The Whimsy Bookworm: A Book Blog from India

I am a huge horror movie buff. Anything scary, even remotely scary has my eyes all over it...meaning I will watch it! I even watch seriously bad horror films! Even the weird Hindi ones. I am not picky when it comes to horror movies, I watch them all. Sadly, finding people to watch said movies with can sometimes be challenge. Most people stay away from horror flicks. Luckily, my sister, in spite of being very scared very easily, watches these movies with me. I've also had friends who've been big horror fans like me. One of the funnest summers of my life was renting DVDs from my local DVD library and watching numerous scary movies. We watched The Ring one afternoon, scared out of our minds, we were on the floor, holding on to each other for dear life! It was the funnest afternoon! Similarly, we watched What Lies Beneath and a flying curtain left us screaming like little girls. Fun times! Here are some of my favourite movies that will scare you and make you scream! Psycho-

Book: Career of Evil Author: Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) Pages: 497 Read on: Kindle Read in: 3-4 days Plot Summary:  When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman's severed leg. Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible--and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality. With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them... Career of Evil  is the third in the highly acclaimed series featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. A fiendishly clever mystery with unexpected twists around eve

Hello!  I am a big time horror movie buff. I love losing myself in a movie that scares and keeps me on the edge.  And in October I am all about watching scary movie. I've been watching quite scary movies lately and these are just some of them.  1. It Follows: This movie got a lot of hype this year, it's an indie horror film and I love indie movies and add horror to the mix and I am all in!  This was a decent-ish movie. Not too scary but strange and unsettling. It's about a young girl who goes on a first date and comes back with a unknown supernatural force trailing her. And there is nothing she can do to stop it.  There were some spooky moment but it's nowhere as scary as I was hoping it would be.  Rating: 3/5  2. Knock Knock: I can't remember the last time I saw Keanu Reeves in a movie. The premise the of the movie is simple--- a family man home alone for the weekend, lets in two young girls on a stormy night. What follows is f

Hello!  I love food as much as I love books...maybe even more. After all I need food in order to live. I also enjoy cooking and trying new things and cuisines.  Lately I've come to realise that I am in a bit of a food rut. I tend to go the same place, order the same thing and don't experiment at all. I really, really want to change this. Try new place. Try new food. And not end up repeating the same meals over and over. Even with my home-cooking I've tried new food all year long. I have learnt new recipes and even fashioned some new recipes in the kitchen and I am so pleased that I've expanded my cooking skills.  These pictures are some of the recent coffee and food choices I've made.  From top to bottom... 1. Ice-blended coffee and a blueberry muffin from CBTL. All very yummy and very good.  2. My sister tried a new coffee from Starbucks a chocolate jelly thingie which unfortunately wasn't very nice.  3. Red Velvet

Book: A Spool of Blue Thread Author: Anne Tyler Pages: 440 Read On: Paperback How Long it Took Me To Read: 3-4 days Plot Summary:  "It was a beautiful, breezy, yellow-and-green afternoon." This is the way Abby Whitshank always begins the story of how she fell in love with Red that day in July 1959. The whole family—their two daughters and two sons, their grandchildren, even their faithful old dog—is on the porch, listening contentedly as Abby tells the tale they have heard so many times before. And yet this gathering is different too: Abby and Red are growing older, and decisions must be made about how best to look after them, and the fate of the house so lovingly built by Red's father. Brimming with the luminous insight, humor, and compassion that are Anne Tyler's hallmarks, this capacious novel takes us across three generations of the Whitshanks, their shared stories and long-held secrets, all the unguarded and richly lived moments that combine to d

Book: A Little Life Author: Hanya Yanagihara Pages: 741 Read On: Paperback How Long it Took Me To Read: Over a week. Plot Summary:  When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their center of gravity. Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he’ll not only be unable to overcome—but that will de

Hello!  A few weeks back I shared my adorable new Kindle cover. Along with me, my sister also got a new cover for her Kindle PaperWhite. Her's is a glorious floral, vintage French print that she adores.  Let's have a closer look... French inspired prints and macaroons just go together. Above--- the front of the cover.  Below-- the back of the cover.  Both equally nice and pretty.  Inside of the cover. All kinds of lovely.  Just like with my cover, a free stylus was sent. This time in red.  The cover is from CathyKDesigns, an Etsy store.  Hope your Monday is going well. 

Hello!  A mini-bookhaul today.  I spend sometime in Om Books Store a few days ago and came back with these two books. Both publications from Om Books. I have wanted to read some Kamala Das for ages and when I saw this collection of short stories I had to pick it up. And the other book- Emotional Hostage- sounded interesting and I read the first few pages and liked the writing so decided to pick it up :)  I also picked up the 8th Anniversary Edition of Vogue India...sometimes I like browsing through fashion magazines and this big, hefty issue seemed like a good deal.  Let's look at the books now... I have more new books to haul...some I picked up during Pujo. Will haul them on the blog soon!  Happy Reading guys :) 

Hello!  And a happyyyy Friday to you. And a Subho Bijoya to fellow Bengalis.  Can't believe Pujo has come and gone! :(  This post is a little flashback post. Back to Shashti...little gifts that my sister got me on the first day of Pujo. She was in Delhi for one day and picked these Fabindia pressies from the airport.  1. & 2. Magnetic bookmarks with prints inspired by the Forts of Rajasthan.  3. Enamel earrings in red and green.  4. Dokra necklace with lovely little intricate leaves all over. I can't wait to wear this necklace! It's so simple but so pretty! :)  Hope you guys had a lovely Dusshera.  All of these things are from Fabindia . 

Hello!  This post is a day late..Ashtami was yesterday and it was a late night. By the time I got home I was pooped and all I wanted was a shower and my bed! :)  Ashtami..the 8th day of Durga Pujo is the most important day of the festival. The day we save our best outfits for. The day when all Bengalis dress to the nines.  The heat and humidity of Bombay kept me indoors in the day time. We ventured out in the evening and hit a few pandals and got dinner.  Here are a few snippets of my Ashtami.  Pretty pandals and gorgeous Proteemas all around.  Above the Lokhandwala Durga Puja---was by far the prettiest Proteema. Love the golden idols and the shades of pink and purple in the decor. I just couldn't stop staring at all the gorgeousness.  Below--- simple but elegant proteema.  Pujor jogar--- all the little bits and details that goes into the worship of the Goddess.  More pink and gold tones.  And pretty ceiling details. 

Hello!  And a Happy Durga Pujo to fellow Bengalis. Or Bongs..if that's what you call yourselves. :)  For me Pujo properly began today. Meaning the dressing up in new clothes, pandal hopping and finally seeing a Durga proteema (idol) in person.  Here are some snippets of my day.  I took a ton of other pictures as well but those are on my camera and it's 2:00 am when I am posting this and I am tired after a long but satisfying day. I will do a longer post with all my Pujo details later.  For now..here is what my day looked like today...  Our first stop was the Puja at Shivaji Park and this was the proteema there.  It was lit up and lovely. And the pandal had air-coolers and lots of fans which was pretty amazing since today was a very hot day. Much appreciated Bengal Club! :)  Our second stop was a new Pujo to us, though it's Bombay's oldest Pujo. It's been celebrated since 1930. This one was at Sheth Goculdas Tejpal Hall at Augus

Book: Never Smile at Strangers Author: Jennifer Jayne Pages: 306 Read On: Kindle How Long it Took Me To Read: 1 day Plot Summary:  When nineteen-year-old Tiffany Perron vanishes without a trace, the residents of rural Grand Trespass, Louisiana, launch a desperate search to find her. But few clues are unearthed, and before long another young woman disappears. As locals continue to vanish, residents begin to discover that they might not know those closest to them as well as they had thought. Lies and insecurities quickly surface, leading everyone to question one another…and their involvement in the disappearances. Meanwhile, an unstable, twisted killer is hiding quietly in their midst. Ever since his mother’s murder four years earlier, he’s been forced to raise his disturbed teenage sister. He’s terrified of her—and of women in general—and his world revolves around his fear of and obsession over them. General Thoughts:  Another book I read with my Kindle Unlimited

Hello!  Happy Monday to you.  Today is Shashti, the sixth day of Durga Pujo and in some way the beginning of the main festival.  Today marks the beginning of the biggest Bengali festival.  :)  Today was a slower day for me, my sister is on a one day work trip to Delhi. So we didn't do much in the way of pandal hopping.  For today's Monday Moods, I am sharing some of my recent fashion choices.  1. I have fallen back in love with sandals of mine from Charles & Keith . They are super comfy and lovely and go with both Indian clothes and western clothes.  2. & 3. A pretty floral print tunic, something I wore for some pre-Pujo shopping and bookshop browsing.  The kurti is from Kilol. The shoes are from Max.  4. Armcandy--- I love stacking bracelets and all of these are from Accessorize.   5. More of my favourite sandals and a super happy floral tunic from Westside . Love the bright yellow  and all the fl

 Folders are a handy way of carrying around bits and bobs (stickers, washi tape samples, bills, travel memorabilia etc.) in one's Traveler's Notebooks (TNs). There are several options for folders available- the Traveler's Notebook Company makes them out of Kraft paper and there are several sellers on Etsy that make them with various different types of pretty paper! Personally, I am a big fan of the paper folders made by Onica Hanby . Here are some that we recently ordered from her Etsy store. Look at all the loveliness! The roses are simply stunning! I love floral prints of all kinds- teeny. tiny florals to large ones or even the darker, more edgy floral prints.  Here is what the inside looks like. There are a total of four pockets- two full-length ones on the top and two half or secretarial pockets below.  My sister ordered the one below to go with her A6 size TN. Isn't this so pretty?!  This, last one, is in a Field Notes/ Pocket