The Whimsy Bookworm: A Book Blog from India

2015.  A year of 220 + books. Of over 120 films.  Of 2 months of travel.  Of seeing family.  Of going back to my family owned Tea Gardens.  Of experiencing..spring, summer, winter and monsoon. Of coming up with and ruminating over so many story ideas.  Of being happy with simple things.  Of being anxious over little things.  Of being sad over things big and small. A year of living. Of learning. And being.  You were decent to me, 2015.  I bid you farewell with a smile and gratitude.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~ A little something I wrote late last night on my Tumblr. I was sitting in my bed, all warm and comfortable and looking back at the year that really seems to have just whizzed by me.  I remember December 31st 2014 so clearly it's absurd.  I remember being in my kitchen. Whipping up a meal for my sister and me.  My sister had an insanely busy time at work and so I was doing a s...

Hello!  I love reading Indian books.  Well...duh! You already knew that!  And I am Indian so why not read and love from my own country?  I read a lot...a LOT of Indian books this past year. More than books from any other country or region.  And I had a very hard time picking my top 5 reads.  But here they are my favourite Indian reads of 2015.  1. Drowning Fish by Swati Chanda: A book I picked up ever so randomly and was really sucked into the story and the lives of the women in this family. So good. Such a ride and really emotional as well. It deals with East Pakistan, the formation of Bangladesh and love and loss and tragedy and family and holding on to the past. So very good! A full review can be found HERE.  2. Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh: A genius. A conclusion to a trilogy this was a magnificent book. A full review can be found HERE. So good. Read Ghosh and just fall in love with his writing and story ...

Hello!  While I was listing all sorts of Top 5 books of the year. I began to think of things I wasn't as kicked about and things I had not done nearly as well as I would have liked to.  I had many plans and hopes for my blog and I did so many of those things while others I failed dismally.  So let's see what they are shall we... 1. Monthly Wrap-Ups: I really wanted to a month end reading wrap-up on the blog. Thereby, talking about every single book I read and do a little review on it as well. I did precisely 2 posts of this nature and then just let it go. I don't know why...actually I kind of do.I read over 15 books in a month and the very thought of talking about alll of them gives me the heebie-geebies. :( I guess I feel a little lazy listing all of the books and talking about them. And honestly there are some books that I have nothing to say about...heh! I might try and do better with wrap-ups next year. 2. Project 365: This one breaks my h...

Hello!  2015 has for me been a year of reading and loving Short Stories.  I love Short Stories for a variety of reasons... They are great for busy days. Dip in and out. Great for when you don't want to get into a full fledged novel. A great way to try a new author.  A great way to try a bunch of authors in case of an anthology.  Great option for reading in travel.. again dip in and out and not get too caught up.  Here are the short-story books I loved best in 2105...in no particular order. Since I read a lot of Indian Writing in 2015, most of these books are by Indian writers.   1. My Lawfully Wedded Husband and Other Stories by Madhulika Liddle: I adored this collection of stories with a twist. Great writing and stories that leave you with a gasp. So good and such a fun ride. Read the full review HERE .  2. Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by Various Authors: This was my Halloween Read for the year and such a f...

Hello!  When it comes to books I am a fiction reader through and through.  I have always been drawn to fiction books and for years I didn't read any non-fiction.  But in the last few years in a bid to read from other genres I have turned to non-fiction titles.  I especially enjoy memoirs and true life accounts.  I don't read as many non-fiction books as I would like to but here some books I really enjoyed from this genre in 2015...  1. Wildflower by Drew Barrymore: A newish read for me and one I read in one sitting and really enjoyed. It was utterly charming. I did a full review on this book, which you can read HERE .  2. Aarushi by Avirook Sen: A sensational case that to this date remains shrouded in mystery and conspiracy theories. I might not agree with everything the author has said in this book but I enjoyed this book immensely and it got me thinking. And I read this book in one sitting as well. A full review can be...

Hello!  Another December Diary...of things and bits that made up this month for me.  1. Christmas presents wrapped up so beautifully.  2. Winter means cozy pyjamas. These pjs in particular are really old..like from 2004 and they are super soft and comforting.  3. Christmas nails. Red and Gold.  4. Nivea loving...winter means newer skincare regime and Nivea is simple but effective and so good!  5. My dad's birthday...and yummy chocolate cake. :)  6. My Christmas read this year..Harry Potter! So perfect! :)  It's been a good December so far.  Hope your December is going well too. :) 

Hello!  Hope your Christmas was a Merry and Bright one.  Mine was a quiet one. Just how I like it.  Time spent with family.  Eating yummy grubs that my Maa cooked.  Eating guava cheese.  Watching Home Alone and The Martian.  A good Christmas.  Can't quite wrap my head around the fact that Christmas has come and gone.  And in a few days 2015 will be done with.  I hope the last few days of 2015 go well and all of you have a festive last few days of the year. 

Hello!  Today it's time to list some of my Literary Fiction Top 5 reads.  We, the sister and I, were really lucky to have read some amazing books this year.  And while choosing the Top 5 contenders for this list we actually came up with more than just 5 books.  Not a bad thing at all. It just means we read great books and just couldn't narrow down the list.  Let's see the books we loved in this genre...in no particular order!  1. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: A spectacular war story. Full of wonderful characters and some lovely writing. This Pulitzer Prize winner is a gorgeous novel that I highly, highly recommend. A full review can be found HERE .  2. A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler: A simple, easy and very engaging story about a few generations of a family and their lives and loves and conflicts and so much more. A book I loved immensely. This was on the short list for the Man Booker this year....

Hello!  December has got to be one of the most magical months of the year.  The year is coming to an end and everyone seems in a better mood and in the cheer is apparent on everyone's faces. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not...this is a happy time for most.  I have loved December.  Loved the cold weather.  The Christmas celebrations.  The gifts under the tree.  The taking stock of the year gone by.  Today I want to share bits of December...mostly my Christmas tree and it's lights and decorations. :)  Apart from the tree I've also tried decorating the house with some Christmassy elements.  Even my puppets have a little decoration around them.  Lights.  Darling ornaments.  Penguins.  Bells.  Makes my home so happy :)

Hello!  Just some things that have made me happy these last few days... 1. Hard boiled candy. Reminds me of childhood. Of simple times. Of sweet treats and joy.  2. Fresh flowers. They just add so much life into your space.  3. Yummy food. Pasta in particular makes me very happy. This plate of joy was had at Moshe's and it was so good.  4. Journaling...in my Fauxdoris. I love this Traveller's Sized MTNs too. So convenient to carry around and write in.  5. Love nights spend watching things on the laptop and drinking delicious drinks from Paperboat.  I especially love the Anar and Kala Jamun and Aam Panna flavours.  6. Reading Feluda. It was my list of Bookish Goals for 2015 to read some of the Feluda stories. And it makes me so happy to revisit the world of Feluda, Topshe and of course Jatayu. So fun. And the magical things about these stories is that they make me want travel and see India. If you haven'...

Book: Wildflower Author: Drew Barrymore Pages: 264 Read On: My iPad How Long Time It Took Me To Read: 2 hours or so. Plot Summary: A ward-winning actress Drew Barrymore shares funny, insightful, and profound stories from her past and present told from the place of happiness she's achieved today. Wildflower  is a portrait of Drew's life in stories as she looks back on the adventures, challenges, and incredible experiences of her earlier years. It includes tales of living on her own at 14 (and how laundry may have saved her life), getting stuck in a gas station overhang on a cross country road trip, saying goodbye to her father in a way only he could have understood, and many more adventures and lessons that have led her to the successful, happy, and healthy place she is today. It is the first book Drew has written about her life since the age of 14. General Thoughts: I like Drew Barrymore, I think she is a happy and positive person who has overcome a lot in her...

Hello!  And. Ho! Ho! Ho!  Christmas is around the corner and it's time to get festive and get in the Christmas spirit. It's also time to pile some gifts under the tree.  I thought I'd share some things I wish would land up under my tree this Christmas.  Time for a Christmas Wishlist! :)  1. The Classic Saddle Bag from Cord: I am a bag lady. If you know me in real life or via social media, you'll know that bags make my heart sing. And satchel bags are my thing. And this bag looks adorable and classy and timeless. I have one bag from Cord already and I really love the quality and craftsmanship of the bag.  2. Bucket Bag from Cord: Another Cord love that I want so bad. I have wanted a bucket bag for ages. Absolute ages and I really want this camel coloured bag is something I'll always love. You can get it from HERE.   3. Sherlock Brooch by AndSmile on Etsy: Well! Do I need to even explain?! Sherlock. Bea...