The Whimsy Bookworm: A Book Blog from India

 2023 is on her way out.  A whole year and honestly felt like it went by in like 20 minutes tops.  Where does time go?  Best to measure your year in little moments and joys and of course, if you are a bookworm- in books.  I read a lot this year.  A decent amount.  Less than last year, but who cares?  I read 207 books in total.  200 according to my Goodreads, which also tells me I read over some 50,00 words.  I read some amazing books. Some less than stellar and some that were downright disappointing.  But overall, my books kept me company, helped me escape real life and took me places and on adventures and made me think, laugh and sigh and cry and feel the entire range of human emotions.  My books are my friends and companions and joy.  And since it's the last evening of the year, it's time to list my TOP 23 Reads of 2023.  So here we go, in no particular order 23 Books I Loved Best in 2023:  1. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese: OK, this is easily the best book I read

 Hello Loves!  Today was  a sweet and slow day,  full of fun conversations and laughter and bookshop hops and sooooooo much joy.  I want to document the happy and wholesome days on my blog, it's one of my goals for 2024, but since I had a good day today I wanted to make a little, almost journal entry about it.  Went to Town.. South Bombay, my old very beloved stomping grounds.  Went to two bookshops and unleashed my inner bookworm and got myself some books. A lot of books I had never even heard of, that's the beauty of a bookshop~ you find new and different books.  Met my sister's bestie and her kids and husband and laughed and caught up and reminisced.  Listened to music 🎶🎶🎶 of the party kind on my way back home.  It was good.  So good ✨📚☕🥰💖✨

  Hello Loves!  Here we are, with my last reading wrap-up for 2023.   I am lowkey soooo proud I managed to talk about all the books I read this year. I won't lie, I did slip up with doing individual reviews this year. this is something I want to actively fix in 2024. But I kept up with my wrap-ups and this makes me soooo happy.  So let's talk about my December Books.  Well, I read 14 books.  I spent most of December focussed on doing Blogmas and Vlogmas (over on my IG) and reading did slow down quite a bit. Something I saw coming and I don't mind that reading took a bit of a backstage.  I read some good books and ended my yearly reading on Christmas Day.  It was a slow and sweet reading month.  Let's jump in.  BOOKS OF DECEMBER 2023:   1. The Greatest Goan Stories Ever Told, Edited by Manohar Shetty: I decided to spend my December in Goa, like so many people do, only I did it through my books. I read these 27 stories set in Goa and about Goans. Some written in English

 What is December without a little indulgence?  I got myself a few books from here and there, throughout the month and here is a pretty decent haul of books.  Some I've bought solely to read in January and have a good start to my reading year in 2024.  Others were books I had on my radar for a while and I wanted and so I got them-simple and sweet.  Let's jump into it.  The Gallery by Manju Kapur, I've read pretty much all of her books and I have enjoyed most of them. So a new book from her is an autobuy for me.  I am really looking forward to this one and I am saving this for January.  The Memoirs of Valmiki Rao by Lindsay Pereira, this one sounds like something I'll enjoy a lot. It's set in my city- Mumbai and is about communal violence and how it affects people. Again, really looking forward to this one. I have heard nothing but good things about this one.  How the Bamboo got its Bounty by Sudha Murty, this might be one of my first few reads of 2024. Something swe

 2023~~~Another year full of books and reading and finding comfort in stories and characters and plots and adventure.  Seriously, what would I even do without my books? 

 I am your classic homebody. Being at home is my constant state of being.  I am happiest at home.  Every year I try to be more out going and adventurous but I revert back to being my cozy, slow and introverted self.  And honestly, I just need to make my peace with it.  :)  I love being at home. Crochet cuties and a cup of coffee.  Gentle mornings and gender phool.  💛💛💛💛 The last nearly two months, my building is getting some serious work done. An almost full renovation and up keep is underway and it's been loud and dusty and the complete opposite of peace and calm.  :(  This has taken quite a toll on my mental health. But we put our big girl pants on and deal with it. (Kinda, I am spiralling but putting on a brave face) Here are some glimpses of the quieter and gentler days.  A spot of sunshine and a little frog.  A sun kissed pile of books.  This one I am keen to read in 2024.  Spooky and Booky mug.  This was around Halloween.  Diwali lights are up.  Blurry but happy days.  Du

❤🎄 ❤ Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  I hope these last days of the year are wonderful for you and me.  I hope you've had a wonderful and joyous and fun and festive Christmas.  I hope it was everything you needed it to be.  I had a good day. There was plum cake, guava cheese and chakli and other Goan snacks.  I watched an Agatha Christie Christmas mystery- Poirot's Christmas.  I ate some sweet strawberries dipped in Nutella.  I read a tiny amount.  I opened presents.  So grateful for today.  🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 It was just what I wanted.  Hope your Christmas has been Merry too.  :)  Sending you cheer from my corner of the world to yours.  Merry Christmas! 

 And here we are at the final read for 2023.  I often document my first book of the year, so I figured this year I would extend the same courtesy to my final read to the year.  Funnily, my first and last book of the year are both by Sudha Murty.  Both are picture books.  And both were utter delights.  My first read was How the Earth Got its Beauty.  And my final read for the year is How the Onion Got its Layers.  That brings my total number of books read to 207.  According to Good Reads it's 200.  Some 7 odd books I read were not on GR, but it's fine.  207 is the real number of books I read this year. 200 is what GR is counting.  Either ways, for me this is a good place to stop for 2023.  All my reading is done and I will now pick up my next read only in 2024.  Here are some glimpses of my last read for 2023.  A gorgeous little book, a simple and heart warming folklore that is perfect for kids.  I enjoyed it immensely and read in over a cup of coffee.  It was sweet and the art