2023 Wrapped - My Year in Books & Life (Top 23 Books of 2023 ).

 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 this year. THE BEST. I loved it so much, it's characters have made a permanent place in my heart and this family saga that kicks off in 1903 and ends in the 70s is quite easily one of the very best books I've read in the last few years. So good. If you pick one book from this list, make it this one. 

5/5 

Here is a review. 

2. A Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tang: A graphic not-exactly-novel about how an introvert feels and processes this often noisy world. This book spoke to me. It felt so familiar and comforting and soooo relatable to my introverted and anxious heart. 

Loved it soooo much. 

5/5 

The art is a thing of joy too. 

3. Are you there God, it's me Margaret? by Judy Blume: A classic for a reason. I am of course, getting to it a little late in life. But this was so wholesome and wonderful and real and even after all these decades so relatable. 

Loved it and the film adaptation that came out this year. 

4/5 

4. Teen Couple Having Fun Outside by Aravind Jayan: This book is about a viral video (shot completely without consent) and the very real repercussions of the same. How a typical, middle class Indian family crumples and how each member of said nuclear family handles this violation of privacy. This book did a wonderful job of showing the hypocrisy of our society and it's dubious attitude towards sex and intimacy. 

Well-written and so achingly rooted in reality. 

4/5 

5. Daughters of Madurai by Rajashree Variyar: This book is set in two time periods, present day and the 90s. We see mother and daughter grapple with secrets and also see the plight of being a girl child in our culture. I went into this book with no real expectations but came out very invested in the characters and stories. Read the detailed review here.

4/5 

6. I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai: This is a lit fic look at true crime, an old case, boarding school and makes an excellent commentary on how some people (a alarming number of folks) treat true crime as some sort of entertainment and don't even see how macabre some of it is. It is also a mystery that is very nicely done. 

4/5 

7. True Biz by Sara Novic: This book taught me so much. About a culture and people I knew so little about. The Deaf community and how they live and function and how they navigate a hearing world and it cleared up so many misconceptions I had about cochlear implants. It was enlightening and so important and I adored this book. 

4/5 

8. The Blind Matriarch by Namita Gokhale: A pandemic novel about a family in Delhi, a sort of joint family unit and how they handle the lockdown and the equations of this family shift during this time. I loved this book and it's look at Indian families in all their glory. 

4/5 

9. A State of Freedom by Neel Mukherjee: This book was so good. It felt like interconnected tale but also felt like a novel about India today, about migration and displacement and how lives are affected by these. Well-written and brilliant, this was my second book by the author and I need to read more. 

4/5 

10. Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie: A book told from two perspectives about the same events and family. Set in Ghana for most part, this book takes us into an extended Ghanian family and these two cousin sisters who used to very close and how life and time changes their relationship. The first half is told from the perspective of one cousin and then the second 40% is told from the perspective of the other cousin. The book flips the view and we see two equally compelling sides to the same tale. I really enjoyed it and was so invested in this story. 

5/5 

11. All The Broken Places by John Boyne: The sequel to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, this book just...ripped my heart out. Here we see sister's life and her journey after the events of the first book. We see how the decades since the War and the loss of her younger brother and eventually her father have impacted her. I wasn't expecting to like or feel for her but I did..so good. 

5/5 

12. The Greatest Indian Stories Ever Told, edited by Arunava Sinha: The best stories from India, some written in English, a vast majority translated from our many languages. A delight and a perfect reflection of India's many literary treasures. 

4/5 

13. Rooh by Manval Kaul: My first Manav Kaul, will most certainly not be the last. So soulful and comforting and heartbreaking and beautiful. I loved it. About home and away and homesickness and displacement. A thing of joy. 

4/5 

14. Under the Tamarind Tree by Nigar Alam: A Pakistani novel, split between present day and 1960. A story of four friends and one night that changes everything. A moving tale about shifting equations and how even the closest friendships sometimes fall apart and love changes and evolves over the years. This was wonderful and moving and something I enjoyed it immensely. 

4/5 

15. My Years with Apu by Satyajit Ray: An incredible behind the scenes journey of how this amazing classic film was made and the kind of grit and determination and jugged it took. Amazing. 

4/5 

16. The Golden Years by Ruskin Bond: Little vignettes into a good life and the Golden Years told in Bond's inimitable style. A perfect book for the older folks in your life and something even not-so-old me enjoyed very much. 

4/5 

17. The Dream Builders by Oindrila Mukherjee: A set of interconnected stories set in a version of Gurgaon and split quite evenly between people from the upper strata of society and those that work for them or on the periphery of their lives. Compelling and astute and so perfectly set in today's ever changing India. This book was quite brilliant. 

4/5 

18. The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson: A mystery novella which I read in one sitting and just couldn't put down. It's so good, you have to pick it up. I won't say much else, I do have a review you can find here. 

4.5/5 

19. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa: A cozy, warm, sometimes sad but hugely comforting read about heartbreak, eccentric family members and an old bookshop. Felt like a hug and a warm cup of tea. 

4/5 

20. Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter: A mystery told via a true crime documentary. Unputdownable and fun and such a ride. Review is up here. 

4/5 

21. Common Yet Uncommon by Sudha Murty: A set of interconnected stories set in the same village. So you meet the same group of people and get to know them. This was simple and sweet and full of such characters. Some good, some slightly grey but all so incredibly human. I really felt like I was walking around this village and getting to know these sweet people. 

4/5 

22. Sakina's Kiss by Vivek Shanbag: A tale of a family told over a few days, of nuclear families and changing social mores and attitudes. This book and this story and this family will feel so known and familiar. I felt like I knew them..flawed, agitated and old secrets kept hidden..the ingredients of a typical Indian family. 

So good. 

4/5 

23. Now You See Us by Balli Kaur Jaswal: Read this earlier in the year and absolutely loved it. It's a moving tale about the reality of the countless women in service. Set in Singapore, this was about three Filipina maids working in all kinds of homes of the elite. Sweet, sad and brilliantly observed, this book was so so so good. 

4/5 

📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚

There we have it. 

23 Books I loved Best. 

Now on to Life. 

Well. 

Life, as always was bit of mixed bag. 

There was joys and worries and happiness and stress. 

My Maa fell ill and hasn't been the same most of this year. I constantly worry about my parents and their well-being. But I guess that's just an inevitable part of growing-up. 

I didn't write much at all. 

Started two books and didn't finish them but I feel really about the story and where my plot is heading and I am really excited to work on these ideas in the New Year. 

I didn't travel AT ALL this year..but it's OK...

I started a YouTube channel and that is something I want to work on in 2024. 

I kinda slipped on Blogging too, which makes me sad and this is 100% something I want to fix in 2024. 

I went to different bookshops and bought books IRL. 

I bought some cute AF things. 

Journaled. 

Romanticised my life. 

Drank good coffee. 

Tried so many new recipes. 

Chilled. 

Watched over 300 films and TV shows. 

Listened to music. 

Read on my Kindle and iPad. 

Annotated a bit. 

Went a little tote mad. 

Made my home cozy. 

Went a little mad/sad when construction work started in my building. 

Cried. Sobbed. Laughed. Smiled.

Lived. 

2023 was a mixed bag. 

An overall OK year that was lovely in parts and stressful in others. 

I am grateful for all the good things and also grateful for the lessons learnt from the not-so-good-things. 

💖

I lived and learnt and hopefully grew as a human being. 

And at the end of the day, and in this case the year, that is all I can ask from a year and from life. 

Thanks for hanging out with me. 

And I'll see you guys next year! 

I hope you are having a lovely NYE and a veryyyyy Happy New Year to You and Yours! 

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

A Slow & Happy Saturday.

 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 ✨📚☕🥰💖✨

Reading Wrap-Up: December 2023.

 

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 and others translated from Konkani and Portuguese. I really like the wide representation and scope and scale of these stories. If you are heading to Goa at some point, this might be the perfect companion and the perfect thing to dip in and out during your holiday. 

3.5/5 

2. Valimiki's Women- Five Tales from the Ramayana by Anand Neelakantan: Read this via Kindle Unlimited and really enjoyed these stories about the women in Ramayana, the women often in the sidelines and ones we see in only one particular way. I enjoy my epic and mythology retellings. If done well, they always make for good reads. I especially like the retelling of Manthara's story. To see this oft ridiculed and hated woman as something more...it humanises her and gives us a reason for her scheming and plotting. It also really makes you wonder why do much of the weight of the evil plot was placed on her shoulders? She was a mere maid? A trusted nanny, but still a member of the staff? I also loved the stories on Shanta and Kaikeyi.

I like books that make me stop and thing and this one did just that. 

4/5 

3. The Last Courtesan by Manish Gaekwad: A memoir that I had my eye on for a while. The story of a mother, told by her son. A mother who was the last courtesan of Calcutta. A lifetime of hustle and survival and providing for family and raising a child and holding on to dignity. I really enjoy/appreciate reading about lives very different from my own and ones I have seen around me. This one did just that. I liked that it was told with clarity and sincerely and without cloying sentiments or dramatics. The mother is a person and not perfect but she (like most moms) did her very, very best. 

3.5/5 

4. I Named my Sister Silence by Manoj Rupda, trans. by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar: This one was on the JCB Prize shortlist and I wanted to read it for a while. It's about an adivasi man, who is looking for his sister who has left their little village to join the naxals in the forest. It's a story about a changing world and justice and the unimaginable injustices and exploitation and cruelty that so many of us aren't even aware of. 

Short, powerful, relevant and important. 

3.5/5 

5. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams: Then I needed something happy and festive and finally read this children's classic that everyone loves, especially Chandler Bing. I think I first heard of this book on Friends. I made a mental note to read it way back then and finally got to it only now. Well, it's exactly what I hoped it would be. Sweet, wholesome and adorable. 

4/5 

6. Here Comes Santa Cat by Deborah Underwood, art by Claudia Rueda: Read a sweet little picture book about Christmas and a Santa Cat. 

Sweet and joyful. 

4/5 

7. The Return by Rachel Harrison: I read Black Sheep by the author a few months ago and loved it and picked this one up and this was a fun read. Spooky, creepy and very astute. It's about a woman who returns home after being missing for two years and something about her is very, very off. It's a horror novel but it also talks so brilliantly about female friendships and the various shades of said close friendships. 

I enjoyed it a lot. 

4/5 

8. Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine: I randomly started watching the new season of American Horror Story after years of skipping it. Binged the five episodes that are out now and I like the show and I had this book on my Kindle (on which the show is based this season) and I had to pick it up. 

It's about an actress who's trying to have a baby in the same year she's had some success in her career. It's about biological clocks and the pressure on women to procreate and..witches and covens. 

Fun and different. I quite liked it.

3.5/5 

9. The Secret of Elephants by Vasundra Tailor: Another Kindle Unlimited read and one that I breezed through and enjoyed immensely. It's about families and secrets and the lingering and long term effects of said secrets. Right up my alley. Set in present day, 1950s and 70s, it was engaging and moving and very enjoyable. 

4/5 

10. What's Neema Eating Today? by Bijal Vachharajani, art by Priya Kuriyan: Read some sweet kid lit and this was cute. 

3/5 

11. Sweet Sunday by Geetha Rao, art by Sanika Phawde: Warm and sweet. 

4/5 

Read the two books above on PBS Story Weaver. 

12. 13 Times by Cheryl Rao: A collection of spooky short stories. I went into this thinking this was for adults but it's not. It's for kids. So the stories obviously were not hella scary. Mild and mellow for most part. 

OK types. 

3/5 

13. Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger: A little novella about days leading up to Christmas and a cold case and a small-town. I liked it...a bit. But the culprit was super easy to guess. But the atmosphere was decent and there was also a love story thrown into the mix which was sweet. But I had higher hopes from this one. 

3/5 

14. How the Onion Got its Layers by Sudha Murty, art by Priyanka Pachpande: My last read of the year. I started the year with a Sudha Murty chapter book and I ended it with one. Thought it was oddly fitting. This was sweet and wonderful and absolutely beautiful. 

5/5 

💝💝💝💝💝

And we are done. 

Reading for this month and this year. 

Hope you had a lovely reading month too. 

Book Haul: December 2023.

 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 sweet, simple and beautiful and calming. 

These Chapter Books are always a good time. 

Wordygurdyboom 

& 

Habber-Jabber-Law by Sukumar Ray

A Bengali child's comfort and nostalgia. 

My Mum used to read out these stories and poems when I was a toddler. Every afternoon, before naptime these classic, fun and funny stories were a must. Back then I didn't realise how significant and iconic these were. I am so glad I get to read these in translation for myself. 

OK, these books I bought back in November but never got around to hauling, because I bought only two books all month. 

Well here they are. 

Fish in a Dwindling Lake by Ambai - Read and loved and very highly recommend this! 

So good. 

Subversive Whispers by Manasi, I'll be honest I bought this book quite randomly, mainly because I got it for some 78 bucks! 

I will not turn down a deal or the opportunity to try a new author and some short stories. I am excited to read these. 

Won't You Stay Radhika? by Usha Priyamvada. 

This might have been a cover buy but this sounds so good, it was written back in the 60s or 70s and it's about a father daughter relationship. I am intrigued. 

How the Onion Got its Layers by Sudha Murty, another cute little chapter book which I've already read and immensely enjoyed. 

I Named my Sister Silence by Manoj Rupda, trans. by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar. 

This was on this year's JCB Prize short list and I wanted to read it. This wasn't an easy read, it will get under your skin and make you stop and think. 

It's relevant and important. 

13 Times by Cheryl Rao, short spooky stories. I bought these thinking they are for grown-ups but they are for kids..or young adults. 

Well, this was fun and a good time. 

💚💚💚💚💚💚

I still have one last book on the way to me but that just might arrive on the 1st. So as of now these are all of my December books. 

Not bad. 

I didn't go full mad and order a bunch of books for Christmas, so I am kinda proud of myself for showing some restraint. 

:) 

A Bookish Life in 2023.

 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? 

General Whimsy: Homebody Diaries.

 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. 

Dugga Dugga. 

This was during Pujo. 

This has largely been a good year for my homebody heart.

I just can't wait for all this construction work to get home, so I can go back to my cozy and calm and quiet life. 

Blogmas Day-25! Merry Christmas!!

❤🎄 ❤

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! 

Blogmas Day- 24! Last Book of the Year. (How the Onion Got its Layers by Sudha Murty.)

 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 is absolutely stunning. 

And my copy arrived signed! 

I love when this happens. 

Look at the art! 

So so so pretty. 

I will never not want to read pretty picture books. 

These Puffin Chapter Books are perfect little reads and I have enjoyed every single one I've read. 

Gorgeous! 

The plot. 

This was just the perfect note to end my reading year on. 

Something comforting, sweet and simple and full of beauty. 

I loved it. 

Rating: 4/5