Book Review: The Blind Matriarch by Namita Gokhale.

 

Book: The Blind Matriarch 

Author: Namita Gokhale 

Publisher: Penguin India 

Pages: 208 

Read On: Hardback Edition 

How Long it Took Me To Read: 3 days (with many breaks) 

Review: In the time between me buying this book and finally getting around to reading it, I had sort of forgotten what this book was exactly about (major bookish problems!). So I went into this pretty blind (pun not intended at all). And it took me by surprise. I found myself back in time. A time we have all lived through and survived and dealt with in our own ways. The Pandemic. 

2020. 

Honestly, even reading that gets my heart going. 

It's some kind of PTSD to even think about the days of stress, checking yourself for symptoms and washing everything in sight and disinfecting within an inch of your life. 

God, I don't think we give ourselves enough credit for making it through those days. 

Of course, those of us who were lucky to make it through and survive. 

Countless people didn't. 

It's a good thing I went in blind, I don't know if I would have been brave enough to pick this book up otherwise, in March no less. Just three years out. It took me right back to those eerily quiet days and nights. 

Things I Loved: 

1. I absolutely love reading about families and their many little inside quirks and equations and resentments and secret histories. Give me a story about an Indian joint family and see me relish every single word. This book was a treat. A mother, her three children and their families made for a very interesting, yet very rooted in reality read. I also loved the writing. This is my second book by the author and I have a few others on my shelves that I want to get to quickly. 

2. This book is full of characters that I felt like I knew. The dutiful, endlessly do-gooder daughter, a idealistic son and a younger son who has grown up a little too pampered and a tad bit selfish. None of these characters felt like caricatures and were flawed but good and solidly real. And each person has their own thing going on- the search for true purpose, the search for their biological family, someone worrying about their career and someone wondering if their life has meant anything at all. Feelings and inner turmoils we can all relate to. 

3. Our title character, the blind matriarch is like so many women and mothers in our country. Women who've lived quiet, unhappy lives and often lived with domestic abuse and emotional abuse and kept quiet and carried on. Their hopes and dreams and aspirations set aside to keep the Great Indian Family going and to think they do all of this happily, never really wondering if they ought to leave. Of course, for many women, even today, leaving is really not an option. Yet these women make happy homes for their children and raise them with love and affection. I honestly, don't know how they do it. How do you have any hope and love left in your heart when your marriage has become a place of stress of violence?! 

4. I love the depiction of a joint family, I mean not in the strictest sense, this is a family with separate kitchens and pretty independent lives. It was refreshing to read about a family sans the hyperbolic dimensions often tacked on my popular depictions of Indian joint families- you know over dramatic TV shows and films. This is how a family often is, there are undercurrents of resentment, old issues, money tussles, jealousy and a quiet judgement of the other that only your close family is capable of. And there is love, the kind that binds and changes but never really goes away. The family here is pitch perfect. 

5. My favourite thing here however was the depiction of those days in 2020 when we all came to  a screeching halt. When the world seemed insane and unreal. The doom scrolling, the worrying about every little thing and seeing the world grind to a halt and slowly fall apart...honestly it feels like it happened yesterday. The book took me back, and brought the anxiety and throbbing worry of those days back to life. The hopelessness and the ways in all of us came together and the apathy of those in charge. All of this is just brought to life in all it's messy shades. 

Rating: 4.5/5 

I loved this book and I am so glad I picked it up and in March to boot. 

Cannot recommend it enough. 

Book Review: You Can't Hide by Emily Shiner

 

Book: You Can't Hide

Author: Emily Shiner 

Pages: 255

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: 2.5 hours 

Plot Summary: 

Beth thought she’d escaped her past. She was wrong.

Beth and Ian are desperate to have a child. So much so that they decide to sell his family cabin in upstate New York to pay for IVF.

When they arrive at the cabin, they meet Ryan, the caretaker. But Ryan is not who he says he is… He’s here because he knows Beth has a dark secret. And now he intends to use it against her.

He threatens to tell Ian everything about Beth's past unless she does exactly what he says.

Beth finds herself caught in a nightmarish trap. If Ian discovers what she’s been hiding from him, she’s sure he’ll leave her. She’ll lose everything she cares about, including the chance to have a child of her own.

On the other hand, what Ryan wants her to do is so dark and twisted it’s beyond horrifying.

Either way, Beth is sure her life is over, she can see no way out. Unless… Unless she digs deep and finds a part of herself that is willing to do something so awful it doesn’t even bear thinking about. 

Things I Liked: 

1. The book's premise was interesting- a woman with a dark past and a mysterious man, who wants to use those secrets from her past to get her to do something bad. Nice, right? I was curious to see how this story pans out because threatening desperate people doesn't usually work out very well for the one doing the threatening, you know. 

2. This is a very fast-paced, taut thriller and there is never a dull moment in this book. The writing is good and there is a sense of palpable tension unfolding as you go down the chapters and Beth's story unfolds. The book is very atmospheric and that adds to the tension and stress as events in the story unfold. 

3. The story unfolds via a split-time narrative. We see Lizzy's story in the past and Beth's story in the present. Lizzy is married to a local doctor in small town Alabama and everyone in town seems to think that she is the luckiest girl alive to have married a wealthy, successful and good looking man. Except, Lizzy's husband is not all of that. Lizzy's story is full of tension and even though you know where it is headed, you feel anxious and worried about her. Beth's story also has an underlying thread of dread as we know Ryan is not the sweet caretaker hired online by Beth's husband- something Beth realises but her husband is oblivious to it. So, both stories have a lot of tension and the book keeps you hooked throughout. 

4. There are a couple of twists in the tale- you may be able to guess most of them- but they are nicely done nevertheless. 

5. The ending is satisfying and all loose ends are tied up well. 

Rating: 4/5 

This book is part of Kindle Unlimited's collection and you can read it for FREE if you have a Kindle Unlimited membership. 

Book Review: The Girl in the Glass Case by Devashish Sardana

 

Book: The Girl in the Glass Case

Author: Devashish Sardana 

Pages: 344

Read: The paperback pictured above 

Read in: ~3.5 hours 

Plot Summary: Simone Singh is a feisty IPS officer who would rather spend her days locking up criminals than apologizing for her lack of social skills. Freshly back from an unjust suspension, Simone is forced to team up with DSP Zoya Bharucha, an empathetic officer who's as loved in the police force as Simone is shunned. 

Tasked with hunting the Doll Maker-who dresses up her victims as pretty Barbie dolls and displays them in glass cases-both must set aside their differences and work together as one team. But Simone and Zoya know that time is running out to piece together the clues as the Doll Maker has made it clear that she has just begun. 

Things I Liked: 

1. This book had an interesting premise- two active serial killers in a small town (Bhopal), who have left the local cops overwhelmed. What is not to like, eh? As everyone, who has read this blog for longer than a week will know, we love a good serial killer story! :) 

2. The book is fast-paced and competently written, which is always a good thing. The writing in Indian books in English can range from being sublime (Amitav Ghosh, Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy, Jhumpa Lahiri and many others) to be complete garbage (Chetan Bhagat et al). So, it is always a nice thing to find an Indian author with a competent command over the English language. 

3. The build-up of the two mysteries- the two serial killers The Doll Maker (kills and dresses up kids as Barbie Dolls) and The Clipper (kills trans women and sends their privates to the cops)- is very intense and interesting. The author pulls you into this world where these two killers kill with impunity. We get to see chapters from the perspective of the killers as well as of the cops and this keeps the tempo of the narrative fast-paced and interesting. 

4. The ending is satisfactory and has a few ups-and-downs and dramatic moments before the story ends- always a nice thing. 

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. Being an avid reader and consumer of crime fiction and true crime, I guessed each and every 'reveal'/ 'twist' a mile off! In fact, in the very first chapter, I turned to my sister and guessed one of the big reveals in the book very accurately. At the ~30% mark, I accurately guessed another 'twist' in the identities of the two serial killers. So, this book is kind of predictable and it uses tropes that are very common in international crime fiction books and series and can be spotted a mile off by anyone who is an avid follower of the genre. 

2. There is little to no character development or even explanations of characters' motivations in this book. The hero cop - Simone Singh- is described as someone, who is angry and has "poor people skills" and that's that. There is no exploration on what makes her that way and we have to put up with chapters and chapters of her 'rage' and 'anger' without any context. 

Similarly, the killers suffer from severe psychological issues and apart from some bare bones mentions of the triggers for it, we don't have any satisfying explanations on why the killers have these issues. Did they always have a certain crisis of identity or was it something imposed on them by their mother? 

The lack of depth in all characters was very disappointing. 

Rating: 3.5/5 

Worth one read. If you are not an avid crime fiction reader, then you may find this book's twists enjoyable. 

Stationery Sunday: Notebook Haul from The Ink Bucket.

 Hello Loves! 

Long time no post! 

Life has been a little busy and truth be told this heat is getting to me. 

How are we already blistering and uncomfortable in March!? 

I shudder to think what May will do to us! 

Spring isn't supposed to be this lethal. 

Talking of Spring, let's get into the little notebook haul which is just perfect for Spring. 

The Ink Bucket recently launched some gorgeous notebooks and notepads and I had to get myself some of the beauties because there is no such thing as too many notebooks. 

You always need a notebook or two close at hand and ready to use. 

So let's just jump into the haul. 

I got three notebooks in total. 

One hardback. 

And two that came in a set. 

And one notepad. 

Floral goodness. 

I am so in love with these notebooks. 

This one might just be my favourite. 

I mean look how utterly gorgeous!? 

Ah! 

Pretty as can be. 

A closer look. 

The notebooks are nicely made and sturdy and solid. 

This is the title page. 

The set of two. 

I love these guys. 

This is the perfect length of notebook to take on a little trip and document your travels. Stick things and write things. 

These will also make great handbag notebooks. 

I cannot with how gorgeous these are! 

And finally the notepad. 

I plan on using the pages in my journal. 

:) 

Really happy with everything we've got. 

Go check out the new launch from The Ink Bucket. 

Book Review: Now You See Us by Balli Kaur Jaswal

 

Book: Now You See Us

Author: Balli Kaur Jaswal 

Pages: 320 

Read on: Kindle

Read in: 4 hours 

Plot Summary: Corazon, Donita, and Angel are Filipina domestic workers—part of the wave of women sent to Singapore to be cleaners, maids, and caregivers.

Corazon: A veteran domestic worker, Cora had retired back to the Philippines for good, but she has returned to Singapore under mysterious circumstances. Now she’s keeping a secret from her wealthy employer, who is planning an extravagant wedding for her socialite daughter.

Donita: Barely out of her teens, this is Donita’s first time in Singapore, and she’s had the bad luck to be hired by the notoriously fussy Mrs. Fann. Brazen and exuberant, Donita’s thrown herself into a love affair with an Indian migrant worker.

Angel: Working as an in-home caregiver for an elderly employer, Angel is feeling blue after a recent breakup with the woman she loves. She’s alarmed when her employer’s son suddenly brings in a new nurse who may be a valuable ally...or meant to replace her.

Then an explosive news story shatters Singapore’s famous tranquility—and sends a chill down the spine of every domestic worker. Flordeliza Martinez, a Filipina maid, has been arrested for murdering her female employer. The three women don’t know the accused well, but she could be any of them; every worker knows stories of women who were scapegoated or even executed for crimes they didn’t commit.

Shocked into action, Donita, Corazon, and Angel will use their considerable moxie and insight to piece together the mystery of what really happened on the day Flordeliza’s employer was murdered. After all, no one knows the secrets of Singapore’s families like the women who work in their homes. 

Things I Liked: 

1. This is a lovely book with a lot of heart! Just like Jaswal's debut novel - Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows- was! I was so happy to read another great book by this author, given I did not enjoy the second book she wrote! In this one, Jaswal is back in form - writing with a lot of heart and giving us some wonderfully memorable characters to boot! 

2. This book is set in the world of domestic workers in Singapore. Most of these hardworking women are from the Philippines and in this book we get to peek into their lives and come away horrified! Anyone who knows even a little about how domestic workers are treated in Asian countries will know that Filipina maids have endured horrible working conditions both in Singapore and the Middle East. The author goes beyond the headlines and looks the very real, big and small, ways in which these women are dehumanised on a regular basis as if that is such a normal thing to do. From Donita's abusive "madam" - Mrs. Fann to Angel's boss' son- Raja, who can't seem to keep his hands off of her, we get to see some types of abuse these women are subject to. It is horrifying and heartbreaking! 

3. Even though it was difficult to read about the abuse and challenged faced by Donita, Angel and Cora, I loved getting to know them! The author brings these women to life so skilfully and makes the reader get to know and fall in love with them! Each of these women is strong, resilient and have not lost their spirits in spite of everything they've been through over the years. You just root for each of them to live their best possible lives! 

4. Though this book is being marketed as a literary thriller, it is not really a murder mystery. The three woman don't really use their "considerable moxie" to "piece together the mystery of what really happened". Nope. That does not happen. So, if you think you are going to get a story about three maids solving a murder, nope, that's not what this book is about at all and thank God for that! 

This book does have a murder in it and one of the maids these three women know is arrested for it but there is no active investigation done by three of them as a team. The book is very real in the sense that these are not women with any meaningful amounts of free time that they can go about solving murders. They do what they do within the very real limitations of time, concerns about their own futures and how much realistically they could achieve given they are so marginalised and looked down upon within the Singaporean establishment. 

5. The writing is lovely and atmospheric. The world of each of these women comes alive and you feel like you are right there with each of them during moments of fear, anger and dread. 

6. The character growth and journeys are very nicely done and very satisfying. Don't want to spoil the book for you but it is a journey worth going on with our ladies! 

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Review: Villainy by Upamanyu Chatterjee

 

Book: Villainy 

Author: Upamanyu Chatterjee 

Pages: 336

Read: The hardcover edition pictured above 

Read in: ~4 hours 

Plot Summary: Walkers in a Delhi neighbourhood park come upon a body on a mid-winter morning—an unidentified body, unremarkable but for an extraordinary scar right between the eyes. 

A delinquent teenager—who prefers, to the rest of living, an Ecstasy pill with a beer, and the interior of an expensive car with a gun in his pocket—leaves home one evening for a joyride in his father’s Mercedes. 

In the nineteen years separating these episodes, five killings take place—and one near-fatal battery—none of which would have happened if a school bus hadn’t been in the wrong lane. Deals are struck between masters and servants, money changes hands, assurances are given and broken. The wheels of justice turn, forward, backwards and sideways, pause and turn again. Old alliances are tested and new ones are formed in prison cells, mortuaries and court rooms. And every life is a gamble, for no one is entirely innocent. 

A meticulously crafted literary thriller, Upamanyu Chatterjee’s seventh novel is a riveting story of crime and retribution, and a meditation on the randomness of evil, death and redemption. It will keep you spellbound till the end.

Things I Liked: 

1. This is a story that is, unfortunately, so commonplace that for the first third of the book, I fought the urge to not read it. See, here is what happens, In 1996, a spoilt rich 18-year-old boy called Pukhraj, in a haze of booze and ecstasy, driven also by his own sociopathy, brutally kills two people and a dog. So, what do you think happens when something like this happens? The rich parents want to put the blame on the closest poor person they can find. In this case, it is Parmatma, the bright, hardworking, 16-year-old son of Pukhraj's driver, who happened to be present during a part of those crimes and had tried to stop Pukhraj. So, see why I didn't want to read this book after the first 1/3rd of it! However, here is what I'd beseech you to do, read on! Give this book a chance and it will surprise you! 

2. This is a very immersive novel. If you've read Chatterjee's high acclaimed debut novel English, August, you know that the man can write and he can take you right where he is and build a world so vividly that you can imagine being posted in small-town nowhere India as an IAS officer. Similarly, in Villainy, Chatterjee brings Delhi alive- from the lives of the uber-rich to the gritty prisons to the police stations to how the poor, disenfranchised and marginalised live. This is an immersive, atmospheric book and it sucks you into the Delhi of 1995-96. 

3. Each and every character in this book is well etched out and, as a reader, you get to know these people, get under their skin and truly understand them. This is one of my favourite aspects about literary thrillers. It is not just a whodunnit but also a study in the people and systems of power involved in the whole crime-and-punishment saga. 

4. Do not want to spoil things but I love the whole take on the word 'villainy' in this book. Villainy and cunning. The rich are the villains but what about the poor? Are they cunning or villainous? Can they be clever? Can they outwit the rich? I do not want to spoil the book for you, but you'll know what I mean when you read this book. 

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. This book is not fast-paced or like a typical thriller. It meanders a bit and there a lot of details that are, perhaps, not strictly necessary. It lacks a bit of a punch sometimes, but these can be forgiven because the narrative makes up for it. 

Rating: 4.5/5 

A very well written literary thriller with a nice twist. 

 

Book Review: The Daughters of Madurai by Rajasree Variyar. (Femme March).

 

Book: The Daughters of Madurai 

Author: Rajasree Variyar 

Pages: 336

Publisher: Union Square & Co. 

How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 days 

Read On: Kindle 

Plot Summary: Madurai, 1992. A young mother in a poor family, Janani is told she is useless if she can’t produce a son—or worse, if she bears daughters. They let her keep her first baby girl, but the rest are taken away as soon as they are born, and murdered. But Janani can’t forget the daughters she was never allowed to love . . .

Sydney, 2019. Nila has a secret; one she’s been keeping from her parents for too long. Before she can say anything, her grandfather in India falls ill, so she agrees to join her parents on a trip to Madurai. Nila knows little about where her family came from or who they left behind. What she’s about to learn will change her forever.

While The Daughters of Madurai explores the harrowing issue of female infanticide, it’s also a universal story about the bond between mothers and daughters, the strength of women, the power of love in overcoming all obstacles—and the secrets we must keep to protect the ones we hold dear.

Review: This was first read for this year's Femme March, a month long reading spree focussed on women and women writers. A way to celebrate and honour Women's History Month. And boy oh boy, did I pick the perfect book to kick off this month or what? 

This book was a perfect read for this month, where I hope apart from just reading women, we read issues that plague women, both at home and away. This book with its heart breaking and, all too real, issues of female infanticide is what we need to read, learn and talk about. It's a reality, even today all over our country and even the subcontinent. A dastardly crime, an unspeakable violence against little girls that is done in the name of what? Family honour? Tradition? Legacy? UGH! When will be stop? When will our girls be safe in the womb and in their homes? When will family stop committing these atrocious crimes against its girls? 

I hope I live long enough to see female foeticide and infanticide become a thing of the past. Something we acknowledge and mourn and something we never, ever, ever do again. 

Things I Loved: 

1. This book did something I didn't expect it to do- it changed some of my biases I didn't even know I had. See, I, very naively, thought that the South of India was so much more evolved when it came to certain things. Female infanticide, I thought, was clearly a North and rest of India problem. This obviously didn't happen in the South, surely not! Well, I was so wrong. So so wrong. Turns out we are all equally and horribly similar when it comes to this particular crime and injustice. I did a little reading and turns out there were rampant instances of female infanticide in the South up until the 1990s. Then steps were taken to curb these crimes and several orphanages and homes were set up, where parents could leave their unwanted children, mostly girls safely. This book made me learn something and unlearn some biases I held on to and opened my eyes. 

2. The writing is decent and the author does a great of job making both our timelines come alive. 

3. I love books split in two time periods. Here we spend time in 2019 and in 1992/93 and I liked the back and forth and I also really liked that we spend more time in 1993 where more critical things are happening in our story. I really appreciate that we aren't pulled into 2019 just for the heck of it and we spend more time with the people and situation in 1993. 

4. Everything that happens here feels so incredibly real and not dramatic or cinematic, whether it's the abuse and torture in a marital home, whether it's an upper class/caste home and it's problems and struggles or the lives of women living in poverty and trying to do their best for themselves and their children. Nothing is over dramatised. Even the love story (which is a small portion of the narrative) is so so real and entirely believable. 

5. At the heart of this book are two women. 

Janani and Nila. Mother and Daughter. 

Both have their journeys and mountains to climb and each of these women are brought to life in these pages. 

Janani was my favourite. She is someone you'll find yourself rooting for from the get go. Her life and the things she's had to overcome and life with and make peace are incredible and to see her do her best and put one foot in front of the other is quietly inspirational. You wish her well, your heart rages and breaks for her. To see her find her voice, to find her strength and become the woman she eventually becomes was a treat to read. 

Nila has her own issues she struggles with, her quest for her past and a big secret she's keeping from those she loves and her chaffing against the hold her mother and her approval has on her life. I liked her and her need for answers and her coming to terms with her truth. 

6. This book is full of incredible characters, apart from our main characters, the supporting cast characters is ones you love and grow to care about. Subha, Janani's close friend and confidante, Nila's cousins in India and Sanjay- wonderful and kind and generous Sanjay, father to Nila and husband and support system to Janani. 

I love books filled with good people and acts of kindness and this book had so many people who you want to reach in and hug. 

7. I loved that this book shows us how the people who did these horrible things, you took baby girls from their mother's arms and killed them within hours of being born were people, just people you know and not always monsters. Are they evil? God, yes! But are they also just people moulded by their circumstances and society at large, mothers-in-law who've been through the same hell in turn do the same thing to their daughters-in-law and the cycle continues. But we see their pain, the hell they've been through and how something as unimaginably cruel as killed babies gets normalised. This very act of the victim becoming a perpetrator is called 'Patriarchal Bargain', where women, who are victims of the patriarchy become its enforcer in return for getting more power, respect or autonomy. So, while these women can't be forgiven or their actions condoned, but it is worth remembering that they are victims (of a kind) too. 

Things I Didn't Like: 

I liked this book for most part, I just have two minor issues. 

1. Janani marries Sanjay in 1993. They are childhood friends turned partners. I really liked how these two people realise the depths of their feelings for each other and come together. But...now this is a small spoiler, but not a major thing- Janani is Sanjay's family's long time cleaner and domestic help. Her mother served the family before her and then she took over her duties. The fact that Sanjay marries her and his family, while upset, eventually come around and accept her...eventually. See, here's the thing- an Indian family, an upper caste, upper class family would never be this chill about it. I just don't see how they'd, even in a couple of years, let this go and treat Janani with any kindness or accept her into the fold. Can you imagine the aunties in a family like this ever, ever treat a woman like this with an iota of kindness or let her forget where she came from? I think not. This aspect of the book felt a little bit unreal to me. 

2. There is this big secret Nila has which was 

a) Obvious as hell. 

b) I am not sure how I felt about {Spoiler Alert} someone being queer being used a 'mystery' 'big reveal' plot point. 

3. The end of the 1993 portion was a bit rushed in my opinion. We don't see Sanjay and Janani come together and the shit storm that must have raised back then, it was glossed over and done away with very quickly. I would have liked to see a little bit more this. 

Rating: 4/5 

I really liked this book and I am so glad, I almost randomly found my way to it. 

Highly recommend. 

Book Review: The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

 

Book: The Writing Retreat 

Author: Julia Bartz 

Pages: 320 

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: 3 hours 

Plot Summary: Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement.

But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she must discover the truth—or suffer the same fate.

Things I Liked: 

1. The premise of this book was interesting and had all the elements of the slasher-horror genre that I usually tend to enjoy- a ragtag group of people, stuck in the middle of nowhere, mysterious background of the house where the retreat is happening and the writers start disappearing! What is not to like? 

2. Alex and her ex-BFF (best friend forever), Wren, are both at the same writing retreat and the book also delves into their frayed dynamic and we get to see their past and what led to them no longer being friends. So, that aspect of the book was nice as well.

3. The house where the retreat happens has a murky past. The original owners of the house died under mysterious circumstances and the owner's wife was supposed to have been communing with a demon called Lamia. So, it is believed that Lamia still haunts the mansion and when the first writer disappears, there are people in the house, who believe there is a supernatural element behind her disappearance. 

4. The book is quite fast-paced and makes for a quick read. 

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. The big reveal is quite obvious. I mean, you almost think that this can't be it, right? So, that was a bit disappointing! 

2. Also, the events towards the end of the book cross all boundaries of plausibility! I mean, some of the things that happen are so ridiculous and 'out there' and it doesn't work at all! 

3. There are several female characters but none of them are built up or sketched out sufficiently. There is little to no character development and you feel you don't get to know these women at all! It is very superficial and surface-level character descriptions rather than letting us get to know, at least, a couple of these characters. 

Rating: 2/5 

This is a very hyped up book and is being recommended all over social media! I don’t know why?! 

This book is really awful and is a total waste of time and money! Stay away! 

Stationery Sunday: Journal from Doodle O Drama

 Hello, hello,

Sharing a quick look at this adorable square journal that my sister gave me for my birthday! It is from Doodle O Drama and I absolutely love it! 

Let's take a look at this cuteness! 

The 'Life's Good' journal comes with its own little dust bag and I love the illustration on in and the message of 'carry your own sunshine'. 

This is what the journal looks like. It is square and medium sized and is a pretty open-ended journal that has a few prompts but otherwise has space for you to use it as you like it. So, make it into a gratitude journal or use it for making lists or sticking things. Totally up to you! 

Look at the cute illustrations on it! Aaaahhh! So cute!!! 

Like I said, it has some prompts or some pages marked out for goals etc. but a lot of pages are left blank for you to use. The paper feels really good quality and I believe it will take gel, ball and ink pens quite well. 

There is also a matching bookmark and a little pocket with stickers in it. The planner comes with 3 sheets of stickers and you could tuck in other stickers, washi samples and what nots in there. The journal closes with an elastic band and also has a pen loop. 

I can't wait to start using it and will share more pics as I do!

Hope you've had a nice weekend! 

Hello March 2023 + Journal & Planner Pages + Current Read for Femme March.

 Hello March! 

Hello Spring! 

Hello the Season of Iced-Drinks and cold showers and warm days. 

And Hello Women's History Month and reading only Women Writers all month long. 

I am doing #FemmeMarch again and I am looking forward to all the amazing stories and voices I'll read this month. 

Hello March! 

Be Good! 

Be Gentle! 

Be Kind! 

Be Fun! 

I am happy you are here March! 

:) 

Here is what I am reading to kickstart my reading for Femme March. 

The Daughters of Madurai by Rajashree Variyar is a story told partly in 1993 and 2019. About a young mother battling against  gender based discrimination and the fear of female infanticide. It's the perfect book to read during this month. A book about a reality so many women face in India even today. The pressure of producing a male child, a boy to carry forth the family name and being glory to the family. A world where even in 2023, having a girl child is seen as a misfortune. Even today illegal sex determination tests are done  to determine if the child is male or female. 

I was naively under the impression that this problem and the unspeakable crime of female infanticide was limited to the North, Central and Western India. That the South was somehow magically free of this poison. But boy was I wrong. In some ways our country is eerily similar in all the wrong ways. 

This book has given me a lot to think about and a lot to learn and unlearn. 

I am 36% in and I am really enjoying it. 

I am hoping to read a chunk of it tonight and maybe finishing it over the weekend. 

Review coming soon. 

Now on to happier thing. 

I spent the morning of March 1st setting up my Spring Journal and setting up my March planner and Journal Pages. It's how I like to begin a new month and it's one of my routines that I immensely enjoy. It's my perfect idea of how to begin a new month and set some goals and plan out the broader strokes of the new month. 

Here are my planner pages for the first week of March and my beautiful journal. 

Kept things floral and pretty in this spread. 

Used bits I've had in my stash for a while. Made a Spring appropriate collage. 

A closer look. 

I love the colours and the colour palette in this page. 

March. 

:) 

Now for my pretty little journal which I am so in love with. 

I love this journal from Piko Shop. 

Love the Anxious and Fabulous little girl and I love the vibrant shade of yellow. 

Here is my beautiful page for March! 

All shades of Spring and blooms and joy. 

The papers are from kits from Shop ABC.

Stickers from White Ink Papeterie and Gangun Shop and some from Inkarto. 

:)

Hope March is great for you and me. 

Have a lovely Month ahead. 

:)