The Whimsy Bookworm: A Book Blog from India

 Hello, hello! This year has been a bust as far as the Indian movie scene was concerned (for us). We watched a few good ones, though and so, are sharing those as solid recommendations to enjoy over a long weekend!  Laapataa Ladies (Lost Ladies): Hands down, the best movie of the year! Won't be writing much here because we have a whole post about it. Read it ! :) Streaming on Netflix.  Kill: A gory, thrilling, slick action flick that's made in India! Fast-paced and so, so, so thrilling. Streaming on Netflix. Watch it!  Stree 2: A sequel that is not a sophomoric disaster! Yes, please! This movie takes us back into the Stree universe, except, we have a new villain and also, some new allies. A fun, spooky watch, for sure! Streaming on Prime Video.  Munjya: A nicely made horror movie inspired by the myth/ legend of the Brahmadaitya- the belief that if a Brahmin youth days within 14 days of his sacred thread ceremony, he becomes an evil spirit/ entity. Highly recommen...

 Hello, hello, Today, we will be sharing our Top 12 documentaries of the year.  This year was a major non-fiction viewing year for us. Somehow, movies and series (fiction) across languages were so disappointing! Anyhoo, let's get to it!  1. Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth? is a heartbreaking, thought-provoking and very nicely made documentary about the dual abduction of cousins- Lyric and Elizabeth from a small town in Iowa. This was a rare case of double abduction and the documentary delves into theories, possible suspects and even unearths a few interesting connections with other cases. Highly recommend. Streaming on Jio Cinema. 2. Worst Ex Ever & Worst Roommate Ever are two amazing and scary documentaries about horrible exes and terrifying roommates. This is episodic and so, there are multiple horror stories shared by those who have experienced these! Streaming on Netflix.  3. Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter is an amazing documentary and story ...

Hello, hello, Another weekend and another 'what to watch' post on this blog :)  Today's recommendations are a nice mixed bag of true crime, horror and romance! So, let's get into it, shall we?  Nobody Wants This is a rom-com that is an instant throwback to the mid-2000s! Not only because it stars millennial heartthrobs Adam Brody and Kristen Bell but also it is, basically, a classic rom-com. Has several laugh out loud moments and all the formulaic, trope-heavy things that defined the rom-coms in the early to mid-2000s.  Messed up, commitment-averse heroine- check.  Stable, nice-boy hero- check.  He falls first- check.  She falls harder- check.   And, like I said, lots of LOL-worthy moments, mostly stemming from the hero's extremely Jewish family and the heroine's messy-chaotic family.  This is not a perfect show but it is one of the better rom-coms one has seen in a while. Plus it has six very short episodes which I like. I am so over 50 minute lo...

 Hello, hello, After absolutely ages, we are back with a 'What to Watch' recommendation post! Today we are recommending 5 True Crime Documentaries that we recently watched and loved!  Let's get into it, shall we?  1. Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter tells the heartbreaking story of birth mom- Kathy Terkanian- who had given up her nine-month-old daughter for adoption in 1975. She had heard nothing of or from her child (since it was a closed adoption) until 2010, when the adoption agency wrote to her asking for a DNA sample to match a set of female remains found in Wisconsin. It was then that Kathy, who even after receiving the letter had not learnt her child's name, learnt that her daughter has been missing since 1989! The two-episode documentary follows her tenacious search into the whereabouts of her daughter and the shocking revelations that unearth more unsolved crimes!  Very, very good! Absolute must-watch! Streaming on Netflix. 2. Worst Ex Ever: Who hasn't had ...

 Hello, hello, Welcome to the very first Friday of 2024!  I hope you are as excited as I am that the work week is done and a weekend (and all its myriad possibilities) spreads out ahead of us!  Sharing some of the recent things that we've been loving!  The beginning of any New Year means setting up our planners and journals. This here is my sister's Hobonichi Techo. She is back in the Hobonichi after 3 years and this cover is from The Black Canvas . The crochet pencil case is from an Instagram shop whose name I can't remember.  Are you a fan of stickers? We are. They just brighten up things like laptops and Kindle and iPad cases and can be easily removed and replaced with other stickers. This one is from the Strawbabie store . The Kindle cover is from Amazon . My sister has the slightly larger 11th Generation Paperwhite and it is so difficult to find a good cover for it.  I spent some time organising my journal/ planner supplies in my The Ink Bucket planner...

 Hello, hello! I hope December has been good to you thus far!  We are a little more than halfway done with the last month of the year and, seriously, where has the time flown by?!  Anyway, back to the post. Today, I am going to share our Top 10 Hindi movies of the year. This year has been awful for the Hindi movie industry and they've only given us duds and godawful movies! However, even amongst the uninspiring slew of Hindi movies, there were some that were, thankfully, good!  Let's get into it, shall we?!  Uunchai,  streaming on Zee5, is a lovely, heartwarming movie about a group of septuagenarians, who decide to trek to the Everest Base Camp to honour one of their friends, whose dream it was and who'd passed away quite suddenly. The treacherous trek, the unravelling of secrets and just the dynamics of the friendships was really nicely done!  Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga,  streaming on Netflix, is a really nicely done thriller. It starts with the hi...

This has been a good year for Bangla/ Bengali content on OTT platforms. We have had a mix of thrillers, historical, horror and even drama series, which made it a very interesting year for Bangla content.  Let's get into our top Bangla web series for 2023!  Shikarpur is a thriller series on Zee5. It is a serial killer series set in a small town in North Bengal and is really, really nicely done. The pacing, story, suspense are all very good! Highly recommend!  Shwetkali is a thriller-horror series on Zee5. It is spooky, full of religious symbolism and menace. The pace, narrative and suspense are top notch! Highly recommend!  Buker Moddhey Agun is a cold case police investigative series on Hoichoi. It is a Bangladeshi series inspired by true events from the 90s. Very interesting and nicely done.  Indubalar Bhater Hotel is a historical drama series on Hoichoi, which touches upon themes such as women's rights, their struggles to cope in pre and post-Independent India...

 Another day, another list.  This one is of a book-to-series adaptations that we have enjoyed this past year.  Let's get into it!  1. Lessons in Chemistry I loved and really enjoyed reading Lessons in Chemistry and when I saw that it has been adapted into a web series by Apple TV, I couldn't wait to watch it! The series did not disappoint. It is, obviously, not fully 100% similar to the book but it is still good and an interesting watch.  2. The Burning Girls  The Burning Girls by CJ Tudor is another really interesting thriller-horror book, which I loved! Watched the adaptation and really liked that as well. Some elements were different from the book but the show was tight, gripping and very nicely done.  3. The Last Thing He Told Me  The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave is a really great book and the adaptation by Apple TV is also really nicely done! It has quite a few differences from the book but still very nice.   4. Wilderness...

 It is that time of the year!  The time where we share our favourite books, TV/ OTT series and other favourite things of 2023!  Kicking off the list-y posts with our Top 5 K-Dramas of 2023!  Let's go!  1. The Glory  The Glory was, hands down, one of my favourite shows of 2023! It is a brilliant show with fabulous performances but a dark, potentially triggering, theme. The show follows the journey of a young woman seeking revenge from the kids, who brutally bullied her in high school. It is a hard watch at times but a brilliant, brilliant show.  2. Mr. Queen  Mr. Queen is an older show. I think it is from 2020 but it showed up on Netflix this year and is one of my favourite K-drama love stories! It is cute, hilarious and so, so sweet! I loved the setting, the characters and just everything about it!  3. Destined With You  If you love reincarnation and destined-to-be-forever type of romance tropes, then this cute show is just for you! It i...

 Hello, hello! Happy Halloween!  When the real world is so full of horrors, do we really need another day to remind us of the existence of all kinds of scary things? Maybe, maybe not.  Irrespective of whether you celebrate Halloween or not, here are 10 solid horror movies and shows that you can enjoy on this spooky day.  1. The Pale Blue Eye (Netflix)  is a horror-thriller-suspence series that has Edgar Allen Poe as a detective (of sorts) as he investigates murders of cadets at a military school in upstate New York. A spooky and atmospheric watch, which is very nicely done.  2. The Wonder (Netflix) is an interesting and atmospheric movie about a young girl, who has not been eating for over a couple of months. The village elders call upon a trained nurse and a nun to observe the girl to see it is a miracle or a hoax. An interesting one to watch if you don't want to watch something too spooky or scary.  3. Bodies Bodies Bodies (Netflix) is a slasher-come...

 Hello, hello! Happy Friday the 13th to all who celebrate!  As a horror fan, my plan for today is to watch as many horror movies as possible and so, in the spirit of sharing, here are 10 horror movie recommendations for you should you also want to watch one or a few of them! :)  Let's get started!  1. Talk to Me: Some high school kids find a mysterious embalmed hand that can summon spirits and decide to use it as some kind of a game. If you hold the hand, a spirit possesses you and it is safe to stay possessed for 90 seconds. But then things go wrong, as they do... 2. Raaz: A Hindi classic. Heavily inspired by What Lies Beneath but still quite scary and good!  3. The Exorcist (1973): Truly a classic of the genre. A little girl is possessed and her mother, a priest and family friends band together to save her.  4. The Conjuring: Based on a real case undertaken by Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Conjuring is a seriously spooky movie about a family's home being ha...

 Hello, hello, I hope your long weekend has gotten off to a great start!  After a busy week, mine has been slow and lazy, exactly as I wanted it to be!  In case you are planning to be home this long weekend, here are a few series and movie recommendations for you!  1. Destined With You is a Korean series that is a romance but with elements like reincarnation, mystery and magic. It is funny and sweet and totally worth bingeing this weekend. Streaming on Netflix. 2. Wilderness is a suspense/ thriller domestic drama about a woman, who decides to kill her cheating husband during a road trip through the US West Coast National Parks. It is gripping and worth watching. Streaming on Prime Video.  3. Athidhi (The Guest) is a Telugu (dubbed in 7 languages) horror/ suspense series about a man living with his wife in a beautiful home when random strangers start showing up on a stormy night. Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.  4. No Hard Feelings is a comedy movie about supe...

  Hello, hello, I hope your Monday has been good.  If you are looking for something to watch tonight or maybe something nice this week, I have Five Things to Watch.  So let's just jump in.  Friday Night Plan: This teen, coming-of-age and shenanigans-filled film on Netflix was such good fun. It was sweet, funny and has its heart in the right place. I liked how school life and different cliques are shown in a believable way. The popular kids aren't some monsters and relentlessly evil. It shows friendships in schools in a way that seemed so real. I had such a fun time watching this and if you need something short and fun and nostalgic watch this.  It's streaming on Netflix.  The After Party: This is a suspense-whodunnit-comedy. The second season recently wrapped up and if you are looking for something to binge, I highly recommend both seasons of this quirky show and the mystery is also decent. Both seasons are solid and fun and you can watch this over the we...

Hello, hello, We've been having a very rainy week in Mumbai and so, have been watching a mix of old and new and underrated horror movies! Sharing some that we enjoyed for fellow horror aficionados.    In no particular order, here are the horror movies we enjoyed!  1. The Pope's Exorcist: Inspired the real life adventures and misadventures of the actual exorcist hired by the Pope in the 1980s to help individuals suffering from demonic possession, this is a pretty gnarly movie. When an American widow moves to a tiny town in Spain to restore and sell an ancient abbey that belonged to her husband's family, she finds a demonic entity possessing her young son. The Pope's Exorcist is called in to help the little boy.  Streaming on Prime Video.  2. Slumber: When a family that has consistent, horrifying nightmares approaches a sleep clinic for help, little do the doctors know that they have bitten off more than they can chew and what seems like some kind of sleep disorde...

We watched Adhura early this morning. The skies were dark, it was quiet all around with the only sound being the gentle pitter-patter of rains. Just the perfect mood/ vibe to watch a horror show set in a boarding school exploring themes like revenge, past sins, secrets and such!  Here are 5 reasons why you should definitely watch Adhura this rainy weekend!  1. The setting is absolutely gorgeous and perfect! The show is set on the beautiful campus of The Lawrence School, Lovedale, Ooty and the misty greens, the darker-than-dark nights and the beautiful, regal old buildings amp up the spooky atmosphere of the show!   2. The story, as I mentioned earlier, is set in a boarding school in the hills. The batch of 2007 is back on campus for a reunion and a little 10-year-old boy, called Vedant, is acting strangely and scaring the beejeejus out of his bullies. Is Vedant's metamorphosis somehow connected to the return of the batch of 2007? What connects whatever entity is possessin...

  We watched Lust Stories 2 last night and here is a full on spoiler-filled review for y'all!  BEWARE- FULL SPOILERS AHEAD- SKIP THIS POST IF YOU DON'T LIKE SPOILERS Lust Stories 2 is an anthology of four short films centred around, what else, lust. The themes for each of these stories are different and so, as an anthology, it works well. Also, all the stories are women-centric, which given the theme is always nice to see. So, without any further ado, let's dive into the individual short films.  The first story is directed by R. Balki and is, honestly, one of the most ridiculous and far-fetched ones in the anthology! While it did make me chuckle on multiple occasions, the whole schtick of a Dadima insisting on her granddaughter have sex before marriage with a potential semi-arranged marriage groom is just ridiculously far fetched given the social milieu and the kind of family shown in this story, which is an average middle-upper-middle class family!  Can you imagine ...

 Hello, hello, It is Friday and in just a few hours, another weekend starts! WeeHee!  If you plan on staying in and being a couch potato, then we have some binge-worthy OTT show and movie recommendations for you!  1. Shabash Feluda (Zee5): Another new reboot/ new franchise for our favourite Bengali detective! This one stars Parambrata Chattopadhaya as Feluda and brings to life one of the many Feluda stories that have not hitherto been made for TV or film! This is a convoluted, fast-paced thriller and is definitely worth watching!  2. The Last Thing He Told Me (AppleTV): Based on the eponymous book, this is a fast-paced thriller about whether we really know the ones we love! When Hannah Hall's husband goes missing, she has no idea the kinds of things she would end up finding out about his past and the sacrifices they would need to make to keep his daughter- Bailey- safe. If you liked the book, you'll also like the series.  3. Kathal (Netflix): A sharp and well-ma...

  It's another weekend and a hot one at that! Or a rainy one if you are in the path of Cyclone Mocha! Please stay safe!  So, if you are looking to stay in and binge a show, then may we suggest Dahaad on Amazon Prime Video.  We binge watched it today and here are five reasons why we think you should watch this show!  1. Loosely inspired by the notorious Cyanide Killer - a serial killer from Karnataka known for killing women with cyanide - Dahaad is, at a very basic level, a serial killer thriller show. However, it is not just that. It is a lovely, nuanced look at general misogyny, the role and place of women in society, issues of casteism and religious intolerance that are so prevalent in our society today. So, if you want to watch a great serial killer cat-and-mouse type show with some thoughtful and intelligent layers, then this is the show for you.  2. The casting is just stellar! Sonakshi Sinha, Vijay Varma, Gulshan Devaiah and Sohum Shah are pitch perfect in...

 Hello, hello! A long weekend is just a few hours away from us and if you, like us, plan to just chill and be home, then we have got you sorted with some really interesting OTT recommendations.  Without any further ado, let's get into it, shall we? :)  Documentaries If you enjoy documentaries, then these three on Netflix are definitely ones that you should watch: MH370: The Plane That Disappeared looks into various theories behind the mysterious disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared into thin air in 2014! An interesting look at multiple conspiracy and scientific theories that speculate on what could've happened.  Waco: American Apocalypse is a look at the 51-day stand off between the FBI and a cult based out of Waco, Texas. The documentary sheds light on what went on for those 51 days and how, in the end, the tragic events that unfolded at the compound came to pass. A nice true crime documentary.  Challenger: The Final Flig...

 Hello, hello, Sharing some of our most loved movies and web series of February 2023!  Given we have some long weekends coming up in March, these would be good ones to watch.  Let's get into it!  1. Mr Queen: A K-drama that is absolutely hilarious and adorable but with a hint of palace/ political intrigue! When a 21st century masterchef falls into a swimming pool, he wakes up in the body of a 19th century queen-to-be. Hilarity ensues as he tries to keep the King at an arm's length, try desperate means to get back to his life and fix things in the past all at the same time!  2. Crash Course in Romance: An introverted, workaholic Maths tutor falls for an extroverted, kind restaurant owner. This is, however, not just an opposites attract love story but is also a commentary on the brutal education system in Korea, especially, the cut-throat world of competitive exams, special tuition classes for these exams and the toll it takes on students. There is also a bit of a...