Dye-Stained Hands And A Mid-Year Freak Out

If there was an award for slacking at blog posts, I swear I'd be sailing to it. My excuse this time would be shoddy internet connection , non cooperative service provider and my inability to juggle responsibilities.
Without further ado, let's look ( and laugh ) at my reading progress. (NOT!)

Best Book You've Read So Far in 2015 ?

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. Not a single flaw. I wanted to stand up and applaud. It's like that.
Other noteworthy reads this year were - Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, A Flight of Pigeons by Ruskin Bond, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Best Sequel You've Read So Far in 2015 ?

Didn't read any sequels this year. Fortunately or unfortunately

New Release You Haven't Read Yet But Want To ?

Not one to follow new releases. I have a gypsy's soul when it comes to picking what to read when.

Most Anticipated Release For The 2nd Half of 2015 ?

Winter by Merissa Meyer. The 4th Instalment of the Lunar Chronicles

Biggest Disappointment ?

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie Mcguire. No idea what people loved so much about this book or may be I'm stupid.
The Girl in The Flammable Skirt by Aimee Bender. Just could not connect with any of the stories in this book.

Biggest Surprise ?

Brother Grimm's Fairytales was an unpleasant surprise.
The good surprises were - Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Favourite New Author ?

Authors more like. Haruki Murakami - absolutely love anything and everything by him. The consistently peculiar stories are perfect for my kind of reading. Amitav Ghosh because I finished the Sea of Poppies and fell in love with the characters. Marcus Zusak for The Book Thief because no amount of words will be enough to express this beauty of a book.

Newest Fictional Crush ?

Jamie McTavish from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Can you say guilty-pleasure :p

Book That Made Me Cry ?

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, Room by Emma Donoghue, Living Dead Girl

Book That Made Me Happy ?

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

Favourite Book to Movie Adaptation You Saw This Year ?

Not something I really watched but I found that Outlander and The Shawshank Redemption were way better than their original books.

Favourite Review You've Written This Year ?

Room by Emma Donoghue. The book made me feel emotions I didn't know one could ever feel.

Most Beautiful Book You Bought So Far in The Year ?

Necropolis by Avtar Singh which was a part of my JLF 2015 goodie bag. Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh that was handed to me by a friend who's roommate had to move.

What books Do You Need To Read By The End of The Year ?

I'm 7 books away from my Goodreads Challenge and in order to successfully accomplish that, I'm gravitating more towards books that I might like for certain. Since there's really no time to dabble around and I'm amidst a panic attack. ( It's already NOVEMBER people !)

P.S. Apologies for being away for a month. I've already go a list of books I need to review and have gotten cracking with it. So stay tuned !

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Top 5 Books I Wanted to Start Yesterday

This blog post is where we, I, candidly confess how terribly I've been slacking on my book challenges.
 Mentioned will be some books that will for sure generate some gasps and 'haww' from all my readers. Trust me when I say that I WILL get to them this year.

5. Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

This book series is what was all over the booktubing and book blogging community for all of 2014 and me, the attention deficit that I am decided to read the Infernal Devices trilogy instead. Again, LOVED IT. Probably one of my favorite series ever, so by default I should probably keep an eye out for Cassandra Clare's work. We are almost done with April and I haven't even picked up the first book yet. And I intend to finish this series this year. Talk about being realistic.

4. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

I only recently acquired this book from the local second-hand book store for a steal. A lot of people have quote this book enough around me to make me annoyingly curious. I am hoping my TBR Jar will spit out the 'Catch-22' chit soon enough.

3. L.A Confidential by James Ellroy

Everyone knows of this stellar Russell Crowe starrer and the enticing mystery movie it was. Unfortunate for impatient me, I watched the movie in fast forward with minimal interest. For longest time, I had absolutely no idea this was book till I spotted it at a thrift market. Now I intend to give it a fair chance.

2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

The most shameful act of my life ever. I bought this book in a massive book fair at Holiday Inn Muscat when I was in the 8th grade and have not read it yet. 9 years or so and it lays abandoned. Fail, would not even cut it. A must-read for a feminist writer for me I'm aware and I am determined to get to it. Soon.

1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

An iconic book and a pioneer in civil rights era based literature. Just recently my father watched the film and said it's worth every word of the hype. As a literary enthusiast, missing out on this book would be like a cardinal sin in the book blogging community. however I do feel I would want to spend a good amount of time reading this.

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What books have you been eyeing to read ?

Top 5 Books That Make You Think

Sometimes these 'TOP 5' lists really challenge me to crunch everything I read and love. Every time I skim through my Read list, I realize I love more books that I'm allowed to mention.
For books that make me think, I've tried my best to stir things up a bit and offer you guys as much of a variety as I could. So here goes:

5. Suspended Animation by Shweta Ganesh Kumar

Probably my most favorite anthology ever. These simple stories will leave you thinking about how people are stuck in time even though the world is whizzing past them rapidly. Often we hold on to incidents for too long and find the smallest reasons or excuse to talk about them or bring them up.  Few life reflections were made on my part. Review to be up on the blog soon!

4. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Although I wasn't as big of a fan of this series as the other booktubers and bloggers, I've got to say, it did make me think about the whole concept of beauty and the possible extreme levels it could reach in the future. In this world where perfection and beauty are the highest demand with lurking government agenda, being average or normal with flaws is the only way to keep your sanity. Again, if you are someone who is intrigued by concepts like 'who is beautiful and by what standards,' you should definitely check this out.

3. The Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie

Why a Salman Rushdie book you may wonder. We all know the man is anything but simple. Characters so beautiful and intriguing even in the most hurtful ways makes me want to jump into his stories. However, the reason why The Moor's Last Sigh lingered was for Uma Saraswati. Not a big role but a pivotal one. Enough to wreck havoc like no tomorrow. It's a case that just cannot be closed in my head. She loved him,  she controlled him like a master puppeteer, then why did she hurt him so much? Why did she want to be with him and then ultimately drink poison for her wrong doings? She's one female character whom I could never understand and never forget

2. 1984 by George Orwell

Of course. How could there be a list without me mentioning 1984 by George Orwell. It does make you think for ample reasons. The technological advancements, the security system and the control over people. Forcing them to stay in the system in pure misery void of any personal development, growth or remote chances of encouragement. A genuine pioneer in the dystopian genre. It wouldn't hit you when you read it but once you are through, the severity of it all will stay with you.

1. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 

Like I've mentioned on some of my older posts, this is not an easy one to digest and thats what also makes it my favorite. Here's a book, written decades ago that makes you feel for a Paedophile. What most people fail to see is that Nabokov is not glorifying his protagonists. They're awful people with terrible choices, he wants you to see that, understand them entirely, feel for them and eventually hate them for what they do. Its a real challenge to just read Lolita and thinking about it after is a different roller coaster ride by itself. Nonetheless, I will not be able to forget this for years to come.

What books made you think? I'd read your favourites.

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Top 5 Books I'd Save in a Fire

Feels like it's been eons since I did one of these. The minute I knew of this week's topic, I had to get to it.  The list is fairly strange for once and mostly here due to the sentimental value they hold.

5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I loved everything about The Help. Loved the movie as much. Each character was so poignant irrespective of what kind of role they played. I haven't really professed my love for this book as much I probably should do. Stockett has written this keeping in mind the Jackson, Mississippi accent and also doesn't shy away from switching viewpoints. The Help will make you laugh, make you cry and it will touch your heart for certain.

4. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I just got this book! The timing couldn't be anymore perfect. I was heading to the mall to buy this, saw the parking situation and opted to buy it the next day. Little did I know that the very next day I would receive the same as a gift! Just my luck I'd say! I've heard nothing but fabulous things about it and can't wait to get on with it!

3. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

The reason I'd save this in a fire because it's the biggest book I own, also something that wouldn't burn easily. I've only read it halfway through since it manages to either suffocate me because of my reading stance or requires relocation in order to pursue it without interruptions. Nonetheless, I can't say I haven't enjoyed his writing so far.

2. The Client by John Grisham

One of my very first reads that made me feel like I had evolved to better literary material. Fun fact: do you know how in 12th grade you had to get all your dues cleared in order to get your finals hall ticket? Turns out I did not returned this to my school library and surprisingly the Librarian didn't even know! Ha! I still have that book with all the library tags on them! So that deserves the 2nd position.

1. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

How. Just how is it possible that something so simple and short could be the perfect life guide?! I neglected this for the longest time and now I even got a beautiful burgundy hard cover copy of The Prophet for my dad since he's been such a heavy endorser and promoter of it. He says that this book is based on the verses of the Holy Quran but a simplified version of it, written in a format that is relatable to anyone regardless of their beliefs or what they follow. That too something that was written in the 1920s!

What books would you save in case of fire? I'd love to know.

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Top 5 Literary Friend Groups You Want To Be A Part Of

A really hard choice. I have read so many fantastic books with such brilliant characters that I wished they were real people or just hoped I matched their cool factor.

Not all the books mentioned have a friend group as such. They are mostly duos or trios which I did feel is just right.

5. The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Good lord! Will I shut up about this book already?! I have reviewed and mentioned this book on numerous occasions yet I had to do it again. Rahel an Esthappen are peculiar with this intelligence that I wouldn't have possessed at their age and that's what intrigued me the most. I would love to be a part of this eccentric duo just to know better of their in-sync functioning.

4.Cress by Marissa Meyer

The third installment in the Lunar Chronicles, all the characters here come together in this book before getting to the final 'princess'. Cress, Scarlet, Cinder, Iko, Wolf, Dr. Erland and Captain Thorne all of them are never on the same thinking range but united by a common cause. When the situation arises they are no less of a dream team. Being a part of this group would be amazing considering I get to be on a flying spaceship and get to shuttle between the Earth and Moon.

3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

An iconic book with brilliant characters. Each one of them so well written. Stockett is a genius for being able to make these women so easy to connect with, so much so you begin to care about them. The unusual friendship of Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny is like how I would want it to be when I'm older. Laughing at the smallest jokes and looking out for each other like sisters. Bonds so strong that it outlasts blood relations.

2. Looking for Alaska by John Green

My second John Green book and Man! does he know how to write friendship or what! I'm one of those people who feels that his books are a tad bit commercial for my taste. The plot often falls through, however his consistency in writing people, youngsters who aren't overtly preppy is commendable.  Alaska, Pudge, The Colonel, even Hazel and Augustus, I want to be friends with them all. I want to be a part of the atmosphere they create and I don't want to leave it.

1.The  Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

One of the best Coming-of-age tale I have come across. Charlie is a thinker, ahead of of his years and an introvert. Apart from this being his story, Sam and Patrick form a major component of his life and the book as well. The three accept each other as they while battling their own issues. As a reader, we do get a fair glimpse of all three of their lives and get to understand why this friendship is so beautiful. 

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Top 5 Favourite Futuristic Books

The way I devoured books last year, I was under the impression all this while that most of them have been dystopian or futuristic. I'm a bit surprised that I have read less than 10 futuristic books. Narrowing them down to 5 was no challenge.

5. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

I was quite surprised by this read. Mostly has to do with me starting it off with low expectations, Well , lo and behold, it genuinely was different. It's fairly descriptive on the physical discomfort front, enough to make you squirm a bit and I loved it. Now that I'm revisiting this, will have to make a reminder to follow up on the remainder of the series.

4. Starters by Lissa Price

Just when I thought dystopia couldn't possibly hold my interest anymore, the Starters duology was a refreshing surprise. If you are someone who wants to dip their toes into this genre, I highly recommend this series. Its quick, fast paced and fairly short. The aftermath and poverty lingering after the war is descriptive enough for the reader to fully grasp the adversities without over doing it.

3. 1984 by George Orwell

You're probably rolling your eyes right about now. Yes I cannot go without mentioning this book in my favourites because of how freakishly relevant it is. This book is more of a smart prediction of the the years to come that just a dytopian pioneer ( a well deserved title ). No amount of praise for Orwell is enough for nailing this in the head. 

2. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

A stand-alone, you would not have imagined what a delight this book was. I had to force myself to sleep in order to avoid me from finishing this in one night and trust me when I say it was difficult to stop prying. It's set well into the future with a task that is a vintage 80s old school video game. The players are real, the prize is real and the race to finish is exhilarating. Definitely one of the best books I read last year.

1. Cress by Marissa Meyer 

The 3rd book in the Lunar Chronicles series, Basically every book is a futuristic sci-fi re-telling of popular fairy tales. Cress is loosely based on Rupanzel. Marissa Meyer is a genius for being able to write well so consistently for all the books in the series so far. I was hooked from the first page of Cinder and Cress took the series to a whole new high. I cannot wait for Winter and Fairest to release. Till then I'll have to steady my nerves.

What is your favourite futuristic book? I'd love to know.

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Top 5 Book Series I Want to Start This Year

Due to an injury that kept me immobilized for the a good initial chunk of 2014, I was able to zip through book series like no tomorrow. Some of them left me with mean cliff-hangers but I have to say, book series give you the best thrill ever. Missed out on quite a few which I fully intend to pursue this year.

5. Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

I'm cheating here a bit. I have already started with Outlander (Progress!!!) and going through it at snail pace. This series would be a challenge. 8 book x over 600 pages = ?!?!?!
I have very high expectations for this one since I've heard fabulous things about it.

4. Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld

Lesser know fact about me, Steampunk is a genre I enjoy like a giddy 16 year old. I have read Westerfeld's Uglies which I found so-so. However, that would not stop me from taking this plunge.

3. Hopeless series by Colleen Hoover

What would I be if I didn't read any romance. I read Hoover's Ugly Love (Review here!) and was floored.  She usually covers the New Adult genre which I prefer to read with regards to romance. I am very excited for this one, despite the hideous covers (Let's just admit we all appreciate beautiful covers).

2. Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness

Every Booktuber, Book Blogger has not failed to mention Patrick Ness in their best books of 2014. I'm a little over dystopia as its so over done but I'm curious to know what all the fuss is about. Can't wait to find out!

1. Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

Another well-loved and highly rave about series. The reason why I didn't get to this earlier was because someone mentioned that Mortal Instruments was not as good as it's prequel Infernal Devices which I thoroughly enjoyed. Still, the buzz and excitement surrounding this series did not dull and the curious cat that I am, I will most definitely get to it this year.

I will let you know if I stay faithful in this endeavor.

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Top 5 Non-Young Adult Books

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of Non- YA books I had read so far. I usually gravitate to them more whenever I crave great prose and an abundance of emotional overwhelm.  As much as I love Young Adult fiction for the thrill it gives, It's the Non - YA books that predominantly stay imprinted on my mind for years to come.

Here are my top 5 favourites:

5. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy 

I just finished this book last night. I remember picking it up years ago and abandoning it halfway. What a poignant read! This is a book where you don't love the characters , you observe them. You awe at their mannerism and shock at their moves. Their actions are open yet not short of causing chaos beyond repair. Also something I call a 'conflict read ' because, as I mentioned , their actions and reactions are natural but it manages to yield the most tragic turn of events.  A day does change everything. 

4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

All of my friends who have read this book have not fallen short of praises. I immediately jumped on the bandwagon too and don't regret it one bit. The characters , irrespective of what social or economic strata they belong to, were warm loving and well rooted. The underlining guilt grows like a creeper. The language is simple with a beautiful intermix of Farsi  mostly to translate the on-going emotions, which I loved. Hosseini is so in touch with his Afghan roots and his introduction of it left me spellbound.

3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson 

Highly explicit, graphic and also, if I dare say, controversial. This book is no fun and games. It's very hardcore in its elements, well researched and thorough in detail. At first, I was skeptical, thinking that keeping in mind all the names and sub plots I would end up losing track of the chain of events. That did not happen! By far the best paced mystery novel I have ever read, with  perfect closure and justifications to all the sub plots. No loose ends and no further questions asked. A must-read for all murder mystery lovers.

2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett 

The book and I have a connection. So it feels like. There is not one character I did not like in the book (Yes, even Miss Hilly). I adored the country accent it was written in. Stockett's ability to have various narratives of the three different women run parallel then converging them and weaving them together with laughter , love and loss is commendable. The stories are their own, the pain and the way they deal with it is heterogeneous. You love them , you laugh with them and you hurt like it was your own .The movie was equally fantastic. Exactly how I had envisioned it. Can we make this a classic already!

1. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 

*cue gasp* Majority of people could not stomach this book and I completely understand why. For the longest time, this has been and still is a controversial and unacceptable-in-society kind of read. There is a niche audience that has found the true motive and meaning behind Nabokov. He challenges you with words to empathize with a inadmissible love. Something you would never support in real life. His description and language is unmatched.  To read this book one would have to be really open-minded.

What are your favourite Non YA books? I'd love to know!

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Top 5 Books of 2014

What a fantastic year of reading! Agreed that 2014 flew by and was probably not my best year , I owe a debt of gratitude to all the literary adventures I went on which made this year endurable.

I don't , nor ever , have had any resolutions. However this year, the upcoming year precisely , I have decided to do the  ' Top 5 Wednesday ' tag starting from today. Basically , every week a new genre or theme will be added to the Top 5 Favourites list (which will have its own category on the blog) and will be posted every Wednesday .  This week's Top 5 coincidentally falls on New Year's Eve. Perfect timing I'd say ! So here are my most favourite books that I read in 2014.

5)  Every Day by David Leviathan 

This book wounded me emotionally. The helplessness of the situation , the inability to have control over life and the attachment I had with the nameless , faceless , gender-less character ' A ' was heart wrenching.  There is a slight philosophical bend underlining the plot that is not overly preaching yet gets you thinking - Can you really choose between the heart and the mind?  A full fledged review is up on the blog.

4) Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami 

A cult classic , Murakami weaves a poignant coming of age tale. Each character well-rooted and dynamic with their own internal conflicts , this is one contemporary novel that no one should miss.

3) Making Faces by Amy Harmon

I cannot talk about this book enough. Such an unexpected emotional roller coaster ride. Mostly this book revolves around the different kinds of loss we feel , especially loss of beauty and how the characters cope with it. Several points in the book make you reflect on the multifaceted aspect of 'beauty' and personal conflicts regarding it.Detailed review is up on the blog too.

2) 1984 by George Orwell

Most people who have read this book have deemed it as 'mind boggling ' or 'weird' and couldn't digest the concept. I come under the opposite category of people successfully frightened by this book. Orwell has envisioned a dyspotian world so evil and controlling that you would think even moving your arm or leg unnecessarily would get you into trouble beyond your worst nightmare. A society built entirely on fear and oppression with no way out. Hands-down a pioneer in the dystopian genre.

1) The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

Who would have thought a 100-odd page book would hit me so hard?! My father had been pestering me to read this for a while now and since this isn't fiction, I guess that's why I took so long to get to it. BOY! Did I miss out! For something that was written in the 1920s,  this book's suitability has stood the test of time.  More than just a read , its mostly a life guide on human conditions like love , marriage , children , giving , trade , crime , laws , freedom , passion , religion , pain , death so on and so forth, it answers everything in minimum words relevant to every generation. Anyone and everyone should own a copy of this.

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Phew! Narrowing down your favourite books to just 5 is a real challenge. I wish I could mention each and every title that I read and loved this year.
Year-endings always manage to make me somber and reflective. This year was a real challenge for me and I am proud of being able to triumph it. Bad experiences make great life lesson and most lessons were learnt in 2014.
On the bright side , I did get my blog up and running. For all those who read my rant-y posts and support me nonetheless , I can't thank you enough.

See you all on the other side!

Love.

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