Reading Wrap-Up: January 2022.

 Hello and Welcome to my first Reading Wrap-up of the Year! 

January was a good reading month. 

I read 16 books! 

Yay! 

Most of them were rather good. 

I had this tiny goal with regards to my reading in January, I wanted to only read good books, to sort of set the tone for the rest of my reading year. And I think for most part I have done just that. Sure some books were less than extraordinary but well..that's just life eh? 

I read literary fiction. 

I read some Jhumpa Lahiri. 

I did a spot of re-reading. 

I read Ray. 

I read some kidlit. 

I read some picture books. 

I read some YA. 

I read translations. 

It was all in all a good start to my year. 

You were good January. 

Thank-you and more please. 

Lets jump in my reads of January. 

BOOKS OF JANUARY 2022: 

1. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy: I started my reading with the most perfect book. I loved it. Made my sister read it immediately and I can't believe it took me so long to get to it. I loved this book. I did a full review for it too. 

5/5 

2. Rhododendrons in the Mist by Ruskin Bond: Always a good time reading Bond. And this book was a jot from start to finish. This had some of his most loved mountain stories and since I haven't been to the hills in a while, travel via these stories was the next best alternative. A review for this darling little book is up too. 

4/5 

3. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri: This one was a re-read. This right here is my least read Lahiri.I needed some #JhumpainJanuary because why wouldn't I want to read my favourite author in the first few days of the new year?! I might make this a yearly tradition. I hadn't read this since 2014 and I was very happy to sink back into Lahiri's world and magic. 

Love. Love. Love. 

This is not my favourite Lahiri by a long shot but it's one I enjoyed nonetheless. 

4/5 

4. Honor by Thrity Umrigar: Read. Hated. Next! 

Did a review for this one too. 

I still can't get over the factual mistakes in this one. Dancing bears on Mumbai streets and The Taj serving Nescafe! Really?!

1/5 (mostly because I had high hopes from this one) 

5. Minor Detail by Adania Shibli: I wanted to read something from Palestine for a while now and I am so glad I picked this slim two part book to begin my foray in Palestinian literature. It's a short and stark look at life under occupation. There are no frills here, it shows life under duress both in 1949 and now in such startling clarity. 

3.5/ 5

6. The Ghost of Gosain Bagan by Sirshendu Mukherjee: A Bengali children's modern classic by all accounts and one I have heard so much about and I am so happy I have finally read a book so many of my cousins seem to adore. 

A young boy. A ghost..a couple of ghosts. A town lout. Funny characters and so many shenanigans. A good time this was. 

4/5 

7. The Greatest Odia Stories Ever Told: Another installment of Greatest Stories from Aleph and Co. A great bunch of stories from writers I hadn't read before. I quite enjoyed these stories. 

3/5 

8. A Married Woman by Manju Kapur: I think I have now read every Manju Kapur book ever written. This one set in India in the 80s and 90s was still so incredibly relatable and so much the subject matter is still so relevant. Set in a typical Indian family and the backdrop of mounting communal tensions owing to the Babri Masjid demolition and a woman, our protaganist finding herself stuck in a marriage that doesn't really serve her and a new blossoming love. Nicely done and so true to the time it represents. I liked this very much. 

4/5 

9. Poonachi Lost in the Forest by Perumal Murugan and Illustrated by Priya Kuriyan: This beautiful book was a quick and sweet read. Very, very different from the original novel and much lighter and happier than that one. This was a fun read. 

4/5 

10: Am I Small? by Phillip Winterberg: A picture book I read over a cup of coffee. Sweet. 

3/5 

11. This is how we do it by Matt Lamothe: A book I would have loved reading when I was little. It shows how kids all over the world live. What they eat. Do. Live. Love. Homework. School. Family. It shows the ways in which we are different and the ways in which all of us are basically the same. 

4/5 

12. The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan: A very buzzy new book was also read and quite enjoyed. For most part this is a book I loved. 

Full review was done for this too. 

4/5 

13. One Dozen Stories by Satyajit Ray: Always a delight to read some Ray. These stories are a great way to get into his writing if you haven't already. A mix of sci-fi, slice of life, character studies, ghosts and some Feluda thrown in for good measure. 

5/5 

14. Tiny Sunbirds Far Away by Christie Watson: A surprise new favourite. A book I chanced upon quite by chance and I am glad I did. Did a full review which you should go read. 

4/5 

15. Young Blood by Chandrima Das: Ghost stories set on college campuses in India. Sounds good and just like something I would enjoy. Sadly that didn't happen. I found these stories pretty lackluster and occasionally just boring.  Not scary at all. Not fun either. 

Meh. Didn't work for me at all. 

2/5 

16. The Storyteller by Kathryn Williams: My last read of the month was a fun one. A young girl finds some old journals that belonged to her late great-aunt and she thinks her eccentric old grand-aunt might just be Anastasia Romanov, the missing Grand Duchess of Russia. So she and her partner in crime Evan start translating and reading Anna's incredible life story. I really enjoyed this book and the journey it took me on.

4/5 

 I had a good reading month. A good mix of books, most of which I liked. 

I also bought just one physical book...wait I might have ordered it in December so that doesn't even count. 

I bought a few ebooks. Nothing too wild. 

I blogged everyday. 

And I reviewed books I wanted to talk about. 

I read 6 physical books and 10 ebooks.

A good start to the year. 

Hope you had a good reading month too. 

:) 

Stationery Sunday: Gratitude Journal 2022. (Set-Up).

 A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles. 

I am a big believer in counting my blessings. In trying to find something good in every single day. It doesn't have to be something big or significant, even a small thing is enough to shift focus away from something less than perfect and instead focusing on things that make life good. 

I have had a Gratitude Journal in some shape or form since 2015 or so. 

This year my Gratitude Journal is much more loose form and more like a Bujo set-up. A place where I get to keep track of things I am grateful for everyday and even making a place to keep super aesthetic and do a spot of art journaling. 

So a place for gratitude and creativity. 

This is my Gratitude Journal for this year and some of the first few weeks in it. My Journal took it's own sweet time arriving and I got it only on the 16th of January, so I filled it up more as a throwback! 

Before the ink...because some things I want to keep private. 

This is my journal. An embroidered, handmade beauty! 

I love the lavender flowers embroidered on it. It has blank handmade papers. 

It's a tiny but chunky babe! 

The first page decorated in some brown-earthy colours. 

Wrote a quote I liked inside. 

I loved setting this up so much. 

Pages for January. 

A place to write all things I am excited for this month. 

Some reflections and just a place to set affirmations for the new month. Since this journal is all kinds of plain and empty, I would like to create separate pages for each new month. 

This is how I do the layout for each week. Do some central decor and write around it. 

Write the date.

Make a list of things I am grateful for/good things about that day. 

Simple. 

This is week one. 

I also drew some lined in pencil to keep things a wee bit organised and make place for each day of the week. I can of course erase the line if I have more to write for a certain day. It's all pretty flexible. 

The whole page. 

:) 

I am super happy with things are set-up in my journal. It gives me so much wriggle room to customise things and journal in ways I want to. 

Decorate as much or as little as I want to. 

Use things in my stash to make these pages pretty. 

I think it will be fun to look back on this at the end of the year. 

:) 

DETAILS: 

Journal: Shii Paints 

Stickers: Shop ABC 

Kimey's Korner 

Amazon 

& 

Ali Express 

The first three shops can be found on IG. 

I will share more spreads and layouts and deets of my precious little journal as the months go on. 

I cannot recommend having a Gratitude Journal enough. It doesn't have to be something super fancy, just pick a journal, decorate it (or not) and just jot down things that fill your heart with gratefulness. 

5 Reasons to Watch The Woman Across the Street from the Girl in the Window on Netflix

 

Netflix dropped its latest series 'The Woman in the House across the Street from the Girl in the Window' this Friday and here are 5 reasons to watch this quirkily named show!

1. If you've read any of the books that this series seeks to parody, namely, The Woman in the Window, The Girl on the Train, The Family Upstairs, The Couple Next-door, The Woman in the Woods etc. etc., then you simply have to watch this series!!!!! It is the Scary Movie (sort of) parody of these books where some unsuspecting but nosy woman finds out something nefarious about her neighbours and then shenanigans ensue! 

2. The show is a mix of comedy + crime, which is to say that it mocks these books and all the tropes that this particular sub-genre of crime fiction is steeped in! Namely, an unreliable narrator, a drunk woman overcoming some kind of trauma, suspicious neighbours, incidents that may or may not be what they seem and, most importantly, the neighbours' propensity to live their lives right in front of their windows! How convenient, no? So, yes, this show is a satire but mixed into that is also a murder mystery. 

3. The show does a good job of balancing the satire with the actual murder mystery sub-plot. There are a few good red herrings, the mystery is slowly peeled back layer by layer, exposing old and related crimes. You stay engaged and entertained throughout the 8 episodes. 

4. The performances are great! Kristen Bell is always a delight to watch and she really plays her part of the drunk, grieving mother, who spends her days marinating in wine and prescription meds by her window, with perfection! The supporting cast is also convincing and sufficiently hammy when they need to be. 

5. At 8 episodes, with each approximately 30-odd minutes long, this show is perfect to binge in a single sitting. We started and finished this off in a couple of hours! So, this can be a perfect Saturday or Sunday night/ afternoon binge! 

If you've watched this show, do share your thoughts with us! 

Monthly Favourites: January 2022.

 Hello Loves! 

The first month of the year is nearly over and it's time to list my absolute favourite things about January. 

January was a good month. 

Cold. 

Full of good books. 

Planners galore. 

Cooking. 

Baking. 

Cold nights. 

Being on the terrace soaking up the sun.

A month full of simple pleasures. 

A good start to the year. 

:) 

Here are some of my favourite things/moments from January 2022. 

1. Reading: My reading this month was very good and everything that I hoped it would be. I wanted to kickstart my year with only good books and set the tone for the rest of the year. And for most part I was successful in reading only good books. My reading wrap-up will go more into detail with everything I read this month, so come back on Monday to read about every single book I read. But I read literary fiction, translations, Indian books, re-read some stuff and even read some kidlit and picture books. 

I also found so much joy in reading on the terrace this month. Either soaking the sun or watching raindrops and clouds, all while being snug in my shawl. So good! 

2. Planner and Journals: January's highlight has got to be setting up and using my new planners and journals. It really makes my heart happy. I in fact started my year, literally on 1/1 I sat for hours setting up my planner and reading journal and it was honestly the best way for me to start a new year. And allll month long I have loved spending time with planners-personal and blog and writing in my journals. So much joy! I am also so happy with every planner I picked out this year. 

3. DIY Notebooks: On the very first day of the year I made myself two little jotbooks and I couldn't be happier about it. I am so happy with how cute these books turned out and I find them so useful. Plus making them was so much fun. I am currently using one of them to make notes as I read and keep some bookish thoughts and quotes in one place. The other (the brown one) I am going to use soon. 

I love it! 

I can't wait to make more of these soon! 

I did a full post on it, you can find it here. 

So cute! 

I am so happy I decided to make these! 

4. Blog Planner: My Blog Planner makes me so happy! It is everything I need in my Blog Planner and I also love how I decorated it with these monochrome stickers from Kimey's Korner. I find it so useful and it helps keep my posts and ideas for posts organised. 

I also did a post on my blog planner. Read it here. 

5. Bhooter Raja: Here is my favourite little bookmark from the month. A Bhooter Raja bookmark made by Joyeeta and he is adorbs! Look at his derpy little face! I cannot even! 

6. Daily Pages: This month I mostly managed to write a page or two in my Daily Pages journal. I don't force myself to write and some days if I didn't feel like it I didn't. I also kept my daily pages journal a small, manageable size, an A6 size that doesn't overwhelm me. I decorated the front page quite simply and kept the insides simple and fuss free. 

7. TV/OTT Favourites: This month, we started watching Abbot Elementary on Disney+ Hotstar and we really love how cute, quirky, heartwarming and tragicomic it is! Set in a public school in Philadelphia, the show focuses on the trials and tribulations of the teachers and is such a tragicomic ride! 

Another show that we've started watching and are enjoying is Inspector Koo on Netflix. Loosely inspired by Killing Eve, Inspector Koo focuses on a washed out ex-cop, who has figured out a pattern of serial killings and is on the hunt for the very smart killer helped along by an unlikely bunch of insurance inspectors.  

8. Film Favourite: Much against our initial impressions (from the trailer), we watched and quite enjoyed Eternals! It is quite different from several other Marvel movies and that is its strength, really! Eternals is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. 

Book Review: Tiny Sunbirds Far Away by Christie Watson.

 

Book: Tiny Sunbirds Far Away 

Author: Christie Watson 

Pages: 436 

How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 days (I could not put it down) 

Publisher: Quercus 

Plot Summary: Set in the Niger Delta, Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away is the witty and beautifully written story of one family’s attempt to survive a new life they could never have imagined, struggling to find a deeper sense of identity along the way.

When their mother catches their father with another woman, twelve year-old Blessing and her fourteen-year-old brother, Ezikiel, are forced to leave their comfortable home in Lagos for a village in the Niger Delta, to live with their mother's family.

Without running water or electricity, Warri is at first a nightmare for Blessing. Her mother is gone all day and works suspiciously late into the night to pay the children's school fees. Her brother, once a promising student, seems to be falling increasingly under the influence of the local group of violent teenage boys calling themselves Freedom Fighters. Her grandfather, a kind if misguided man, is trying on Islam as his new religion of choice, and is even considering the possibility of bringing in a second wife.

But Blessing's grandmother, wise and practical, soon becomes a beloved mentor, teaching Blessing the ways of the midwife in rural Nigeria. Blessing is exposed to the horrors of genital mutilation and the devastation wrought on the environment by British and American oil companies. As Warri comes to feel like home, Blessing becomes increasingly aware of the threats to its safety, both from its unshakable but dangerous traditions and the relentless carelessness of the modern world.

Things I Liked: 

1. I am so glad I randomly came across this book on Book Chor and got it because the plot sounded interesting. I had never even heard of it and I am so happy I found my way to it. This book took me to Nigeria, a place I've been to a few times through books. But I have mostly found myself in urban homes and city lives and affluent or at least middle-class homes. This book took me to a whole other place. A place I have probably seen on grim News coverage and in headlines. A place which on the outset seems like hell and straight out of nightmares but if you look closely life is like it is everywhere- tough but it has it's moments. 

2. I for some reason really enjoy reading about changing fortunes. I love seeing how people respond and react to when money/comfort and affluence slips away. To see life changing so dramatically is always intriguing to read about. This book we see Blessing and her family leave behind a life of comfort in Lagos and go from a good school, beautiful home and every comfort to move to the back of the beyond to a home with no running water or electricity. You heart breaks for her and you can't help but imagine what you'd do if you were ever found yourself in a similar position. 

3. I couldn't stop reading this book. I read this in two sittings and had a hard time taking a break to do anything else, this is especially special because not like this book was inordinately action packed and happy. In fact the book was quite sad in parts and difficult to read and yet I found myself completely immersed in this world. 

4. The book is quite grim and there is a lot going on. Yet interspersed with this difficult world and it's many problems is a this subtle humour that will make you laugh out loud. And that's life right? Even in the most grim situations there is always something to laugh about or life will give you moments of mirth. 

5. This book is full of some amazing and real characters that just leap off the pages. Characters that aren't perfect, aren't always right and some are quite problematic yet there is something so human and real about them. The grandfather who has this bloated self-importance and who thinks that Nigerians don't have nut allergies and marmite is a cure for any and all illnesses! A grandmother who sprouts old wisdom and is a mentor to Blessing. Blessing's mother who is trying her best to pull her kids out this situation and do whatever it takes to provide for her family. And then we have Blessing herself who you immediately connect with and cheer for. A new step-grandmother who is funny and loud and slightly heartbreaking. The family compound is full of memorable characters and people who will love spending time with. 

6. This book takes you to this world, this messy, noisy and chaotic world that runs on it's own rules. A world that is quite dangerous. A world that has child soldiers, the threat of violence, corrupt and cruel cops and a world where women are treated quite shabbily. We all know this world exists. And people live these lives and know nothing else and have no way out. And books and stories are such a good way to understand and learn about lives so different from our own lived experience. Especially when these stories are dealt with nuance and empathy. This isn't always an easy book to read. Some parts will crush you yet books and stories like these are so important because we need to bear witness. To learn to listen. Know how people live and survive. 

7. Blessing becomes a birth assistant to her grandmother and helps deliver babies in tiny villages and this portion was just....gritty and occasionally devastating. To see old world traditions and superstitions and horrendous practices of FGM just...God why does the world treat women so horribly?! You will feel like you are right there with Blessing as she learns more about her trade and navigates this new world. 

Rating: 4/5 

An amazing book I am so glad I picked up.

Difficult to read in parts but very good. 

Here are some of my favourite quotes from the book. 

TW: Violence and FGM 

Haul: Bookmarks from Fugaa.

 Hello Loves! 

Time for a little bookmark haul today. 

I got these beautiful and cuddly bookmarks from Fugaa back in December. And they are too cute for words. The little girl in these bookmarks reminds me of me as a little girl. It was honestly love at first sight. 

I got there bookmarks and a tiny notebook from this shop, I will show you the notebook some other day.

Lets see the adorable bookmarks today. 

Look at this cute little face! 

Plus Cat! 

I am so smitten. 

With a furry friend. 

Doesn't this remind you of summers in your childhood, running wild and free and being with nature? 

Sleepy cuteness. 

Here are all of them together. 

I am so in love with these. 

I love this darling little girl and definitely want  more art featuring her. 

Go check out Fugaa. 

Book Review: The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan.

 

Book: The School for Good Mothers

Author: Jessamine Chan 

Pages: 336

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Read On: Kindle 

How Long it Took Me To Read: 3 days 

Plot Summary: Frida Liu is struggling. She doesn’t have a career worthy of her Chinese immigrant parents’ sacrifices. What’s worse is she can’t persuade her husband, Gust, to give up his wellness-obsessed younger mistress. Only with their angelic daughter Harriet does Frida finally feel she’s attained the perfection expected of her. Harriet may be all she has, but she’s just enough.

Until Frida has a horrible day.

The state has its eyes on mothers like Frida — ones who check their phones while their kids are on the playground; who let their children walk home alone; in other words, mothers who only have one lapse of judgement. Now, a host of government officials will determine if Frida is a candidate for a Big Brother-like institution that measures the success or failure of a mother’s devotion. Faced with the possibility of losing Harriet, Frida must prove that she can live up to the standards set for mothers — that she can learn to be good.

This propulsive, witty page-turner explores the perils of “perfect” upper-middle-class parenting, the violence enacted upon women by the state and each other, and the boundless love a mother has for her daughter. 

Things I Liked: 

1. The writing was very good. The writer did a great job of pulling us into this world which is quite like ours only ever so slightly different. She also did an amazing job of showing us every shade of Frida's plight and you really feel like you are right there with her as she goes through one heartache after another. 

2. Frida comes alive in this book. She is present in every page and it would be fair to call this book a character study, of sorts. We learn everything there is to learn about her, from feeling less than successful for her immigrant parents, feeling like she is constantly letting them down and feeling stuck and unworthy and reluctant to ask for help. I related to her character at so many levels. And so much of what she does and what she thinks aligned with how I would act in her situation. You can't help but feel for Frida and be enraged and agitated on her behalf. You find yourself cheering for her, heartbroken for her and hoping she comes out of this ordeal with her baby by her side. I think any book or any author that gets you this invested in a character has done her job more than successfully. 

3. The thing I love best about books are how they make you pause and think. This one did that over and over again. First, it got me thinking about this gross level of surveillance and what possible good it can do in this world? Anyone who is monitored so closely all the time will hardly be their authentic self. And can something as universal and definition-defying as motherhood even be quantified and qualified and, more importantly, can someone even be taught to be a good mother? Sure, there are tools and behaviours that can be encouraged but really can someone be taught to be a good mother from scratch? I also kept thinking about the alleged crime and the punishment and it's severity. There are mothers in the school who did seemingly small "crimes" and are put in the same place and getting the same punishment as mothers who actively and severely hurt their wards. This book is full of things little and big that will make you put the book down and spend some time sorting out your opinions and thoughts. 

4. Another thing I loved about this book was how I'd be thinking 'oh God no one deserves to be here and going through this hell' and then you'll hear of a mother who did a horrible thing and has zero remorse. I love books that make you change your mind and flip the narrative. Because truth be told, if you really think about it, what Frida did- and this is no spoiler, it literally happens in the first few pages of the book, leaving her 18 month old daughter alone in the house for two and a half hours is dangerous and quite wrong. Especially because Frida could and really should have asked either her ex or just hired a babysitter. Throughout the book she keeps calling it a 'bad day' and never really acknowledges her mistake or sees the danger in her actions. 

5. The whole vibe and atmosphere of this book was so well done and it really brought out how horrible and soul crushing being there would be like. The horrible women who run the place and the things they do to make the mothers feel small and inadequate was infuriating and visceral. 

6. I also liked the other mothers we meet here. There are a lot of them and it was nice to get to know them (even briefly) and hear their stories. And seeing the equations and relationships between them was also enjoyable. 

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. Frida though relatable (sorta) for most part was also odd. Her ex-husband cheats on her and she is not even mad at him. She wants him back and turns on her rage on the ex's new love. OK, that woman is quite a handful, but, like a lot of typical women who've been jilted, the focus of Frida's ire is the 'other woman' and not the man who had vowed loyalty and love to her. 

2. Also, her sheer stubbornness in not asking for help was just...I get it, I have a hard time asking for help too but this stubbornness  goes to a whole other level when your unwillingness to ask for help (or even accept help) endangers your child. 

3. This book is also very predictable. You pretty much know what's going to to happen in the end and it does. 

4. I also found myself getting a little bored by the 65% mark and wish the book would just hurry up. There was so much repetitivenessand just the same thing being told and shown over and over again. 

5. However, my main issue with the book was that Frida (and, I guess, the author too) acting like what Frida did was such a trifling matter. The thing that lands her in trouble is not OK. It's dangerous and a crime to leave your toddler strapped to a contraption alone for over two hours! Throughout the book, the vibe I got was..oh this was a one-off and not such a big deal. And that we, as readers, should only empathize with Frida and not see the error of her ways. In fact, compared to the 'crimes' that some of the other mothers were sent to the school for, what Frida did was so much worse. 

Rating: 3.5/5 

I did enjoy this book (for most part) and I think if you are a mother this might be an interesting read and one that will get you thinking. 

Also, pick this up if you are a fan of The Handmaid's Tale and Orange is the New Black. 

Monday Moods: Things of Joy

 Hello, hello!

It has been a rough few days with my mom, dad and sister all being unwell! Not Covid, thank God, but other health issues. I have been finding small moments of joy and calm in the midst of all the stress and running around. 

Some glimpses from my world on this Monday. 

A spread from my weekly Gratitude Journal before the ink. I have decided to do this on a weekly basis as it is easier to catch-up 2-3 days at a time. 

My cute Kindle cover has a lovely message for everyone- spread joy. 

A story from a collection of Ray's ghost stories that I read last week. They are all lovely and spooky. Good stuff! 

The front page of my Gratitude Journal. Isn't it pretty?!

My terrace tote, which basically contains all the things that I carry to the terrace with me- my current book, water bottle, phone, a wooly hat etc. This is from ALOM Merch. 

I don't go anywhere but I have a bag packed. This vintage leather saddle bag is from Amazon. It's quality is really great and it was not too expensive either!

A note to myself in my Gratitude Journal. Acknowledging the good in our lives- though little it may seem in the hard days- is always a good practice. It reminds us to be grateful for all the little things that make life bearable! 

Hope your week is off to a good start! 

Stationery Sunday: Set Up of 2022 Traveler's Company Vertical Weekly Insert

 Hey guys,

Sharing some pictures of my sister's memory keeping system for 2022. She is using Traveler's Company's Vertical insert inside of a Regular-size Traveler's Notebook from The Black Canvas. 

Let's get into it! 

Here is what the Traveler's Notebook (TN) looks like. This is a custom-made TN from The Black Canvas. The leather is a lovely, smooth tan, which will mark up nicely with age! 

The inside has two vertical pockets, which are perfect for storing stickers, washi tape samples and other bits and bobs. 

She has been using this Badri-work hand clip to hold her pages open when she journals. This is from LADU. It is so well made and so pretty! If you are looking for an aesthetic paper clip/ page holder, then do check them out. 

This bookmark is from Midori and we bought it from Paper Planning & More. 

This is what the cover of her 2022 January-June planner/ memory keeper looks like. This insert is from the Traveler's Company and we got it from Paper Planning & More. 

Some of the decor in one of the weekly spreads. 

Some more decor of the inside. This insert has the week laid out in a vertical format, which my sister feels is the perfect amount of space for writing about the big and small things of the day. 

Apart from the vertical insert, the TN also has two pouches filled with stickers and other ephemera. This is a plastic one from the Traveler's Company that we've had for ages! 

This is a fabric one, which is also from the Traveler's Company that we bought from Paper Planning and More. 

Hope you enjoyed this little peek inside my sister's memory keeper for the year!

Have a great week ahead! 

Weekend Reads: What Me and My Sister are Reading this Weekend.

 Hello Loves! 

Another weekend and more books to read and live my best life. 

My sister and I hope to spend most of this weekend reading and being still and happy. 

I am reading two books at the moment. And my sister started a new book today. 

Let's see what I am reading this weekend. 

One Dozen Stories by Satyajit Ray, Translated by Gopa Majumdar: First up I am slowly making my way through these magnificent stories from Ray. All of these I've read before so this book is an absolute re-read but one I am always happy to embark on. A mix of Ray's best stories, some spooky, some sci-fi, some about everyday life and two from Feluda's adventures. A great way to sample his work and this collection works for kids and adults alike. 

Young Blood by Chandrima Das: Next I am also reading these horror short stories set on college campuses in India. I have read only a couple of stories so far and I am really enjoying myself. We've been having some rainy and grey days here and this is the perfect sort of book to curl up with while it's thundering outside. 

Fun! 

Now for what my sister is reading this weekend. 

She is also reading two books at the moment. One on her Kindle and one physical book. 

The Joy and Light Bus Company by Alexander McCall Smith: Her first read is one of pure comfort and joy. We love and highly recommend The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. These books are just wonderful and happy and cozy and so wholesome. This is the latest book in the series and she is loving it as usual. It's always nice to visit with characters you've grown to love and care for being back in Botswana. If you want to sink into a cozy series and want something warm and light and fun, this series is perfect. 

The Tiger and The Ruby by Kief Hillsbery: The other book my sister is reading this weekend is this non-fiction, a kind of memoir/biography of an Englishman during the Raj and his adventures in India and Nepal. It is about this man, a cog in the Raj and his grand-nephew who travelled across the silk route in the 1970s trying to piece together his ancestor's history and life in the subcontinent. She is quite a bit in and is really enjoying both time periods covered in this book and is looking forward to finishing it over the weekend. 

~~~

I hope your weekend is going well and is full of all good things, books and otherwise.