Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: February 2023.

 Hello Loves! 

February is my most loved month. 

My birthday month and one I pin all these hopes and dreams on. 

Reading wise, I try to make February as special as possible and try to read my favourite authors only. 

This year I did manage to read some favourites but I also read some new-to-to authors. 

I read 12 books in total. 

Which for me is not the best number. But I was watching so many films this month and doing other life things that occasionally books took a back seat. 

I read some history, some literary fiction, some thrillers and a spot of kid lit. 

A nice mixed bag of reads. 

I also bought some books. 

A good-ish month. 

Let's jump into my reads and my mini-reviews of the same. 

Let's gooooo. 

BOOKS OF FEBRUARY: 

1. Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor: This book has some unreal levels of hype right now. People and papers (The Guardian)  are calling it India's answer to the Godfather. Well, I don't know about that, but this level of hype usually turns me off books. I prefer to wait and let the hype machine calm down before I pick up said book. This time however, I could not resist the hype and decided to see for myself what this buzz was all about. 

Well, what did I think?

This is a decent book. 

Very alright. 

Good in parts, great in some aspects and lacking in others. 

I liked several things about it. The writing was good and solid and holds this burgeoning saga abreast from start to finish. The characters in this book come alive and feel like people you'd meet in the real world, none of them seem far fetched or fake. These are people you know or know of. 

Also India, particularly Delhi and it's world is portrayed so well. Power, might, corruption, caste based violence and discrimination is shown in all it's true gritty colours. We know this world exists, hell we live in it. 

I liked all of it. 

Even the romantic relationship in this book felt entirely believable. It's not all roses and wine and magic, it's messy and flawed and like so many relationships that are typical of people in their early 20s. 

So about 60% of this book had me all wrapped up in it's hype. I was on board. (Still not sure about the Godfather comparison).

Then, it kinda went a little loopy and lost me and dragged on quite a bit. It just got slowwww and limped along. 

I think this is meant to be a trilogy and I am keen on reading it, maybe... but I wish this one kept it's sharper pace till it's very end. Something in the last 40% felt just off and off kilter. 

Wasn't a fan of the gory descriptions of the prison sexual violence either. Stomach churning stuff, especially because I know this is so rooted in reality. 

3/5 

2. The Magic of the Lost Story by Sudha Murty: Read a favourite author and sought some comfort. 

Full review done and can be read HERE. 

4/5 

3. The People of the Indus by Nikhil Gulati with Jonathan Mark Kenoyar: A bit of history and a deep dive into my favourite era of history and my favourite civilization. The Indus Valley or Harappa Civilization has been a period in History I've always found so utterly fascinating. I am always interested in learning more about these people and their lives. This book was a good way to re-visit and re-learn about it and also learn some newer information and some discoveries. I quite enjoyed this. I read this slowly and took my time with it. 

3/5 

4. Slothida & 5. I Love You More Than my Phone by Dante Fabiero: I read two little comics. About a sloth and a dog and their antics and all kinds of cuteness, these were just so much fun. 

3.5/5 

I read four thrillers this month and I'll talk about all of them in one go. 

6. The Liar's Daughter by Megan Cooley: A book about a young girl who's been freed from her cult and re-united with her birth family and is having a hard time moving from her old life and assimilating with her family and a life free from her old ways. I found this so interesting, I do tend to enjoy books about cults and the power cult leaders hold over their followers, so reading about a person who is still stubbornly holding on to her old values made so much sense. Especially if you came from a cult, which wasn't overtly and obviously abusive. And even if it was, it takes a lot of time and de-programming to find your way back to normal. This was nicely done. 

4/5 

7. Don't Tell a Soul by Kirsten Miller: A thriller with some serious horror vibes. Very atmospheric and has an old creepy house at the heart of it and an old mystery to boot. Fun and I read this in one sitting. So good. 

4/5 

8. Death in Shambles by Stephen Alter: Most comfort reading wrapped in a thriller. There is nothing better than a cozy mystery, it's a genre I enjoy so much. This one set in the hills was a respite from the unreasonable Mumbai heat. I enjoyed my time with this book and more so with it's people. The actual mystery was largely alright and pretty straight forward but the overall atmosphere and vibes was what kept me very invested in this book. 

I did a review for this one too. 

Read it here. 

4/5 

9. The Writing Retreat by Julia Batrz: This book had me at hello! 

I loved so much about it. The setting, the premise of a reclusive horror writer throwing this exclusive writing retreat for emerging talent and things going awry. I was going to eat this book up. 

And for 50% I did, this had me hooked and oddly or not so oddly had me motivated to write. 

Then came the big reveal, obvious reveal and I wanted to kinda scream a little bit. 

It's so silly and so implausible. 

Meh.

No. 

Disappointing AF. 

2/5 

10. The One You Leave Behind by Jennifer McMahon: I adore McMahon's dark, moody and atmospheric thrillers. This one split and going back and forth between 1985 and 2010, tells the story of a notorious serial killer and his last victim and her daughter. It was good, a little slow and not as pacy as it needed to be and then the reveal was so painfully obvious and so much in this narrative made no real sense. 

2/5 

So my thrillers were largely satisfying and two duds, I did enjoyed the journey but in the end two fell kinda flat. 

Meh. 

Now back to some literary fiction. 

11. The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra: This was my most anticipated read of the year. This came out in the end of December and I waited till February to read it for my birthday. I wanted to read something super special for my special day. I have read and absolutely loved both of Malhotra's previous books, both centered about the Partition. I cannot tell you how much I adore those books and I cannot recommend them enough. Run to pick them up, if you haven't already read them. 

When I heard and she was writing her first fiction I was so excited. You know I am a fiction girl through and through, so this was just perfect. 

OK, enough preamble. 

I liked this book. 

Really liked it. 

But I didn't love it, it didn't exactly blow my mind. 

It was nice, solid debut, very well written and Malhotra clearly has a way with words and always does a pitch perfect job with taking you back to a world and time and place that no longer exists. I love her stories and the tone she takes while talking about the worst things that human beings did and are capable of. She also does a great job of world building, here I felt like I was in Lahore, in the lanes of the old city and walking around in Anarkali. 

Yet, something about this didn't 100% work for me. 

The in-depth exploration and all the info dumps about Perfumes and Scents and Ittar making felt a little heavy handed and I found myself disconnecting with the story and the narrative. It would pull me out from the story and take me to a deep dive I didn't ask for. I can see and appreciate the research that went into the making of Ittar and it was fascinating to begin with but the more and more we kept hearing about it, I was tuning out. I would have enjoyed this book so much more had these info dumps being slightly culled. 

A little less ittar and a little more story. 

It is still a beautiful story and full of incredible people that I think you'll enjoy reading about  and I do recommend you pick it up. 

Just some parts left me feeling wanting a little bit more. 

3/5 

12. Interrogation by Sunil Gangopadhyay: I read this tiny novella on Bhasha Diwas aka Internation Mother Language Day. I had to read something from my own language, Bangla. I bought this book for my Birthday. 

I have only ever read historical fiction by Gangopadhyay. 

The wonderful Those Days and First Light and The Last Monarch. I have also read a few Kakababu books. I love his work. I am so grateful for translators and translations that I can read his incredible stories. 

This one was the most modern of his works that I've read. A world of phones and crime solving and sadly a world of human trafficking. 

This book is one part a straight forward interrogation, a cop and his writer friend are talking to a woman who's been rescued from a prostitution ring and has answer that may help solve a mystery. 

But is this woman telling the whole truth? 

Is she who she says she is? 

Is she hiding something? 

Protecting someone?

This novella does such a good job of showing how women are tricked/lured and often times sold into sex work and how their lives change in catastrophic way as a result. It will make you angry and break your heart but it will also show you that goodness exists and sometimes life gives you second chances. 

Loved it. 

4.5/5 

~~~~ 

So there we go. 12 books read and most of them loved. 

I wanted to read more but I didn't force myself to reach some self-ordained goal. 

This was good. 

12 books bought and 12 books read. 

Hope you had a lovely reading month too. 

 :) 

 

Movies and Web Series We've Loved in February 2023

 Hello, hello,

Sharing some of our most loved movies and web series of February 2023! 

Given we have some long weekends coming up in March, these would be good ones to watch. 

Let's get into it! 

1. Mr Queen: A K-drama that is absolutely hilarious and adorable but with a hint of palace/ political intrigue! When a 21st century masterchef falls into a swimming pool, he wakes up in the body of a 19th century queen-to-be. Hilarity ensues as he tries to keep the King at an arm's length, try desperate means to get back to his life and fix things in the past all at the same time! 

2. Crash Course in Romance: An introverted, workaholic Maths tutor falls for an extroverted, kind restaurant owner. This is, however, not just an opposites attract love story but is also a commentary on the brutal education system in Korea, especially, the cut-throat world of competitive exams, special tuition classes for these exams and the toll it takes on students. There is also a bit of a murder mystery going and, overall, this is an interesting show that has something for everyone! 

3. Class: An adaptation/ remake of Netflix's Elite, this show takes a dive into the world of Delhi's super-rich kids, who study in Delhi's top school. There is a murder mystery at the heart of the show, but this is also a show about young people and their lives, issues and the like. A highly watchable show. 

4. Truth Be Told (Season 3): Helmed by the Octavia Spencer and Gabrielle Union, the third season of Truth Be Told, take a look at the world of human trafficking, especially, how young girls are groomed into this life. A very gripping and interesting season this is turning out to be! Streaming on Apple TV.

5. After Party: This show has been out for over a year and I got around to watching it only recently! After Party is a crime comedy show, where a spunky detective (played by Tiffany Haddish) tries to solve a murder during a High School Reunion's after party. A fun watch! Streaming on Apple TV. 

6. The Romantics: A documentary on Yash Chopra, his films and legacy. Truly nostalgic and fun, featuring several actors and actresses that he had worked with all his life. Get ready to feel all of the feels and give in to the urge to re-watch some old favourites like Deewar, Kabhie Khabhie, Chandni, Lamhe... 

7. The Watchful Eye: A building with secrets, a cop who is looking for hidden treasure, a desperate young woman, who needs money.. put all of them together and you have a taut little thriller set in New York. Streaming on Disney+ Hostar, The Watchful Eye is a nice little mystery! 

8. Nothing To Hide: A French movie about a group of friends, who meet for dinner and decide to answer all calls on 'speaker' and read out all texts that arrive in that duration, given they, supposedly, have nothing to hide. Chaos ensues and events happen that will make you question if you really, truly know what is going on with those closest to you! 

9. Pamela, a love story: Pamela Anderson has been known, for most of her life, for being sexy and a sex symbol. Very few of us know the full story of how her private tapes with her then husband, Tommy Lee, were stolen and sold worldwide- a move that led to a divorce, lost career opportunities and general trauma. Do watch this heartwarming documentary about this icon and her opportunity to, finally, reclaim her own story. Streaming on Netflix. 

10. Lost: A young street theatre activist is missing and no one cares. A young journalist is looking for him but is being stalled and threatened at every turn. A commentary on our present political climate and how the media and any voices of dissent are being stifled. Streaming on Zee5. 

Have a great week ahead, folks! 

Book Review: The Magic of the Lost Story by Sudha Murty.

 

Book: The Magic of the Lost Story. 

Author: Sudha Murty 

Illustrator: David Yambem

Publisher: Penguin India 

Pages: 208 

How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 days (with several breaks)

Plot Summary: After staying in the lockdown for over a year, Nooni is now visiting her Ajja-Ajji in Somanahalli. Memories of excavating the famous stepwell and experiencing village life for the first time in The Magic of the Lost Temple are still afresh in Nooni's mind. Excited to finally step out of the confines of her home, little does Nooni know she will make yet another discovery, only this time it's a missing puzzle in her family's history.

Written in India's favourite storyteller's inimitable style, The Magic of the Lost Story captures the value of asking questions and keeping the answers alive. Packed with delightful artworks and wondrous terrains, this story takes you on an unforgettable journey as it follows the magnificent Tungabhadra River.

Review: I read the first book in this series, The Magic of the Lost Temple a few years ago and really loved it. I also did a review for it, you can read it HERE. 

When I saw that there was a new book in this charming series, I knew I had to get my hands on it. 

Things I Liked: 

1. It was so nice to be back with characters I grew to love in the first book. Nooni, Ajja and Ajji and being back in their little village felt so good. Spending time in their village and learning about simple living and new rituals and customs was very wholesome. 

2. The writing as always is wonderful and evocative and full of Sudha Murty's usual charm and wit and quiet life lessons. A delight to immerse yourself in her words and her simple story telling. 

3. I love how this book talks about the lockdown and the impact it had on kids and how it effected them. Nooni, like so many children in India and the world were adversely effected by the pandemic and lockdown. Being stuck at home, missing school, online classes and missing being normal and just being kids is something every one dealt with and I am glad we now have books talking about this. 

4. Nooni is a lovely character and she is still wonderful, courteous and curious and it was so nice spending time with her and going on another adventure with her. 

5. I love that this book teaches you so much about the Tungabhadra river and the villages and towns along it's banks. It taught me so much and this aspect will work great for kids and adults. Especially since we don't learn a whole about rivers in schools. 

6. The lost story is wonderful and might just be my absolute favourite part of the book. It's a story full of courage, loyalty and goodness that everyone will enjoy. So this book has a story within a story and that always feels like a happy bonus. 

7. Actually my favourite part of this book is the older generation. I love books about grandparents. I will always, always want to read something or watch something that features a grandparent, it is my kryptonite. This book not only has the lovely Ajja and Ajji from the previous book but also a new Ajja figure who we meet and he is sweet too. 

8. The book is made so much better with the lovely illustrations. 

Here are some of my absolute favourites. 

Rating: 4/5 

I loved this book, while it is aimed at children, I think it works for kids and adults alike. 

Do pick it up and lose yourself in a far simpler, kinder and gentler world. 

Book Review: Death in Shambles by Stephen Alter.

 

Book: Death in Shambles 

Author: Stephen Alter 

Publisher: Aleph Book Company 

Pages: 216 

How Long it Took Me To Read: 3 days

Plot Summary: Lionel Carmichael, a retired police deputy inspector general, is looking forward to living a quiet, solitary life in the hill station of Debrakot, with an assortment of eccentric neighbours for occasional company. His plans are upended when he is asked by a former colleague, SHO Thapliyal, to help out in a double murder case. The scene of the crime is the ghostly Shambala Villa, or ‘Shambles’, as it is known to the residents of the town, named thus due to its decrepit appearance. The victims of the brutal crimes are Reuben Sabharwal, a self-styled god-man who dabbles in the mysterious and occult, and an unknown woman, dressed in a pale green sari, found hanging by a noose near Reuben’s body.

Trudging through the monsoon rains of Debrakot, Lionel embarks on his journey towards the truth, only to become more and more entangled in a web of deceit and lies. Even as a myriad powerful forces attempt to stop him, Lionel continues to push for the truth—until the sleepy little hill station finally gives up its grim secrets.

Review: Even though it's only February, Mumbai has been insufferably and unreasonably warm. We went from mild and kind days to days that feel like we are in May already. Not fun, not fun at all. 
I don't quite take to hot weather and I was in desperate need for some respite, since I couldn't physically take myself out of my city, I did the next best thing- travel far far away via a book. 

Aren't books just brilliant? 

One moment you are stewing in this unseasonable Mumbai heat and the next you find yourself walking a steep incline in the Himalayas. 

I love the mountains and any excuse to run to them, whether real or fictional is a welcome change. 

So the tagline of this book had me at hello. 

A Hill Station Mystery...why, YES PLEASE?! 

Take me money and sign me up. 

So off I went to Debrakot to tag along while our protagonist solved a couple of murders. 

And this book was just what I needed! 

Things I Loved: 

1. The atmosphere of this book was just spot on. The hills, the old derelict homes, the hint of cult and some suspicious individuals, this book capture all of these things so well and make you feel like you are right there. 

2. The writing is lovely, both the mystery elements and just the general musings and character and world building has been done so well. We've read Alter before, we in fact bought his books in Mussoorie when we were last there and we really enjoyed this work, this book is also very well-written. 

3. If you are in the mood for a cozy mystery, this is the book to run to/turn to now. It's cozy and the people and the place just add to the cozy murdery vibes. 

4. Well, while this is cozy, it doesn't mean that the murders or the mystery at hand is not gruesome or gory. There are three murders and the pace and the investigation is what you'd expect and want in a murder mystery. 

5. The characters in the book are so wonderful and especially the little community, of largely older people was just wonderful to get to know and spend time with. 

6. Lionel Carmichael, our leading man is just the kind of person you'd want to investigate your murder (if God forbid you were to meet a sticky end). He is honest and upright, kind and straight forward and he seems so utterly real that if you found yourself on a walk in Landour, you'd expect him to walking a few feet away from you. I hope there are more books with him solving cases, because we need more of him. 

7. If you like cults and the cons of Godmen, this book has both and I think you'd like reading about Reuben, one of our victims and resident conman. 

8. And finally, this book felt like a long due holiday to Landour, which if you know me you'd know that it's pretty much one of my favourite places on Earth. It's where I imagine I am when life feels too much. It's my escape and I cannot wait to go back. For now, reading about Debrakot and it's homes and gardens and shops and people and trees acted as a salve to my Landour craving heart. 

Here are some pictures of Landour that I clicked on my first trip there. 

Aaahh! Take me back! 

Rating: 4/5 

I highly recommend this book, especially if you find yourself in the mood for the hills, mysteries, cults and a murder or two. 

Haul: Hand-stitched Notebooks from The Black Canvas

 Hello, hello,

One can never have enough notebooks, right? 

So, when we saw these beautiful hand-stitched with three-different-types of paper notebooks launched by the lovely Khyati of The Black Canvas, we simply had to get them!

Quick haul and many pics follow :) 

Here is how they arrive! Love their black packaging!! 

We ordered one in the Slim (fits the standard TN) and one in the A6 size. 

This is the 'Hinterland' set and right now there are 4 different prints available! All are lovely! 

Look how pretty!!! 

Each of them comes with three types of papers- white unlined, kraft and black! So excited to use them in the spring-early summer for journaling. 

The paper quality of the cover and the inside pages feels very premium and lovely. I can't wait to get started with my journal next month! 

Hope you enjoyed this little haul. 

Check out The Black Canvas for more of these notebooks and a bunch of other goodies! 

Happy Valentine's Day, guys! 

Book Haul: The First Books of 2023. (Bengali Classics).

 Hello Loves! 

This post is super duper late. 

I should have had this up wayyyy back in January, seeing that these books were ordered on the 1st of Jan. 

I decided to start my year with buying some books, as you do. And I also felt that it was the perfect start to my New Year. Books are always a good start and a good way to welcome newness. 

I bought two beautiful books from my corner of the world- Bengal.

I picked two classics and I cannot wait to read them. 

Let's see the prettiness. 

I have read this book before. But I wasn't the biggest fan of the translation. So when I saw that Penguin Modern Classics had a translation I had to get my hands on it. I am very happy to own this copy and read it eventually. I am thinking of reading this in April for my All Bengali Books in April. 

I am hoping to read this and then binge the Ray adaptations of it. 

It will break my heart but it seems like a good way to celebrate Bengaliness. 

Gosh I love this cover art so damn much! 

And then there is this beauty. 

Ah! 

So gorgeous! 

This cover just called out to me. 

And a Tagore novella is a good idea. 

This should be a good read and I might just save it for April too. 

I can't think of better books to start my year. 

BOOKS BOUGHT: 

Pather Panchali by Bibhutibushan Bandopadhyay 

Four Chapters by Rabindranath Tagore 

Happy Reading Loves :) 

Stationery Sunday: January Journal.

 Hello Loves! 

For today's post I want to share my beautiful daily journal from January. 

I went all out. 

I bought this gorgeous TN from The Black Canvas last year and saved it for 2023 and in January I brought it out in January. I love it so much. 

The insert is from a shop called Softly Vintage and has a mix of different kinds of papers, handmade and transparent and regular. The size is a little off. I thought it would fit a standard sized TN but it's slightly big and stuck out slightly but I made it work. 

Let's take a little look shall we. 

Here she is all her glory. 

Love the grain on the leather and the feel of her. 

The typewriter just has my whole heart. 

A closer look. 

Think. 

Write.

Create. 

I also set up a little folder that I had lying around. 

Put some stickers and covered it with some papers, all from The Planner Society. 

January Journal. 

This is a cover of the insert that I decorated. 

I wanted something super positive and hopeful and encouraging and I think this collage kinda gives that vibe. 

End pages if you will. 

This cute bear is a page marker/sticky note from Accessorize which I've had for years. 

More decor and aesthetic-ness. 

The first page was a very thin page, so I figured out I would just go ahead and decorate and not write on it. 

Set some Goals for 2023. 

Here's hoping I stick to some of them. 

And then we start journaling. 

Below are some more pages from my January Journal. 

Mostly writing and some creative journaling spreads. And some pages documenting some things I bought and did. 

I filled up every single page of this journal and I am so happy with how this turned out. 

:) 

Life Lately: Days of February.

Hello Loves! 

How is your weekend going? 

Mine is thankfully being all sorts of restful and full of books. 

Reading was sorta slow in the beginning of this month, but in the last few days I've been reading a book a day and life feels good again. 

So far in, February seems a little listless and stressful.  And to make matters worse, it's getting hot! Like properly hot here in Mumbai. 

Yuck. 

I hate it so much, I was naively hoping it would stay cool till my birthday but no, we are well into summer. 

Ugh! 

So solace is being found in cold juices, iced-coffee and stories. 

My birthday week starts on Monday and I am determined to have a fabulous week. 

Orange juice. 

Cold as can be. 

New additions to home. 

Art that I've had for a while and love so much from Diary of a Flower Girl. 

The little ceramic bell is new and came as a freebie with a coffee mug I recently got from Orange Skies. 

Had rasbharis after absolute ages and they were wonderful. We used to have them quite regularly back in Lucknow, a neighbour of ours owned a farm that grew the sweetest rasbharis. 

I bought so many amazing books in January, I really need to do a book haul or two. 

Currently trying to pick some near future reads from this stunning pile. 

A happy corner of home. 

All of February and actually all of this year, I've been really good about keeping up with my journals and planners. And I really hope this streak continues through the year. I find so much joy and sense of calm when I just sit and journal. It's the perfect way to spend some time with myself and my thoughts. 

~~~~ 

I've also been watching so many films and TV shows. 

Eating a ton of fruits. 

Thinking about the future. 

Buying a few treats and things. 

:) 

All I want to do this month is find little joys and be happy. 

Haul from The White Ink Papeterie

 Hello, hello,

Sharing a lovely haul of notebooks and pouches from The White Ink Papeterie. 

This huge notebook- think it is A3 in size- is part of a set. It came with a matching daisy print pouch and an acrylic cat and daisies keychain! So cute! 

This is the keychain that came with the set! The girl stickers are their own thing. Love the art and quirky designs.  

Here is a better shot of the cat keychain! Isn't it cute? The acrylic is very high quality. 

Here is the daisy pouch! It is quite large and can easily fit a couple of thin A5 sized notebooks and a bunch of other things. It is made out of very high quality canvas and the print is really good quality as well! Super happy with these! 

This is the other pouch we got. It comes with a floral notebook. 

All the sheets in the notebooks are perforated and can be easily torn out, which is always a handy feature. 

Check them out if you are looking for notebooks, pouches, stickers and other stationery bits and bobs.

Hello February 2023 + Planner and Journal Pages.

 Hello Loves! 

I seem to have fallen off the blogging spree. 

I don't like not being regular here, to me this space feels like an extension of my journal. 

February is my birthday month. 

It's obviously my most favourite month in the whole entire year. 

I start this month with so much joy and excitement in my heart and the thing is, I am not even that big on my birthday. I actually get a little blue when my birthday rolls in. 

It's on the 18th if you were wondering. 

But February arrives and lifts my spirits. 

Hello February! 

Hello Darlingggggest of months! 

Be Good. 

Be Kind. 

Be Wonderful!!!! 

I hope this month is great for you and me. 

:) 

I think it's so hardwired in me to be excited this month, it's a decades worth of habitual joy and I literally started this month dancing as the clock struck 12! 

Life has been good so far this month. 

There were some minor inconveniences. But then...that's just life! 

I've been doing little things that make me happy and I've been journaling a ton this month. 

Above are pictures from my February Daily Journal. 

I decorated my heart out and made my journal as pretty as I can. 

I love the colours I went with, used my favourite colours- pink and purple. 

:) 

I stuck to the same colour scheme in my planner as well. 

Went allllll purple. 

I mostly used my brush pens but I also used some crayons in some of the spreads to just try it out and see how it goes. 

I don't usually colour every single spread (mainly because it's the same artwork and I do like the monochrome vibe of it all) but for my birthday month I decided to go all out and colour in every week. 

I was feeling a little blue one morning, so I put on some music and coloured and coloured for hours. 

And I felt so much better by the end of it. 

:) 

Oh, I've also done some decor, will show my complete pages in a separate post. 

Went with yellow for my birthday week. 

And pink to end the month. 

Planner and Journal sitting together. 

My planner is from Roohani Rang. 

My journal, an A6 notebook is from my forever favourite Kikkik. 

:) 

Life has been slow and full of films and very slow reading. 

I am currently reading two books and I haven't finished a single book so far in Feb, which for me is a big deal. 

I am reading..

Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor~~~ which is sooooo hyped right now. They are calling it India's answer to the Godfather. I don't know about that, I am about 45% in and it's pretty good. Very gritty but good and I am curious to see where the novel goes from here. 

I am also reading a non-fiction read, a graphic novel/book called The People of the Indus, which I am really enjoying and I am hoping to just sit still and finish off today. 

So the plan for today is to get some reading done, maybe even finish one of my current reads. 

Rest my eyes. 

Eat something delish. 

And chill and start my week on a good note. 

:) 

Hope February has been good to you so far and I hope the rest of this month is good too. 

:)