March 23rd is a special day for me. It’s the day a wonderful woman, my Grandmother, was born. Even though it’s now 14 years since she is gone, her presence lingers in me through her words, her teachings, and the very way she shaped my being. Grandmother was born and brought up in a small...
I enjoy stories set in WWII and particularly those that are based on real events. Pam Jenoff’s “The Orphan’s Tale” immediately tempted me for the same reasons when Lisa offered it to me for a book review. There was friendship, romance, history. It couldn’t go that wrong, I thought. The story revolves around Noa and...
Yesterday, I started this short online course named Literature and Mental Health from the University of Warwick featuring prominent figures like Sir Ian McKellan and Stephen Fry. One of the introductory questions that is addressed to the reader is, ‘why do you read?’ It set me thinking and led to this post. I have always...
That was the question that came to my mind when I got the word “surrender” as a prompt for my next post. The word has an aura of negativity to it, bringing to mind unwilling sacrifices and actions done grudgingly. But to me, it was just confusion over what to choose from all the good...
Sunrise and sunsets are as common as breathing. There is a certain comfort in knowing that the sun will rise and set every day without fail. It’s the rhythm of life. But somehow they are glorified when on vacation (I have seen many a beautiful sunset right outside my apartment). When Smits prompted me to...
Ah yes. I know this has been a long time coming. Life got in the way too many times with more travel, work, friendships, family, you name it. I have also been lazy, I can’t blame it all on these harmless forces now, can I? And now to Singapore. The next two or three days...
The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart It’s been ages since I wrote a book review. Save for the teeny two sentences on Goodreads, I haven’t been doing much writing recently. Probably because I have been drunk on life in a good and bad way. Highs and lows one after the other have kept me distracted....
Top Five Bizarre Sights I’ve Seen Around the World We have all had bizarre and crazy experiences at some point during our travels that tend to leave lasting impressions. I have had my share in various ways – food, culture, eye-watering sights – and I thought it might be fun to try and put down...
I have one copy of Helen Maryles Shankman’s brilliant book of collected stories named “They Were Like Family To Me” to giveaway! All you have to do is comment on this post with the name of one book that has left an imprint in your memory and why. I will pick one lucky winner who...
I am on a racism roll since the past two weeks. Don’t get me wrong. Last week, I finished reading Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah, the day before yesterday I saw the movie American History X, and today I wrapped up The Monster’s Daughter by Michelle Pretorius, a racing historical thriller. All of them were wonderfully wrought,...
