The Whimsy Bookworm: A Book Blog from India

Hello!  November has drawn to a close and what a month it has been.  Long..sometimes it felt too long. Trump Won.  :O Demonetisation became a nightmare in my country. Common folks have had to line up in never-ending queues for their own money. People dying, DYING for their life-savings. It's not nice.  I do most of my transactions online and using my card so this doesn't fully make my life a misery but it isn't pleasant.  Oh! November you've been a tricky one.  But there were also joys...my sister's birthday. Lots of quiet happy moments and some favourites...so let's get into it.  1. Mild Autumn/// The weather affects my mood like no other.  And this mildness in the sun and the gentle and kind breeze of November was a soothing balm after the scorching heat of October.  :)  2. Moccasins/// I have worn these black moccasins pretty much exclusively in November. Winter and moccasins are a match mad...

Book: Shadowed Promise Author: Sunanda Chatterjee Pages: 229 Read via: Kindle Unlimited on my Kindle Read in: ~3 hours Plot Summary:  Moyna’s cousin panted at the doorway, heavy with child. “Who did this to you?” her father shouted. And Moyna knew that somehow she would be blamed for this unspeakable shame on the family. Her aunt blamed her for all the tragedies, from the death of Moyna’s own parents to the riots in Bombay. But, as her cousin lay dying of stab wounds, Moyna promised to protect the baby. In a panic, eighteen-year-old Moyna made a hasty decision that would return to haunt her years later.  Bullied as a child, Sameer wants to make the world a safer place.  He has spurned a cushy career in his father’s law firm for public service. Sameer is drawn to the mysterious Moyna when they meet in Los Angeles. The attraction seems mutual, but Moyna remains cautious and secretive about her past, insulating herself from love to protect others from her unl...

Hello!  My weekend if described in one word..or two was basically Gilmore Girls! Ah!  After all this time we were back in Stars Hollow and it's quirky and adorable inhabitants. And I couldn't be happier. When I first heard about the revival I was a bit skeptical. I was terrified of it being like the Sex and The City movie debacles. (Those movies were horse shit!)  But I was so happy to have a slice of one my favourite shows back. Even for just a measly four episodes I was happy to be back in this world.  :) If you haven't watched the new episodes, do so now. If you haven't watched the original episodes...seriously go watch them. You won't regret a thing. It isn't a perfect TV show but it is wonderfully quirky, with clever writing and some memorable and loveable characters. It is a treat. It will make you crave some (a lot of) coffee and some junk food. Be warned but seriously, watch it.  I will now talk about my feeling ab...

Hello, hello! I hope you all are having a lovely weekend! This Stationery Sunday, I am sharing a look at my sister's current memory capture traveler's notebook. This is the Teal leather 'regular' size notebook from Speckled Fawns . The teal leather is so vibrant and rich-looking in person. It is almost jewel toned. So, so pretty. My sister uses the Midori/Traveler's Factory Week on 1 Page + Memo insert for 2016 inside this notebook along with another blank insert for sticking in memorabilia from travels and such. So, this has three notebooks (known as inserts) and one zipper insert from Fourrouf.  Felt clips are a great way to add some cutesy and colour to one's traveler's notebooks. These are from Created by Danielle on Etsy .  This is what the inside looks like. There are three pockets, which can fit in your standard credit cards or in this case, washi samplers, stickers etc.  Here is a look at the cover of the 2016...

Book: It Ends With Us Author: Colleen Hoover Pages: 367 Read: The paperback copy Read in: 4-5 hours over two days Plot Summary:  Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true. Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built ...

Hello!  Happy Friday Folks :)  Time for some of my favourites this week!  1. Hair Cut/// Got a haircut this week and I feel so good!  It has added so much volume and life to my slightly boring hair.  2. Greenery/// This picture was taken while stuck in traffic on the Western Express Highway on a weekday morning.  I love how green Bombay is even it's busiest bits. Beauty in unexpected places. Pockets of greenery in an urban jungle.  3. Sriracha Chicken Wings/// Yum in my tum!  4. Book Journal/// Do More of What Makes You Happy.  A book to jot down my thoughts on the books I read.  5. First Christmas Ornaments of the Year/// I am already looking forward to Christmas and bought myself some new ornaments for our tree. I try adding a new ornament to our tree every year. I got these ornaments from Fabindia yesterday and I can't wait to see them on our tree.  Hope you had a lovely ...

Hello!  It's been a while since I've done a Bag Lady post on the blog! Like in almost over a year! What is life?! I am a through and through bag lady and it's high time I shared some of my recent bag loves.  The bags below are some of the bags I've used and loved in the last few months.  Oh!  Just realised that all of these bags are from Zara! I am clearly a fan. Seriously though Zara bags have such great quality and so on trend.  Loved all of these bags.  A very special and such a different bag from Cord.   Love the shape and of course the indigo-ness is such my aesthetic.  A very 90s style backpack from 20 Dresses. This backpack really takes me back. I swear I had a black one in pretty much this exact style. The red bag tassel is from Accessorise, which always adds a little something extra to all of my bags. And I've been adding bag charms a lot to my bags lately. Oh Bags!  You...

Book: The Trap Author: Melanie Raabe Pages: ~300 Read: The paperback edition Read in: 3 hours or so Plot Summary:  For 11 years, the bestselling author Linda Conrads has mystified fans by never setting foot outside her home. Haunted by the unsolved murder of her younger sister--who she discovered in a pool of blood--and the face of the man she saw fleeing the scene, Linda's hermit existence helps her cope with debilitating anxiety.  But the sanctity of her oasis is shattered when she sees her sister's murderer on television. Hobbled by years of isolation, Linda resolves to use the plot of her next novel to lay an irresistible trap for the man.  As the plan is set in motion and the past comes rushing back, Linda's memories--and her very sanity--are called into question. Is this man a heartless killer or merely a helpless victim? General Thoughts: I found this book via Instagram. I saw a picture of this book on my explore page a...

Hello!  I seem to have done a disappearing act on the blog here!  :( Not intentional. I fell a little sick last week and had to take some time off and just be and read and heal. Plus it was my sister's birthday and I wanted to spend time with her and my family.  So the little blog was ignored!  But I am back and with lots of posts in mind. This Monday has been a fun one. I got haircut. A proper one since April,  so it was long over due.  A haircut does so much for one's soul. I feel like a new woman. I mean not entirely but let's just say I feel really good!  Then I had a nice lunch with my sister and her partners and it was good food and fun conversation.  Now I am pooped and sitting in my sister's office and writing this post, so here are some snippets from my sister's office.  A little peek into what I carry in my bag.  Wallet & Card Holder. Make-Up Bag. Pineapple Bag for iPod....

Book: The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad Author: Twinkle Khanna Pages: 256 Read: The paperback edition pictured above Read in: 2-3 hours Plot Summary:  A gangly young girl transforms her village with a revolutionary idea. Sixty-eight-year-old Noni Appa finds herself drawn to a married man – ‘Why do people have to define relationships, underline each word till the paper gives way beneath,’ she wonders. Bablu Kewat becomes obsessed with sanitary napkins much to his family’s horror, and a young woman keeps checking the weather forecast as she meticulously plans each of her five weddings. Things I Liked:  1. The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad is a collection of four short stories, each unique in its setting, theme and the kind of characters it features. One story is set in a village, two in big cities and one in a small town. The characters are very human, slightly eccentric but always relatable.  2. The writing is good. Khanna is a competent writer with a gift f...

 The past week was, pardon my French, totally f*ck all! An epitome of white privilege, racism, misogyny and bigotry is now the leader of the free world. It is a sad, sad time to be alive. Closer home, each Rs.100 note is almost, perceptually, worth a million or more, depending on how desperately one needs cash for day-to-day lives! Sigh. Anyway, there were some small comforts to be found and here are somethings my sister turned to cheer herself up slightly. She says the jury's still out on whether all of them worked or not! Matte teal-ish nails from Naykaa. This is their shade called Matcha Tiramisu and it is a lovely matte teal. Their matte nail paints are quite impressive. Really opaque and chip resistant.  Sister's weekly planner pages before the ink. This is her 2016 Week-on-one-Page insert from the Traveler's Company.  There was some happy mail from Sojourner by Retrowtures - a very well loved brand of Traveler's Notebooks. This is...

Book: Chain of Custody Author: Anita Nair Pages: 365 Read: The paperback pictured above Read in: 2-3 hours Plot Summary:  Bangalore's Inspector Gowda is back in another nail-biting thriller.  What does thirteen-year-old Nandita's disappearance have to do with the murder of a well-known lawyer in a gated community? Gowda is soon embroiled in the investigation of a child-trafficking racket.  Negotiating insensitive laws, indifferent officials, and uncooperative witnesses, he is in a race against time to rescue Nandita from one of the most depraved criminal rings he has ever encountered. Things I Liked:  1. I enjoyed Anita Nair's first foray into crime fiction- Cut-like Wound - and was quite excited to read the second book in the Inspector Gowda series.  2. The book is quite well written. Nair is a competent writer and she does justice to the three distinct crime-relate plots in the book as well as snippets of Gowda's personal life...

1. Fall in my city.  2. Desk Scenes.  Book + Notebook + Pens.  3. Flowers and Positive Messages.  4. Sloth Love.  :) And Matte Nails.  5. A box of bangles.  The box is from Art n Light   and the bangles are from a bunch of places. A nifty way to keep my bangles in one place.  Hope you are having a good Friday.  And have a great weekend folks. I've been a bit blue lately, since the Election Results.  I know it's not my country yet I find myself quite disheartened about how things turned out.  Seeing hate and racism and sexism being rewarded just seems wrong. Gah! I plan on doing a lot of mental self-care this weekend. Reading something good.  Colouring. Watching funny movie. Drinking hot chocolate.  Just doing things that make me feel good.