit of reading. 

This is what I am reading this birthday weekend. 

Ruskin Bond 

&

Satyajit Ray. 

Good men to keep me company. 

Some happy mail. 

A cute AF book sleeve from Taaga. 

:) 

A happy day. 

Thank-you More Please! 

Oh and I also watched a Bengali horror/thriller OTT show, so I am happy as can be. 

:) 

Reading Life: February Hopefuls and Cheating on TBRs.

 

I started February by pulling out these books from my shelves and telling myself I'd read most of them. 

With good intentions and hopes I started this month like a good girl hoping to read so much. 

And since it's mid-month, I am doing quite good. 

I mean I didn't quite stick to my TBR, but then when do I ever? 

But I have stuck to this pile more or less. 

Kinda. 

I figured I'd do a reading update today. 

So I had pulled out 8 books to read. 

So far I've read 2 books from this pile. 

Just 2 and a half maybe. 

But I have read a few books on my Kindle and some other books that caught my fancy. And that's just how life goes. 

See TBRs are great. You mull over what to read. Set a goal. Make a list and maybe you even stick to it. Or you don't. 

I like having a pile ready to dive into and I am equally OK with completely abandoning said list. 

Life happens. 

Read what you want to. 

I mean you are doing this for fun no? 

Make a list. Stick to it or not. 

Some of these books I will read next month for #FemmeMarch so it's alllll good. 

Daisy Johnson I will for sure read next month. 

Maybe even K.R. Meera. 

The Sellout I maybe, hopefully will get to this month. 

Let's see. 

Oh and Ruskin Bond and Ray will most likely get read super soon. 

Within this next week. 

So see all good. 

I don't know what is the point of this post, maybe it's a reading update or a reminder to read what you love. 

Just read. 

:) 

Book Review: How To Tell The Story of an Insurgency Edited by Aruni Kashyap.

 

Book: How To Tell The Story of an Insurgency 

Edited: Aruni Kashyap 

Publisher: Harper Collins India 

Read On: Kindle 

How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 days 

Plot Summary: A former militant is unable to reconcile his tranquil domesticity with his brutal past. A mother walks an emotional tightrope, for her two sons—a police officer and an underground rebel—fight on opposite sides of the Assam insurgency. A deaf and mute child who sells locally brewed alcohol ventures into dangerous territory through his interaction with members of the local militant outfit.

How to Tell the Story of an Insurgency is an unflinching account of a war India has been fighting in the margins. Written originally in Assamese, Bodo and English, the fifteen stories in this book attempt to humanize the longstanding, bloody conflict that the rest of India knows of only through facts and figures or reports in newspapers and on television channels. 

Review: I have been reading stories from Assam for a few years now. Since 2020 to be precise, I've been reading novels and short stories set in this eastern state and there is something so warm and familiar about this place. Some of it I know through these books I have read and loved and other aspects of it's people and history I have learnt from family stories and of course the News, the News (when I was growing up) was rather grim. So it's always a pleasure to return to Assam. Even if some stories break my heart. 

This collection is has a mix of stories written in English, Assamese and Bodo and I really appreciate the mix that is representative of the state in whole. The stories themselves also have so much diversity and variety. Of course, they are centered around insurgency, but apart from the altercations between the rebels and the military, so many of these stories also show issues between different tribes and minorities. I think it shows the state and it's life in a much more fleshed out way and gives you a real and often unfiltered look at life in Assam. 

There is so much humanity in these stories. So many lives upturned by violence and pain and struggle. There are so many stories showing the people left behind, the families who live in the shadow of uncertainty and worry and I can only imagine unending anxiety when sons/husbands/lovers/brothers leave to fight and you are left wondering if you'll ever see them again. This terrible angst is brought alive in these pages. The hurt and the disillusionment is also shown so so well. 

The disenchantment with the agitation and the fallout of said agitation is brought to life so painfully well in all of these stories. We see parents and siblings and sometimes the fighters themselves feel unsure of the fight and the price they've had to pay for it. 

Some of these stories will break your heart, more so because there is more than a grain of truth behind these stories. These horrors actually happened and keep happening. 

I enjoyed pretty much all of the stories and I can wholeheartedly recommend this collection as an introduction to modern Assamese, for me personally some of these writers were ones I have read before and some I encountered for the first time. A good mix. 

Rating: 4/5 

Book Review: Wahala by Nikki May.

 

Book: Wahala 

Author: Nikki May  

Pages: 384 

Read On: Kindle 

How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 Days 

Plot Summary: Ronke wants happily ever after and 2.2. kids. She’s dating Kayode and wants him to be “the one” (perfect, like her dead father). Her friends think he’s just another in a long line of dodgy Nigerian boyfriends.

Boo has everything Ronke wants—a kind husband, gorgeous child. But she’s frustrated, unfulfilled, plagued by guilt, and desperate to remember who she used to be.

Simi is the golden one with the perfect lifestyle. No one knows she’s crippled by impostor syndrome and tempted to pack it all in each time her boss mentions her “urban vibe.” Her husband thinks they’re trying for a baby. She’s not.

When the high-flying, charismatic Isobel explodes into the group, it seems at first she’s bringing out the best in each woman. (She gets Simi an interview in Hong Kong! Goes jogging with Boo!) But the more Isobel intervenes, the more chaos she sows, and Ronke, Simi, and Boo’s close friendship begins to crack.

A sharp, modern take on friendship, ambition, culture, and betrayal, Wahala (trouble) is an unforgettable novel from a brilliant new voice.

Things I Liked: 

1. I love reading about friendships. We talk so much about love and romantic relationships and the many layers and complications they often have, we ignore the many layers in friendships and especially female friendships. Even more so in old friendships, there is so much history and so much to unpack and so many old sore points and so much going on, it's always a delight to read about these bonds and this book managed to capture this friend group is allllll it's myriad shaded and colours. 

2. The Anglo-Nigerian lives and dual identity was shown so well and in case of all of these women a little different too. Some of them wore their dual identities very proudly and for some this was more a burden than something to feel happy about. The troubles of being mixed were also shown in such a good way. Especially when the women talk of their childhood and the racism they've had to endure, sometimes at the hand of those who were family. I felt it was also honest to show a character who isn't too kicked about her Nigerian half, given that her father abandoned her mother even before she was born and never bothered to check on her. I felt that this aversion to this side of her identity is natural and understandable. 

3. I really loved how within this friend group we had a group of women who really loved and cared for each other. They are like sisters, and just like sisters there are some things they find annoying about the other. I loved that there was no sugar coating of these facets of friendships. Because let's face it, we've all been there, we love our friend but there are somethings we find annoying and or irritating about them. 

4. I liked all of our three core characters. Ronke, Boo and Simi. I genuinely liked all them. Each of them is so well fleshed out and they seem real and relatable. I think any young mother will  identify with Boo and what it means/takes to be a working mother. Ronke was alll heart. I perhaps loved her best and I was rooting for her throughout the book. Simi too is kind and good and perhaps a little naive but I liked her too. 

5. I found the writing quite nice and the book on the whole was very readable and once I jumped into it I couldn't quite put it down. I really just wanted to keep reading. The pace was great and it keeps you hooked from start to finish. 

6. Isobel, our new entrant, our interloper was interesting too. Super rich, a little lost, a little sorted, very confident and one hell bent on infiltrating this group...she was obviously (at least to me) up to no good yet I found her to be a compelling character.  I couldn't wait to see the trouble she'd stir up. 

Things I Didn't Like: 

Overall, this was a book I enjoyed quite a bit. And it's one I'd recommend. 

But it's almost very predictable. Also Isobel being a total evil cow is beyond obvious. 

Some of the reveals were a surprise but a lot of it was a little too easy to see coming. 

There is also a fair amount of colourism in this book and a few not-so-kind things said about Nigerian people, especially Nigerian men. I get some of these comments were made by Boo who being abandoned by a Nigerian father sees all men in the same light..so I understand her pain but after a point it began to feel a little cruel. 

Rating: 3.5/5 

Monday Moods: Valentine's Day

 Hello Loves! 

And a Happy Valentine's Day to You. 

Hope your heart is full of love and warmth and you always, always find love for yourself! 

I spent my day doing some of my favourite things! 

First up, I woke up at 5:40 AM! 

 A complete rarity in my life and then I went on to have myself a good day. 

Fixed breakfast in two parts~ first some chocolate, banana and peanut butter oats. 

A cup of coffee. 

And then some desi French Toast. 

Then I went to the terrace and pretty much spent my day there. 

Reading. 

People Watching. 

Water plants. 

And coming down to get some happy mail! 

:) 

A good day. 

Full of gentle joys and guavas and brownies too! 

:) 

What else can I ask for? 

A sun kissed book and a beautiful bookmark. 

This one is from Debdyuti Creates over on IG. 

A tote to carry my books, Kindle, phone and water bottle to the terrace. 

This one is from Jonakir Haat on IG. 

Love the gamcha trim so much. She makes some beautiful things out of gamchas. 

Perfect sunny days. 

Lost in a story. 

Wore some earrings after ages today. 

These guys are from Madhukari from whom we've bought two necklaces lately. These earrings came with one the necklaces. 

:) 

Currently reading and loving. Hoping to finish this one by tonight. 

This is what my sister is currently reading and this one is really special because one of my IG behens Bhavya and Sabi of Our Treasure Chest sent this to me for my birthday. 

:) 

I am so touched and I will always treasure it. I will re-read this gem of a book next month I think.

 So that's been my day. 

Hope yours has been good too! 

:)