Project 365 2015, Week: 17.

Hello! 

This last week has been nice. Restful and fun. I read a lot. Watched a lot of TV shows and I got my spring cleaning on...a little in the day buy Hey! better late than never! I also got some books in the mail, which is always a nice thing. My parents made some travel plans and even made plans to come see us in a few months. :) I also played with some paints and really enjoyed myself. I am looking for some nice colour pencils...don't know what brand but I am going to do some research and order them online. 

A good week. Nothing fancy! But very, very pleasing all the same! 

Let's see my week in pictures. 

Day 113: I love things from Forest Essentials. I love the brand but I especially love how everything from them smells divine. So good. Give their Mogra and Jasmine scented things a sniff and you'll thank me later! :) I've been trying their Kashmiri Saffrom and Neem Facial Cleaner for a bit now and I love it. It cleans my face really well and it hasn't broken me out and it smells lovely. A perfect face wash to wash my face in the morning with, soothing and the scent just puts me in a good mood!  Totally recommend! :)

Day 114: Some cute faces that I see everyday. My flat is half full of books and half full other cute things. I had a huge Beanie Boo moment in 2012 and bought a ton of these round darlings! I don't regret a thing, they are so cute and I use them as decor in my living room. Who wouldn't love their little faces?!

Day 115: Owl fan for life. 

This little owl pillow sits with the cushions but I never ever lean on him or squish him in any way. He is far too precious to be used as a mere cushion. Hell no! :) 

Day 116: Sunday Funday! Some glorious Sunday brunch grubs! Chicken ham and cheese sandwich, mashed potatoes and bacon and an omelette with mushroom and tomatoes. Delightful! :) 

This year I've tried to do something special every Sunday. I either make pancakes for breakfast or make a smoothie or I try and bake a treat. But this last Sunday we were feeling lazy and just decided to treat ourselves. We cranked up the AC, made some iced-coffee and ordered in some brunch. So good! 

 

Day 117: Got some books in the mail and I finally, finally got a physical copy of this gorgeous book. We already have it on our Kindle but I really wanted this book in physical form. 

The review for this book already exists on the blog. See HERE. 

 I got this on Amazon. 

 

Day 118: This is a faux plant- we had a few real ones but they died due to our plant-sitter's neglect whilst we were travelling. We jazzed up the pot with some lace and now it looks super-pretty! 

 

Day 119: This is the lid of a Hello Kitty mug that our friend- D- gave us about three years ago. It's uber-preciousness kept me from using it, but I woke up that day thinking 'YOLO' and so, decided to use it for my morning coffee! Hello Kitty is always a good idea! :)

So, that was my week! I hope you've had a good one as well! 

Have a nice long weekend, everyone! :) 

Book Review: The Strings of Murder by Oscar de Muriel.

Book: The Strings of Murder

Author: Oscar de Muriel

Pages: 407

Read On: Paperback

How Long it Took Me to Read: 2 days

Plot Summary:  Edinburgh, 1888. A violinist is murdered in his home. The dead virtuoso's maid swears she heard three musicians playing in the night. But with only one body in the locked practice room and no way in or out the case makes no sense. Fearing a national panic over another Ripper, Scotland Yard sends Inspector Ian Frey to investigate under the cover of a fake department specializing in the occult. However, Frey's new boss, Detective 'Nine-Nails' McGray, actually believes in such supernatural nonsense. McGray's tragic past has driven him to superstition, but even Frey must admit that this case seems beyond reason. And once someone loses all reason, who knows what they will lose next.

General Thoughts: Historical fiction + murder mystery + occult! I heard these three words and wanted this book!

Things I Liked: 

1. The setting and premise of this book is perfect and gloomy and spooky. All things that I like.

2. The murders are gruesome and the atmosphere of this book largely remains very tense and sinister.

3. The characters in this book are very well fleshed out and you really get to know them by the end of the book. Both Ian Frey and McGray are wonderful characters that I enjoyed getting to know through the course of this book.

4. This book taught me a lot about violins, classical music and several myths and tales surrounding certain musicians and I found this very interesting. And I am not a classical music aficionado at all! I love when books teach me something new. #nerdforlife

5. The bantering between McGray and Frey was just so much fun!

6. I didn't really/ fully guess who the culprit was and not to toot my own horn, that almost never happens. I usually guess things midway through most mystery books. But I didn't here and that was a huge plus point.

7. The occult and supernatural stories in this book were so fun. I am huge spooky story fan and anything to do with the occult is always fun to read.

8. Even the side characters in this book were done justice and seemed real and were very memorable. Elgie Frey, Joan, Dr. Reed and Downs were all nicely fleshed out.

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. The beginning of this book was soooooooooooo slow! I nearly wanted to stop reading! Frey doesn't even get to Scotland till page 93!! The first half could have/ should have been a lot faster.

2. The Scottish dialect and way of speaking maybe difficult for some people to read and understand. I struggled with it a bit but since I've seen Outlander I was a little bit clued in with the Scottish speak. :)

3. Now this is me being a little silly but I was a tad bit disappointed with the ending. The culprit made sense...and it wasn't implausible or anything but, but...I don't know I just expected something a little more shocking.

4. The book wasn't nearly as dark or scary as I had hoped it would be.

Rating: 4/5

Buy it Here:

Amazon

Flipkart

Book Review: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith.

Book: The Geography of You and Me

Author: Jennifer E Smith

Pages: 352

Read On:: iPad

How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 days

Plot Summary: Lucy lives on the twenty-fourth floor. Owen lives in the basement. It's fitting, then, that they meet in the middle -- stuck between two floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, Lucy and Owen spend the night wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is back, so is reality. Lucy soon moves abroad with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

The brief time they spend together leaves a mark. And as their lives take them to Edinburgh and to San Francisco, to Prague and to Portland, Lucy and Owen stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and phone calls. But can they -- despite the odds -- find a way to reunite?

Smartly observed and wonderfully romantic, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. Sometimes, it can be a person.

General Thoughts: I've read two other books by this author and honestly I've had somewhat mixed-ish feelings about them. You can find their reviews HERE and HERE. 

Things I Liked: 

1. The premise of this book- two people meet on a stuck elevator and develop a connection. Sounds nice. I have come to realise that Jennifer E Smith is the master of coming up books based on adorable and super interesting meet-cues. The books always start with a super cutesy meeting point.

2. The book takes you so many places. Road-tripping in the US and places in Europe and it's always a nice thing when books takes you places.

3. The characters of both Lucy and Owen are very well-crafted and you get to know both of them really well by the end of the book. We have alternative chapters from each of their perspectives and this really helped in connecting with the characters and getting to see their world through their eyes.

4. I liked that while they were apart from each other, there were other (love interest) people in each of their lives.

5. The insta-love/interest was present...I can't pretend it wasn't there...but it wasn't as vile as it normally is. The connection and fondness that develops between Lucy and Owen seemed largely natural.

6. Lucy's parents and their lack of interest in their children's lives was shown well and what was shown even better was the impact their behaviour had on Lucy.

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. The ending was just...abrupt and it felt like the book almost ended mid-sentence. There was no resolution or a wrap-up.

2. As much as the insta-love in this book wasn't as terrible was it could be...it was still there. The connection was almost instantaneous.  Lucy and Owen meet in the elevator during a city-wide blackout and she doesn't know him at all. Like this is the first time they've met. They manage to get out of the elevator and she then takes him home...in her apartment in the pitch dark, on the 24th floor when no one is at home! Like really? Hasn't she heard of date rape? So stupid!

3. Overall this book was a bit under-whelming and supremely meh.

Rating: 3/5

Buy it Here: 

                           Amazon

                          Flipkart

Book Review: The Blue Umbrella by Ruskin Bond.

Book: The Blue Umbrella

Author: Ruskin Bond

Illustrator: Archana Sreenivasan 

Pages: 64

Read On: Paperback

How Long it Took Me To Read: 1hour

Plot Summary: 'The Umbrella was like a flower, a great blue flower that had sprung up on the dry brown hillside.’

In exchange for her lucky leopard’s claw pendant, Binya acquires a beautiful blue umbrella that makes her the envy of everyone in her village, especially Ram Bharosa, the shop-keeper. Ruskin Bond’s short and humorous novella, set in the picturesque hills of Garhwal, perfectly captures life in a village, where both heroism and redemption can be found.

General Thoughts: A few years ago this book was made into a movie. I saw the trailers but for some reason...I never felt like watching the movie. This book however caught my eye a few months back and made it to my wishlist and when it got ridiculously cheap, I had it have it.

A read in an hour and it was utterly charming!

Things I Liked: 

1. Ruskin Bond's writing was amazing as per usual. He is such a gifted writer and I've enjoyed all of his books I've read.

2. The story is simple but heart-warming.

3. The world-building in this book is marvelous. The little village in the hills and it's people all come to life beautifully.

4. The illustrations are darling.

5. This was such a happy and simple and heart-warming read. It's the perfect read for days when you are feeling blue. A total happiness inducing book.

6. This book is of course meant for kids but I am sure adults can enjoy it too.

7. The lessons this book imparts are great and very important, sharing, being honest and good are all very crucial things to be reminded of.

8. The characters in this book are so well-crafted and so memorable.

9. Even though this book first came out in 1972, it's still very much relevant and not dated at all.

10. Binya is such a wonderful character to get to know. I loved her and rooted for her all the way! 

Rating: 4/5

Buy it Here:  

Amazon 

Flipkart

Book Review: Pashu by Devdutt Pattanaik.

Book: Pashu

Author: Devdutt Pattanaik

Pages: 184

Read On: Paperback

How Long it Took Me To Read: 1 day

Plot Summary: A unique feature of Hindu mythology is the key role played by animals, or pashu. The Puranas, ancient Hindu story chronicles, reveal that Brahma, the creator, had a son called Kashyapa, whose many wives gave birth to different types of pashu:

• Timi gave birth to animals who swim
• Vinata gave birth to animals who fly
• Kadru gave birth to animals who crawl
• Surabhi gave birth to animals with hooves
• Sarama gave birth to animals with paws
• Surasa gave birth to animals who defy classification

This book retells their stories. With over 75 gorgeously illustrated anecdotes, Devdutt Pattanaik reveals how our ancestors imagined the animal kingdom and the key role animals played in human lives.

General Thoughts: I have read a few books by this author and I've found each of these books very interesting and incredibly educative. This book sounded like fun too and I had to give it a read, even though it's meant for kids!

Things I Liked: 

1. The writing as usual was nice and succint and the stories easy to follow.

2. The illustrations are darling. Simple but spectacular.

3. The stories are from all sorts of place and not just the famous epics. The range of them is pretty good too.

4. I learned quite a bit from this book and learning is always a good thing.

5. Some of the stories were known to me, mostly I had heard them from my grandma, but even though they were known tales, I didn't mind re-reading them. They reminded me of long afternoons with my grandmother and all the magical stories she told me.

 6. The new (to me) stories were facsinating and so interesting.

7. This book is a great way to introduce mythology to kids. If you don't have a grandma handy, this book can introduce your kid to mythology.

8. You don't have to be Indian or Hindu to enjoy these stories. These stories can be enjoyed by anyone.

9. Also, these stories work for adults too. I sure as hell enjoyed it.

10. A total added bonus...I think I am going to colour in the illustrations. I mean why not?

Rating: 4/5

Buy it Here: Amazon

                     Flipkart

Monday Moods: Joy + 10 Reasons I am Joyful Today!

Hello! 

Another Monday is here and another brand new week is upon us. I figured what better way to kick-start this week than with a gentle reminder to both you and me to Choose Joy Today. A simple statement but oh-so-diffcult to follow through. :)

I wish was as easy as it sounds. To pick Joy and Choose Happiness every single day and in every single situation. But life is hard and people even worse. You might want to focus on the lighter and brighter side of things but people/situation/ life have other agendas. 

Yet I try to find my own joy. And Choose Joy in every single situation.It's hard and sometimes being cranky and negative comes more easily but it's so much more fulfilling to have Joy in your heart. 

So let's see The 10 Reasons I am Joyful this Monday morning....

1. First of all I am joyful and grateful and beyond thankful for my parent's safety. My parents live in our hometown (the same place I spent two months in the beginning of the year) and it is very close to Nepal and on Saturday morning they too experienced tremors from the devastating Earthquake and the aftershocks yesterday morning. Thankfully, they are safe and sound. For that I am so grateful. 

2. I have a yummy breakfast to look forward to and COFFEE! The promise of coffee always makes me joyful. 

3. I just might get some books in the mail today from Amazon! Yay! 

4. There might be Donuts later in the day. I love Donuts and the mere thought of them makes me joyful. 

5. The sun is out..sure it gets unbearably hot by noon, but right now, at 7:31 am, the sun is mild and perfect. 

6. I have only two books left on this month's TBR and I am so happy to see how much I've read this month. I've been on a slower reading phase lately and getting my reading mojo back this month has been so good! 

7. Glitter pens! I recently bought some glitter pens and they are so awesome. They remind me of being 14 years old and obsessed with glitter pens! And guess what? I still love them just as much! 

8. Flowers in bloom everywhere! Summer in India might be brutal but the flowers and gardens coming to life is truly a spectacular sight to feast on. 

9. Ice-cream. Summer and Ice-creams are a match made in heaven! I have had my happy share of ice-cream since Spring and I can't wait to have some more all summer long! 

10. Blogging! I love it, doh! Today I plan on spending some time here and line up some review posts. While I have been reading a ton...reviewing has been a bit slow. Need to fix that and I plan on doing it today. 

Have great Monday you guys and I hope the rest of this week treats you well. 

And remember to Choose Joy! :) 

The notecard is from Kikki.K and I love it, typography, colour and of course the message!

Weekend Reads/// Set- 3.

Hello! 

Hope the weekend is treating you well. 

My plan for the weekend is simple enough--- Read, Cook, Bake, Blog and Sleep...and maybe dare to step out in the summer heat. But honestly, I am content to stay indoors and hide from the heat. I have my books to keep me company. :)

These are the books I plan to read this weekend..

The Strings of Murder by Oscar de Muriel--- I am currently reading this book and it's premise really interests me. This is a pretty hefty book, around 400 pages. So it's possible I won't finish it over the weekend.

If I do manage to finish it..I want to get to Collected Stories by Raja Rao. 

So that's the plan. 

Have a nice weekend guys. 

Happy Reading!

Project 365 2015: Week 16.

Hello! 

Another week has gone by..and what an amazing week this has been. I met my childhood friends for ages and it was just wonderful. We caught up, gossiped and laughed and laughed and were just silly..in a way that one can be silly with only childhood friends. :) 

Other than that...I read like a woman possessed. I read three books this week. A huge improvement from my recent slow reading phase. It was nice getting my reading on. :) 

There was also lots of home cooking, baking and donut eating :) 

Oh...and I made some grape juice which was just out of this world good! 

A very satisfying week! 

Let's see my week in pictures. 

Day 106: A quiet spot to read and relax. My darling little owl friend keeps me company and looks cute! I also adore this bedspread of mine. Vivid blue with very typical block-print. Intrinsically Indian. And just a bright pop of colour.

My Owl is from Blue Mango.

Day 107: More cutesy! Adorable little owl creatures, little bag dangly things...I love all things Owls, they are so wise and cute and those googly eyes are the best thing ever. They are made by the folks of Blue Mango, as well.

Day 108: Washi Tapes galore! Some of our black and white tapes. Love the prints. 

 

Day 109: Donutssssss! My sister got these from Dunkin Donuts and we enjoyed them for the next few days. We also had their iced-coffee and it was delicious. I can't wait to try more of this. 

Day 110: Grape juice! So delicious. 

All you need is grapes + sugar + the juice of one lime + a pinch of salt + some water. Blend away in a blender. And you are done. Easy-peasy-tasty as hell.

Day 111: My Masala Dabba (box) full of Indian spices. All critical elements to cook Indian food. 

In here we have- Kashimiri Red Chilli Powder, Garam Masala Power, Turmeric Powder, Jeera (cumin powder) + Dhaniya (coriander Powder) and some whole spices like Bay Leaf, Cinnamon and Cloves. All  fragrant and lovely. 

Day 112: A butterfly book-mark made out of elephant poo...yup poop! I love these Elephant Poop products made by Haathi Chaap. Their stuff is super cute and so unique. I also love their notebooks and last year I even had Christmas Tree ornaments made by them. Really cute and quirky things. :) 

Hope you guys had a nice week too. 

Will see you again next week. 

Have a nice weekend people.

Happy World Book Day + 10 Reasons Why I Love Books!

Happy World Book Day! 

It's like Christmas for Book-Lovers...well almost. Last year, on this day I hit two bookstores and bought some books to honour the day of books. 

This year I went the online route and ordered some books from Amazon, they had a 60% Sale on certain books and I got a few books from that deal and a couple others on 50% off. Yay! Yay! Yay!  Once those books come in, a haul will come your way. :) 

I love books :) With all my heart and soul. And I have done so since I was a kid.

Here are my Top 10 Reasons for Loving Books: 

1. Books tell stories---about people, places, history, lives, kings, queens, heroes, villains, knights, farmers, magicians, murderers, mothers, love, loss, lust...the scope of stories is endless and that is a truly wonderful thing!
2. Books are the cheapest way to travel.
3. Books are a great way to step away from your problems and take a break from real life. They let you escape from your life.
4. Books are such a wonderful way to experience another culture.
5. Books are often full of life-lessons. 
6. Books make you think. 
7. Books let your imaginations take flight. 
8. Books are the best companions. 
9. The utterly lovely book smell--- old musty books or the fresh crisp new book smell. I love both equally. 
10.  Books are beautiful! Pretty covers, illustrations, end papers! So much scope for beauty. 

I could go on and on and on...I hope my love for books is a life-long one and I always enjoy the written word. I am a Reader...it' a huge part of my self-identity. A part of me that I love and I am so grateful for books and stories and beautiful writing. I've been reading since I was 6 years old and I've loved every minute of it. 

Stories have always been a part of my life. My grandma was a master story teller and my Dad too told us funny stories and jokes every night before we fell asleep. Afternoon naps were never complete without Maa reading to us from Bengali Story books...Abol Tabol in particular. My sister read from an early age and bought me books too and always told me the stories of the books she read. I started reading on my own and seriously since I was 8 years old..with good old Enid Blyton and fell in love with the written word. Since then my love for books has grown and how! :) 

Books are my comfort, my solace and my favourite way to spend time.

Happy Reading Guys :) 

A Little Tip to Help You Read More/// Make Most of Your TBR.

As you know I've been making a monthly TBR for over two years now. At the beginning of every new month, I draw up a list of all the books I hope to/ intend to read that given month. This helps me in a number of ways...

• It makes me think about what I want to read.
• It makes me pick books that have been on my bookshelf for a while.
• It give a system/ method to my reading life. 
• It makes picking my next read so much simpler. 
• It gives me a chance to pick books that either go well together (if I am reading a particular theme) or it helps in mixing things up a bit...if I want to read different books this helps me to do that. 

Now I have loved making a TBR list. It doesn't limit me or restrict me in any way. It might seem like it at first, just having set few books on your monthly reading list. But it isn't, I promise. Plus, I like to be flexible. If for some reason I am not 'feeling' a certain book at a certain time, it's OK to skip it. Put it away and move on to the next book from the list. Also, I don't beat myself up if I completely ignore the list (it happens rarely) and read any odd book I want. Life is too short to be so caught up with rules! 

But overall, making a TBR list really makes my reading life more enjoyable. 

Starting this year I've gone ahead and taken my TBR listing to a whole new level. 

I actually pull out books off my shelves and stack them together and keep said stack that I can easily spot it and it's easily accessible.

See book pile below..

This is my slowly reducing TBR for April. I've already read two more books from this stack. 

Having this stack reminds me of the books I need to get to soon. And seeing it get smaller and smaller just makes me smile :) 

And picking my next read is just super easy. 

If you are struggling with reading more or enough and want to read more, I suggest making a TBR list and having a TBR pile either on your bedside table or study table or somewhere that is convenient to you. Having a physical reminded to read more will help..I promise! I got my sister to make TBR lists and she also concurs that it makes her reading life simpler. 

It's better to spent half an hour in the beginning of the month to draw up a list and put some thought into what you want to read than struggle and stare at your bookshelves every time you want to start a new book.

I love that I started doing this- piling my TBR books. It has helped. Especially on nights when I've finished a book and need a new read and the one on my list is sitting high on a bookshelf and I need to pull and tug and get said book out. This pile of books makes life simpler! :) 

Vignettes/// Spring Blossoms.

"Happiness held is the seed, 

Happiness shared is the flower." 

John Harrigan 

"Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature." 

Gerard De Nerval 

Just some flowers I photographed earlier in the year. 

Flowers will always, always being cheer to my heart. 

Monday Moods: Three Berry Tart Recipe.

Hello! 

How is this Monday treating you? 

Let's start this week with some delicious shall we? 

At some point in March, I had the pleasure of tasting blackberries and raspberries for first time ever. I loved them. Pricey (here in India) but so amazing. My sister, bought these for me as I was recovering from a bad bout of food poisoning. These helped. They cheered me up and healed my sick heart. 

A had a couple of these and was struck by a bolt of genius...why not bake a pie? 

This was right around Pi Day and Instagram and Tumblr were full of delicious Pie pictures and recipes. So why not bake one of my own? 

God! Don't you just love being spontaneous and doing something out of the box? 

I loving baking. But I mostly stick to cakes, cupcakes, muffins, puddings and the like. I have baked a few pies in my time but every single one of them had someone else make the dough/ pie crust. I am not, NOT a good dough kneader (is that a word?) and I get very nervous with dough and the pressure of getting it right. 

But maybe it was the luscious berries- oh I also had a box of delicious Mahabaleshwar strawberries on hand-or maybe it was my ill-health, I suddenly had the manic confidence to attempt a pie crust all on my own. 

I looked up a few recipes and even a few YouTube videos and got started! 

Okay, so here is what you need:

For the berry filling:

1-2 cups (or more if you like) of berries of your choice. I used strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. 

2-3 tablespoons (more if your berries are tart) of sugar 

1 tablespoon of cornflour (to prevent the mixture from being too liquid-y)

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (optional) 

For the tart/crumble topping: 

1 3/4th cup flour

2/3 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/2 cup melted butter 

A pinch of salt 

1/2 cup ground almonds (optional)

1. Wash and dry your berries and set them aside

2. Now, prepare the tart/crumble topping by first mixing all the dry ingredients and then whisking in the melted butter.

3. Knead the dough (it is okay if it is slightly coarse and not totally smooth like chappati dough) and cover it with a cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour- depending on how patient you are :) 

 

4. Chop the berries up, put them in a mixing bowl, add the sugar, cornflour and lemon zest till it is well combined. 

5. Assemble your tart- pour the berry mixture into a baking dish. 

6. Roll out the dough and place it over the berry mixture in strips or even as one full sheet (you will need to make a few cuts to let the steam escape if you put the dough over the berries as a full sheet). 

7. Pre-heat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Bake the tart for 45-55 minutes- basically till the berry mixture is bubbling and the top is golden brown. 

Serve with strawberry or vanilla ice cream or even without! 

Enjoy! 

Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes. 

Weekend Reads/// Set- 2.

This is what I intend on reading this weekend. 

Grazia India March 2015 

The Skinning Tree by Srikumar Sen 

Sula by Toni Morrison 

What did you read this weekend? 

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. 

Mine has been pretty nice so far!

Book Haul/// Books of April 2015, Part- III --- The Cheer Up Haul!

Hello! 

This tiny book haul was my--need to feel better right now--book haul. I had a crappy start to a day and I desperately needed to feel better. And nothing, nothingggggg makes my frown turn upside down like browsing in a bookshop and buying some books. 

So on a crappy day that was what I did. 

I spend sometime at Crossword Bookstore and came home with four books and some other assorted bookish things. 

Let's see shall we?

Two notebooks--- the paisley one on the left is for my sister and of course the floral one is mine. 

Crossword has some seriously cute stationery that they stock. A happy surprise. 

Books Bought: 

The Weight Loss Club- Devapriya Roy 

Strangers on the Roof- Rajendra Yadav 

One, Two Buckle my Shoe- Agatha Christie 

A Pocketful of Rye-  " 

A new Indian author to try + A Penguin Modern Classic+ 2 Agatha Christie books! 

I am excited! 

And finally...and most excitedly! Three new sets of Little Miss and Mr. bookmarks. I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee these babies. I already owned Little Miss Chatterbox and Little Mr. Tickle and my sister spotted these, so I got Little Miss Bad, Little Miss Princess and Mr. Happy. 

Eeeeeeeeeeeep! So happy. 

These books and these cute bookish things just made me happy and forget about the things stressing me out. 

Also just getting out of the house and seeing people and getting out of my head helped too. 

Review: Something Happened on The Way to Heaven by Sudha Murthy.

Book: Something Happened on the way to Heave.

Author: 20 various contributors.

Edited By: Sudha Murthy

Pages: 224

How Long it Took Me To Read: 1 day

Read On: Paperback

Plot Summary: The inspiring true stories of the interesting people who inhabit the pages of Sudha Murtys books leave an indelible impression on us. But the books are able to chronicle the stories of only the men and women Mrs. Murty has actually come across herself in the course of her social work. There must be so many more wonderful stories that many others have to share. Something Happened on the Way to Heaven is a collection of twenty such memorable true life stories. Handpicked by Sudha Murty from a contest run by Penguin, they capture the hope, faith, kindness and joy that life is full of, even as we make our way through the daily grind. Moving and uplifting, this is an anthology that will engross and delight every reader who believes in the goodness of the human heart. 

General Thoughts: I love Sudha Murthy's simple and straight forward writing style. Her stories always manage to touch my heart and often make me think about so many different things. When this book came out I wanted it at once but I went off traveling for two months and sorta lost track of it. I bought it last month and had to read at the earliest. 

This book is edited by Sudha Murthy, 20 different people from all walks of life share their inspirational stories. So if you want to read Sudha Murthy's own writing...well she only writes the introduction to this book! :) 

But this is still in the same vein as her story-telling. 

Things I Liked: 

1. The stories in this book are so heart-felt and sincere and really uplifting. I liked that they all had such positive messages in them. 

2. If you like Sudha Murthy's stories and style, you'll like these stories too. 

3. This is perfect read for travel and holidays (and this time of the year), short stories that you can dip in and out of easily. 

4. The 20 stories are all nice. There wasn't a single one I was bored of or wanted to stop reading. 

5. There is such a huge variety in these stories...from acid attack survivor, to a Partition story, to a young boy rescuing a baby langur to just everyday seeminly mundane stories. There is something for everyone. 

6. The hope and inspiration is not heavy-handed at all. It seems light and conversational at all times. 

7. The writing was nice too..simple and easy and this was a very quick and effortless read. 

Rating: 4/5

Project 365 2015: Week 15.

Hello! 

I am back with another week in pictures. 

Last week  was a serious mixed bag. A lot of good and as well as a lot of stress and heartache. 

If you follow me on Instagram, you will know that last Thursday I had a lizard scare...I know..go ahead roll your eyes! It might be a small deal to most people but to those us---lizard phobes---it is a mighty big deal. Then on Friday we had a bit of bad behaviour from our downstairs neighbours. They are generally very good people but they acted liked assholes and very un-neighbourly. Gah! Rude and petty and uncouth people really, really bother me! 

So after that my mood was at a low. 

Luckily the weekend was nice and come Monday things were good again. 

I got my first every Cloth Dori (I am going to do a whole post on this, so stay tuned) this week and I love it. My sister is a massive fan of the Midori Traveller's Notebooks and has a little bit of a collection going, but I've never been particularly keen on them. Till my sister showed me some adorable prints on Etsy stores and I was all of sudden a bit keen :) We ordered mine and it arrived on Monday. Monday was seriously a good and joyous day! 

The rest of the week was nice. It also included Poila Boishak..meaning the Bengali New Year. So that also cheered me up immensely. Plus...one of my close friends got engaged this week anddddd another one is visiting India from the US for a whole month and I will get to see her soon! So fun! 

So that was my week..now let's see the pictures...

Day 99: A terrible start to a  day and I was in need of some much need cheer, and coffee and a brownie and a funny book. All three things in this picture. This helped. Also getting out of the house and people watching and just being. 

The day was not bad overall. It also included grubs at Indigo Deli and some book-shopping. Haul coming soon. :)

Day 100: We've been sleeping in the living room, in our cozy sofa-cum-bed and this is the view that greets me every single morning. My bright walls and my out of control towers of books. Basically, my utter favourites. Thank-you everyone who says nice things about my home and decor. :) I love this space. Cluttered but lovely. 

This staying in the living room is fun...like a mini holiday of sorts. And having the pull out bed open all is super fun and leads to a lot of naps and reading curled up and comfy. 

 

Day 101: A package in the mail! We ordered some cute things from Dulce Couture a while back and they arrived at the perfect time to cheer me up! We got a pencil case, a phone-case, a pair of glasses and the little notebook was a complimentary gift. So sweet! :) 

Day 102: My new pencil case from the haul above. A floral print I love and it looks small-ish but fits a ton of pen and is roomy and opens nicely, so once open I can see all the pens at once. Love it. And of course, my Hobonichi Techo with it's spring cover. Spend some time catching up with my journaling and planning. 

 

Day 103: Made a refreshing  glass of watermelon juice. Just the thing for hot, hot summer days! 

Day 104: A new cover for my phone. If you know me you know I love pigs/piglets! And I love puns! Are you sure..is play in the word suar, which means pig in Hindi. I also love this illustration and has a notebook in the same style. It's from Chimp Wear and I love it!

Day 105: Bengali New Year! I read, and am still reading, The Love Letters and Other Stories by Buddhadeva Bose and enjoying it. I used this darlingggg bookmark from Craftedvan an Etsy store that makes seriously cute bookmarks. I love this house from the movie Up and it just makes me happy every time I see it. 

So that has been my week. 

Hope you had a nice week too and I'll see you again next week. 

Have a good week ahead folks! :)