The Whimsy Bookworm: A Book Blog from India

We just finished watching Bulbbul on Netflix and thought we'd share our thoughts here on the old blog. Plot Summary: Set in a Bengal village in the period spanning from late 1800s to early 1900s, Bulbbul is a supernatural drama that revolves around the lives of six people living in a palatial zamindar house. The story starts with the return of the youngest brother- Satya- after finishing his Law studies in the UK. He finds that the whole house has changed- his elder brother (Indraneel) has left home, his widowed younger sister-in-law (Binodini) lives in an ashram for widows and his childhood companion cum elder sister-in-law (Bulbbul) is ruling the roost and is decidedly cold towards him. As more and more men in the village are murdered, there are whispers of a  chudail (something between a witch and a she-demon), who is supposed to be responsible for these killings. Satya is determined to find and kill this  chudail , a decision, which sets the story (and the backstory...

Book: The Wife Stalker Author: Liv Constantine Pages: 400 Read on: Kindle Read in: ~4 hours Plot Summary:  Joanna and Leo seem to have the perfect relationship. Two adorable children, a beautiful house in a chic area of Connecticut – they have the kind of life people envy. Then Piper moves to town. Piper is young, attractive, flirtatious. It’s almost no wonder Leo is tempted away.  Devastated, Joanna starts digging into Piper’s past, and discovers some very disturbing secrets – not least that Piper’s previous two husbands ended up dead. But Piper dismisses Joanna’s fears for her family as paranoia. Who is telling the truth? Joanna? Piper? The only certainty in this web of lies is that no one is who they appear to be…and no one will escape unscathed. Things I Liked:  1. The premise of the book seemed interesting. A new woman comes to town, hints of her shady past, her making a play for a married man and his wife doing her best to expose this charla...

Book: The Jane Austen Society Author: Natalie Jenner Pages: 321 Read on: Kindle Read in: 3-4 hours Plot Summary:  It's only a few months since the war ended but the little village of Chawton is about to be hit by another devastating blow. The heart of the community and site of Jane Austen's cherished former home, Chawton estate is in danger of being sold to the highest bidder. Eight villagers are brought together by their love for the famous author's novels, to create  The Jane Austen Society . As new friendships form and the pain of the past begins to heal, surely they can find a way to preserve Austen's legacy before it is too late?  And there may even be a few unexpected surprises along the way. Things I Liked:  1. This is a book about Jane Austen and her books. Do I really need to elaborate on this point? I don't think so! *grin* Pride & Prejudice was the first "classic" that I'd ever read, all at the age of 10, and fell ...

We (the sister and I) just finished streaming  Gulabo Sitabo on Amazon Prime Video and we wanted to come on here and share some of our thoughts about the movie. Starring Amitabh Bachchan as Mirza, a 78-year-old, cantankerous, greedy man, who also happens to be a petty thief. Mirza is married to Begum, 17 years his senior, and owner of the eponymous Fatima Mahal, a sprawling Edwardian era mansion in Lucknow, which has now fallen into total disrepair. Mirza manages the 3-4 tenant families that live in different parts of Fatima Mahal and he makes a bit of pocket money by stealing bulbs and cycle bells as well as quietly (without Begum's knowledge) selling off antiques and furniture from the house itself. Mirza is in love, not with his wife, but with his haveli and is biding his time till Begum dies, leaving, he believes, the haveli to him. He lives in the hope that he will, finally, be the owner and not just the caretaker of Fatima Mahal, the object of his dreams, affection...

Hello, hello! Hope you are all excited about this weekend? I know I am! Not for very major things, but just for minor things like expecting a mango delivery and trying out some new recipes! It is the small joys, people! The small joys that make these Quarantine Days worth living! We've had a bit of rain earlier this week and every day since, we've been blessed with the most vivid and stunning sunsets! I don't live by the beach, but even this little tree-filled view out of my window has filled my heart with joy every evening! Here are some of my favourite sunsets from this week! We don't ever get purple-pink skies in Bombay, but look! Look at this stunningly gorgeous purple-pink sunset! There were so many others in Bombay, who snapped different versions of yesterday's gorgeous sunset! We all noticed how beautiful and rare this sight was!  And here are some tiny cotton candy clouds from tonight's sunset! I am living for these colour shows ou...

Book: The Murder Game Author: Rachel Abbott Pages: 315 Read on: Kindle Read in: 3-4 hours Plot Summary:  The first time Jemma and Matt were invited to Polskirrin - Lucas Jarrett's imposing ocean-view home - it was for an intimate wedding that ended in tragedy. Jemma will never forget the sight of the girl's body floating towards the rocky shore.   Now, exactly one year later, Lucas has invited his guests back for a macabre anniversary. But what Lucas has in store for them is nothing like a candlelight vigil. Someone who was there that night remembers more than they'll admit to, and Lucas has devised a game to make them tell the truth. Jemma believes she and Matt know nothing about what happened... but what if she's wrong? Before you play a deadly game, make sure you can pay the price.  Things I Liked:  1. The premise and set-up for the murder mystery in this book is very interesting and nicely done. You  have  a group of 4 best fr...

Book: The Green of Bengal and Other Stories. Author: Gautam Benegal Publisher: Harper Collins Pages: 188 Read On: Kindle How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 days Plot Summary:   A guest with epic gastric trouble, the besieged political campaigner, the cruel critic, the secret murderer, the homophobic ruffians, the reluctant nude model, the talking dog, the frustrated illustrator, the grandfather who pines for the home he lost. Gautam Benegal's short stories are peopled with characters we almost recognize - a neighbour, an uncle, a niece - bringing alive the Calcutta of the late 1980s and the early '90s. There is nostalgia here, but it is shot through with darkness. A political pulse runs through the whole, informed by Benegal's own preoccupations with gender and class, his keen interest in people and the workings of their minds. Yet, there is a lightness of touch, a desire to engage the reader in a story, even an occasional twist in the tale. Review: I r...

Hello!  You guys, I haven't been reading at all.  Like not a word since the 3rd of June.  :(  Instead, all I've done this week is a non-stop binging machine.  When lockdown started, I was determined to not become a slob and just consume unending hours of films and TV shows. And for 2 months I did well.  Chores. Books. Colouring.  Cooking.  And an occasional film every now and then. Things were good. I felt like I was making a good enough use of this time, I mean apart from staring out the window and quietly screaming inside my head, I was doing OK.  For one reason or another, June has brought out a different side to me.  My sleep cycle, which for once in my adult life was somewhat normal. I have been a night owl my whole life. I am more alert, productive and generally happier at night. I call it my vampire living. I know it's not good for me but it's how I function.  But in the last month, by some mir...

Hello!  I've been doing IGTV videos for my Planner Pages every month on over on Instagram. I mainly use stickers and ephemera to decorate my planner pages. Every month I intend to use my stamps and things and really go to town on my pages..but I don't.. And for the last 2-3 months I've felt too sad to do up my pages nicely.  :(  In may I used a mix of stickers and sticky notes to make my pages a little happy and full of colour.  Most of my supplies are from Stickii Club, a wonderful sticker subscription I've been subscribed to since last year. I love the stickers and paper clips, patches and even stick notes they send out in their kits. The best 10 dollars we spend in the month.  OK, enough chatting.  Let's see what May looked in my planner..of course before the ink.  Week 1.  The theme for this week was all things self-care and pampering.  I needed to treat myself and my skin a little kindly after weeks of be...

Hello June!  Be good. Be Kind. Be Rainy. Very, very rainy. Please! Be Healthy.  It has been so unbearably hot in Bombay this past week and my heart is craving rains and everything else that comes along with it- pakoras, cosy days spent at home, being curled up under a blanket with chai and a good book! Ah!  Our plans for June are to stay home!  The Lockdown has been eased in various parts of the country, but not in Bombay (for very good reasons), given it is, unfortunately, the Covid-19 capital of India! So, it is best to stay in and not go out anywhere unless we absolutely have to! I reckon it is good to minimise outings and not go anywhere that is too crowded.  As far as reading goals go, the two types of books/genres that I want to read this month are diametrically different from each other- fully cozy ones or intense psychological thrillers/ murder mysteries. No in-between for me! *grin*  So, here's hoping June 2020 ...