MellowDrama

I have just finished reading the 1983 Pulitzer Prize winner and a National Book Award winner, The Color Purple by Alice Walker. As I write this I realise that I was two years old when the book was first published and maybe 4 when the movie based on it released. Women were even then (1982) fighting for things which they are struggling for now (2018) and they seem to be doing just that even during the time the book is set in (1900-1940s roughly) Alice Walker had been on my to-be-read list this year. A list that had made somewhere in the middle of the year about authors new and old, that I wanted to at least taste in this year. (I am mighty proud that I have accomplished quite some) The interesting thing about this book is that I have come very close to reading this book a few times really but never ever got down to even getting started. The a few months ago I downloaded it on to the Kindle. I started and though it wasn't easy to read it- both because, of the difficult subjec...

Durga Puja is here. This is that time of the year about which you would not understand anything important unless you are here in Bengal observing the people. Yes, there is Durga Ma's arrival and strict vegetarian code in the kitchens all over but what is more is how the atmosphere of the place changes, the joyful vibe as life looks on at something new that brews up in those 9 days of merry making and mingling. Having said this for Pujos, I think it is probably true for all the other festivals that are celebrated around the world. You will probably agree with me when I say that no one is supposed to be alone on or for a festival. So the primary role of a festival is that of a social activity. Seeing how Durga Puja is celebrated in Kolkata for the past five years I have realised that a subtle purpose behind this particular festival was to treat it as a good time to find a date, a partner or if you are a die-hard romantic, love. Let me give you an idea about how Durga Puja play...

Chitrika Bhargava’s  Letters to Me and You  is a collection of poems dealing with the intricacies of love and loss. Though the love poems do make up the larger part of this book, there are a few letters here as well. The poems, like I said deal with love, loss and everything in between, the four letters (more like short notes) are written to different people from different stages in the author’s life (I presume)- an old love, a forever love, to a younger self by an older, wiser self. They send out a strong message in self-love, acceptance and moving on.  Though the themes are nothing new here- love, longing, desperation, hope and discovery of self- I think what Ms Bhargava does achieve with her book is a gradual maturity in her subject as well as its execution as the book progresses. The poems are divided into four sections- Ever mine, Remnants of Yo u, Me and You .  They all take a start from their respective titles, for example, I personally fo...

If you are a parent there are more chances than one that YOU have handed your child a book to read. Or you have chosen to bring home the books that you think that she might like to read. If any of these hold true then we are almost alike and no this is not an article that tells you how wrong you have been all along in bringing your child the books that you choose. This is just a few of my thoughts on this very subject that I gathered today morning as I wrote an Instagram post. Let me begin at the beginning. Today my soon to be 4, son sat down with a book and was at it for good 10-15 minutes. No, it wsn't a tome. It wa a small picture book on trucks. My friend gifted him this book on trucks on his first birthday. The chap was fascinated with it from the moment he got it. You could flip pages and see bright pictures of different types of trucks and then you could open little sliding screens to find out men in uniform who drove a certain kind of truck. Unsurprisingly his first...

The Other clearly asks us to stop treating people as if they were invisible, whatever their flaws might be. ******************************* Paro Anand is an award winning writer who has written for children- big and small. Her book The Other- Stories of Difference, is a collection of short stories though written for the young adults in our society but, I presume, intended for us all. The protagnists in The Other are generally children standing on the threshold of adulthood, those who are on a journey of discovery: on a journey, discovering their otherness. There is a story about a girl dealing with grief; another who witnesses a woman being assaulted in broad daylight; a handicapped boy who falls for a girl and learns to see himself with new eyes and yet another girl who comes to terms with her best friend's discovery of his sexuality. The book has a range of emotions owing to the varied subjects that the author has chosen. The stories often left me moist eyed by the end, thoug...

*Where the Peacocks Sing* is a memoir written by internatinally acclaimed journalist Allison Singh Gee. The book has been published by @speakingtiger whom I owe #gratitude for my #reviewcopy as well. . I finished reading the book in almost a couple of days when I finally sat down with it and I must say that it is an easy read. By this I mean the book is not taxing emotionally and the language and the flow are seamless. The memoir is Gee's account of how she- an LA girl who is half Chinese, met with her husband- a journalist and a minor Prince, fell in love and came to Mokimpur- his village and Haveli just outside Delhi. . Gee's life does a complete 360 degree turn from shiny and fast paced Hong Kong life to laid back rural life as she travels to Mokimpur with her boyfriend Ajay Singh. We witness India through her eyes. Everyday systems which we do not even register in our everyday lives like the master servant relationship bring tears to Allison's life as she witnesses ...

*I Am Thunder and I Won't Keep Quiet* by Muhammad Khan is a book that has brought to the table a few things we need to acknowledge outrightly. More so in the times we live. This #book speaks of the other (for dearth of a more appropriate word) Muslims who are regular people, living mundane lives, trying to be good students, neighbours, employees, friends, thr Muslims we barrly ever see on TVs or about whom we never hear on the news. These are the unfortunate people who bear the brunt of the actions of some from their own relegion who have chosen to interpret and spread the word of the Prophet for their own petty gains. I Am Thunder speaks of Muslim boys and girls who are culled out of the masses and brainwashed slowly and steadily to understand that the world is out there to get them because of their relegion. . I Am Thunder is the story of Muzna Saleem a British born Pakistani Muslim girl who is trying to get through life as would any child standing at the threshold of adolescenc...

Just a mythical creature or does it have substance and meat? Read The Legend of the Wolf by Andaleeb Wajid to get the answer and at 148 pages, this book from Speaking Tiger's cub, won't keep you waiting for long. This fact, besides the way Wajid writes are two things that definitely make this book a must read. The book belongs to the fantasy fiction genre and is a refreshing read from an Indian author who already has 15 books under her belt dealing with subjects ranging from Biryani (More than just Biryani) to a Muslim wedding (My Brother's Wedding). Well coming back to our current book, The Legend of the Wolf, is the story of three school friends- Madhu, Gaurav and Sunil who go on a school trip to Chikmagalur. Their teacher Rajesh sir and a few other classmates also are on the trip with them. But quite soon this  two day trip turns into a nightmare of sorts as the three kids find themselves being stalked by a blood-thirsty wolf. The wolf does not seem to be interested...

I had been trying to bring changes for a sustainable living for a while now and using reusable cotton pads for Aunt Flo's monthly visits was an idea that appealed massively to my senses. After searching here and there I found a Kolkata based manufacturer- Shomota- who were also involving women from underprivileged background in manufacturing these pads as well as sharing the profit from sales to make these pads available to girls and women in interiors of West Bengal. BONUS point- I have also come to realise that sustainability is more efficient and worthwhile if you choose local. Also the fact that we are dumping non biodegradable waste on the planet and that is equal to some sort of violence in my head and I have been brought up on the beliefs laid by the Arya Samaj movement, I needed a better option than the mass marketed sanitary pads. I looked and examined a few option that I realised were available to me before making up my mind on the reusable cloth pad. Why I chose cloth...

A collection of stories that are edgy; stories that might make you uncomfortable but nonetheless will inspire awe in you. For My Father Drank My Lover and Other Stories the author has found inspiration from mythology to the common traits of the citizenry world over; the stories are as interesting as they are shocking. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My Father Drank My Lover and Other Stories comes from the pen of the journalist turned author Ashok Banker. He is the man behind the Ramayana series which some people would say laid the  foundation stone for the country's biggest segment of fiction right now- mythological retellings.  Coming back to the book,  My Father Drank My Lover and Other Stories has 11 stories in it. The book has been published by Pan Macmillan India where these stories have been compiled for the first time (says the back cover. Also I have not come across the stori...

Today was the first time I used the salon services of Urban Clap. My beautician was a woman named T Mondol. She was of 32 years, married with a daughter aged 16 and a 5 year old son. This is her story: I ran away from my home and married the boy I loved when I was in Class 9. At 16, married for a year, I gave birth to my daughter. I knew nothing much about anything. My husband was an only son. I had an elder brother and doting parents who fended for me. I don't know why I ran away but I did and this is a fact. Maybe, I am paying for my that mistake now. My husband works as a driver and he did not make much money. My father-in-law drives a rickshaw in Sonarpur. He, my father-in-law said, I should learn something. Just in case, his son abandoned me, he added. I asked my husband to give me some money so that I could learn this work in Gariahat. He refused saying that he would earn enough to sustain the three of us. My mother-in-law was also opposed to the idea of me stepping o...

Suicides by two hugely popular public figures- Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain- within three days of each other. One a fashion designer and business woman par excellence and another a famous cook, TV personality. There have been many others before them. Though I knew just a thing or two about them the news about Robin William's suicide was heartbreaking for me. I remember thinking how could someone who laughed so much and made people laugh, do that. While there is so much being written in the social media about mental health in light of these two suicides I was stuck by a particular post in part on Ariana Huffington's Instagram feed. It is a Repost of a tweet by editor Elaine Welteroth and says: ..... And in your death we are reminded once again that there is simply no correlation between happiness and success. How true is that! We have no idea about what makes us happy. It is easy to confuse happiness with material things, isn't it? Getting a Kate Spade bag any da...

Is there a thing like pre-script? Anyway much excited to share that the author announced on Istagram that she has started the sequel to this book. The first three chapters are available on Wattpad for free. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I finished reading My Brother's Wedding by  @andaleebwajid  a few days ago. The book is a peek into what all goes behind a Muslim wedding written from the POV of the groom's youngest sister who starts an anonymous blog to describe it. What you get on all those pages though is more than just that! . Saba is the youngest sibling among three having been largely unseen and ignored by her elder brother Zohaib and taunted and traumatised by her very beautiful sister Rabia. . The blog starts as a rant about her brother's wedding but gives a sneak peek into her life, love and interests as well. She is a college goer with not much aspiration in life. ...

Glitter and Gloss by Vibha Batra is funny, warm and endearing. Misha is a make up artist (whattay refreshing choice of a career for our heroine!)who is witty, hard-working and suffers (literally and figuratively both) from a huge mothering instinct. This very instinct is the cause that she ends up falling for Akshay Aggarwal a dishy, heir of a Marwari business family. Now please focus on the word Marwari. These families are largely rich, make that stinking rich- he sends her a Cavalli gown when she complains she has nothing to wear for an after work party- annnnd more importantly if you want to be expected into the fold then you need you to impress the entire community. Here we have Akshay's overprotective didi who parades Misha to ensure that she gets approved by all the aunties of the Marwari smaraajya in Mumbai. Misha's story is heartwarming because of the life that the author has managed to breathe into the character with her words. She is flawed yet endearing. Misha is e...

If you have grown up in a typical north Indian household like me then you would have seen women around you wearing suits. Not just the business kinds but the three piece garment consisting of a kameez/ kurta, a dupatta and a churidar/a salwar. Getting the cloth, going to a tailor ( over and over again) and getting the material designed and stitched has always occupied a major position there because those are, like I said, the everyday clothes worn by women all around, from my mother to the house help. They are worn to the functions- birthday parties, kitties and kirtans. Bollywood even sang a song to the suit wearing girl. But there is this one occasion where there isn't a chance for the suits or for any other garment to make an appearance. These are the shaadis, the weddings, the marriages where the silks, the pochampallys, the kanjivarams, the banarsis- read the heavy guns- put in an appearance like a chief guest at some sarkari function who soon after the initial formalitie...

The world that we live in today has become even more dynamic than it was till only a few years ago. There is an uncertainty in almost everything. But then us, human beings, have always come out as winners and on top of the chain by the sheer will power to sustain and by our ongoing efforts. This is what is of great importance to me- the effort. I firmly believe that those who start will finish.  It might take time and it might tax one’s faculties, but this constant pursuit, this effort making, to me is the essence of human evolution. This is the only way that we learn and carry forward. This is the only way we improve and this is the only way we excel. Not making an effort is certain death- death of dreams, ambitions and that very basic human urge to survive. -------------------- There are times when I find writings like this one in a nook or a cranny of my overstuffed, aged and blinking laptop. I am impressed at first with the force of the ideas like this one here- Not m...

Do you believe in supreme powers? Powers that govern us and all that happens around us? Do you believe that there is something that has the power to lift your spirits, make your hear soar and colour your day bright? If you do then we are on the same page. Let me tell you about something that makes me feel like a wonder woman, something that uplifts my mood as much grouchy as I might be feeling before that,  colours my day bright, makes my heart soar. You get the drift? Oh, chop chop then. Remember to be patient with me. Just yesterday my friend Ankita came over to borrow Netra's books for her son who is a year younger than Netra. Unfortunately for Ankita, she birthed another son a year and half ago. (Why unfortunate, you ask? Try staying in a room alone with one male toddler for more than 20 minutes and you will get your answer. She has two in her kitty.) So Ankita, the mother of two young boys, came and sat down. Then she heaved a sigh. This was a huge, big, I-am-soooo-rel...

Have you come across a book that made you think that you resemble a certain character in a book to a great extent? Or in parts the story reads like something familiar? Something you have lived through. Goodbye, Perfect could be that one book for us all. ************************************************ Sara Barnard's book *Goodbye, Perfect* is a contemporary Young Adult novel set in a small town in England . The story is framed around an incident that takes place on a Saturday morning when it is discovered that a high achieving 15 year old school girl Bonnie has run away with her music teacher. Her  best friend Eden knows nothing about it but no one believes her (after all she is THE BEST FRIEND) and she is left dealing with its repercussions and questioning her friendship and judgement about how she sees things, people and relationships. The characters here are complex like all of us. There are layers and nuances uncovering the people who exist under the cover of  these tw...

The first part of Orisha trilogy, Children of Blood and Bone by debutant author, 24 year old Tomi Adeyemi, who  has studied West African Culture and Mythology, is worthy of our time and effort that it takes to read through the 600 pages of this adventure. ********************************************************************** This is one of the very few books that I have read from the  # YA  category so I did not have much of an idea as to what to expect and so I dived right in soon after getting the book. The fact that I have always wanted to read African literature and never got much around to it, also prompted me to pick this book before a few others. Add to this, my interest in mythology and can imagine me rubbing my hands in glee as I started Children of Blood and Bone. First in the Orisha trilogy by debutant author Tomi Adeyemi (@tadeyemibooks ) the book starts off with a young girl looking forward to her graduation ceremony from a training school where an ...

The year has started on the right note. I have already read two authors whom I had not read before falling hard for the one being hailed as Japanese Steig Larrson- Keigo Hagashino. That is what got me thinking about new year resolutions  (I know we are done with the first quarter) which I haven't made in years. So here is a list of authors that I would like to sample this year. - 1. Manu Joseph 2. Pico Iyer 3. Anthony Horowitz 4. Margret Atwood 5. Toni Morrison 6. Chimamanda Adichie 7. Jo Nesbo 8. Neil Gaiman 9. Terry Pratchett 10. Alice Munro/  Walker But I also realise the futility of making a list like this as there are just so many authors, poets, writers and just so many works coming to fore everyday. A book group might help, you would think but let me tell you that it complicates things further. New recommendations, fantastic and not so fantastic reviews, pictures, blog posts and what not really makes matter well,complicated. All said and done, ...

The title of the book is enough to let you know that this is not a book belonging to the romantic genre.  It is not even a murder mystery per se because by the end of Chapter 1 the stage is set for murder and in the very beginning of Chapter 2 the deed is done right infront of your eyes and you, the reader, for sure knows who did it. But then I don't think it is right to not label The Devotion of Suspect X as "not" a thriller or a mystery. So where do we put this part suspense and part philosophy novel by the Japanese writer Keigo Higashino? The story revolves around a single mother,  Yasuko Hanaoka, an ex-night hostess now working in a  shop selling boxed lunches,  and her next door neighbour Ishigami, a high school maths teacher. The book begins with him leaving house to go to the shop to buy lunch. Here we are introduced to the city they live in and quietly to an other important character in the book- the surroundings. This is also where the author's immense t...