The Whimsy Bookworm: A Book Blog from India

Yellow Lillies for the win.  On my recent trip to Kalimpong, we stayed in a hotel right next to Delo park. We chose to stay away from the hubbub of the main city and amidst nature and clouds. And it was the best decision we ever made.  Delo was under constant cloud cover. It honestly felt like I was living in the clouds. It was cold and cozy and lovely.  Plus, it rained almost every day. Bliss!  On our last full day here, we finally went to Delo Park. An eco park full of walking tracks and flowers.  We spent over an hour here walking around and taking in the views and all the lush greenery around us.  You could also live inside Delo park if you wanted.  There is government guest house that could book a room in.  But given how busy the park gets in the morning and afternoon, I don't think this will be a most relaxing spot in the world to stay in. Especially in winter, huge groups of people come here for picnics ...

Hello!  I want to share this beautiful work of art that was a local Pujo Pandal. It was inspired by books and literature, Bengali literature to be specific.  And it had art all over.  Art from the Bengal school, artists like Jamini Ray and others of his ilk.  It was breath taking. I spend most of my time ogling at the pandal.  The outside.  Protima.  The colours and art.  Books and Art galore.  Books by Tagore, Saratchandra and Bamkinchandra.  It makes me sad to imagine all of this dismantled.  Ki shundor.  :)

Hello!  Another glorious Durga Pujo for the books.  This has been a fun and lovely Pujo in my small-town of Jalpaiguri.  Things were a little delayed due to the rains and things were a little slow to start but by Saptami things were up and running and everyone was pandal hopping and dressing up and celebrating.  I went to a couple of pandals this year and they were all wonderful and artistic and must have taken so much work and talent to put together.  I want to share my most loved pandal of them all.  This one is close to where I live and is called The R.G. Club. It's a really small but stunning Pujo. It's run by the para folks and they hit it out of the park every single year. This year was no different.  The theme this year was Boats and they went all out.  The pandal was full of all kinds of different boats and ships.  All of this handmade with love.  So pretty.  :)  I could hon...

Hello!  How has October been treating you so far?!  Mine has been festive and full of happy anticipation.  My first half of October is dedicated to all things Bengaliana and Durga Pujo and I often read a classic Bengali novel during this time.  The second half of October is however firmly meant for one thing and one thing only- Thrillers! Something about Halloween and all the scary things and spooky vibes take over and all I want to do is read thrillers.  Now, I obviously also read a ton of thrillers all year round, I am always in the mood for a good psychological thriller.  And recently I've read a few good ones that I want to talk about here.  So let's jump into some mini-reviews.. 1. The Arrangement by Robyn Harding: This one I buddy read with my sister while we were in Kalimpong. We got cozy, under quilts with a cup of coffee and started reading this twisted tale about sugar babies and sugar daddies. We could no...

Hello October!  Hello Festivity!  Hello Durga Pujo!  Hello Diwali!  💮💮💮💮💮💮💮 Be Kind October.  Be Good. Be Gentle.  I am so excited for this month.  October isn't usually my favourite month of the year, given it's one of the hottest months in Bombay, but this time around I am in the hometown where it promises to be pleasant and fall-ish.  I am especially excited about Durga Pujo, I just hope it doesn't rain too much and ruin the festivities.  It's been a rainy few days here and it might be rainy during Pujo too.  :( Oh well, here's hoping for the best.  OCTOBER GOALS/// 1. Read at least 12 books. Reading slows down considerably when I am on holiday but I hope to get back to reading.  2. Go for walks, hopefully by the river.  3. Lots of pandal hopping.  4. Lots of picture taking.  5. Journal.  6. Write. Short stories that have ...

Book Review: The Two Lila Bennetts Authors: Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke Pages: 307 Read on: Kindle Read in: 3 hours Plot Summary:  Lila Bennett’s bad choices have finally caught up with her. And one of those decisions has split her life in two. Literally. In one life, she’s taken hostage by someone who appears to be a stranger but knows too much. As she’s trapped in a concrete cell, her kidnapper forces her to face what she’s done or be killed. In an alternate life, she eludes her captor but is hunted by someone who is dismantling her happiness, exposing one secret at a time. Lila’s decorated career as a criminal defense attorney, her marriage, and her life are on the line. She must make a list of those she’s wronged—both in and out of the courtroom—to determine who is out to get her before it’s too late.  But even if she can pinpoint her assailant, will she survive? And if she does, which parts of her life are worth saving, and which parts must die?  ...

Hello!  Long time no see!  Since we last spoke and since I pretty much disappeared from this blog, I've been a little busy. First with some manic packing.  Then, travelling from Bombay to my parent's home in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. I've been here for a week now and in this week I've also managed to squeeze in a little holiday to Kalimpong!  :)  And it's been grand.  Fog.  Mists. Rains.  Hills. Tall tress.  Flowers.  Winding roads.  Ah!  It's been the best.  If you know me at all, you must know that  I am my 100% happiest in the hills.  I am my best version.  It makes me giddily happy.  All this greenery is just good for me and my heart.  Flowers, every where you look.  I couldn't be happier.  These pale pink beauties were aplenty in my hotel.  THIS was the view from my hotel window.  Can you e...