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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Book Review: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Pages :  896

Read on : Kindle

Goodreads Rating : 4.15/5

Review:  It took me a month to finish reading Outlander. All of January and I was NOT happy about it. It made me want my month back.  Let me get the facts out first. This was published in 1991 by Diana Gabaldon and at a certain point this was one of the highest rated book on Goodreads.

The plot starts in 1945, Claire Randall has just returned from her duties as a British Army nurse and is now reunited with her husband Frank. While exploring a certain area in of the ancient circles, a force hurls her back in time. Claire ends up in the Highlands amidst lairds, spies and Scotsmen in the year 1743. This is where she meets James Fraiser and things happen.

At a lot of points in this book I rolled my eyes, so much that I did say 'Give me a break!' quite loudly in open spaces. Where do I begin? Claire. I feel very mean saying this but the woman seems absolutely characterless. She definitely thinks a lot of the unnecessary, forgets about her husband at the drop of the hat and goes on with her life in the Highlands. She makes no gallant effort to go back to Frank or even explore the cause of this time travel. It was all very bizarre to me. How did the author overlook such gaping details? 

Also, this book is really high on sexual content. So much that I often mocked it by calling it ' 50 Shades of Grey- Version 18th century' and you cannot blame me for saying so. Claire indulges a lot. Jack Randall ( the villain ) is strangely fixated on her with absolutely no valid reason. Jamie Fraser, is always around to save his damsel in distress which I'm figuring turns him on and Claire, I guess indebted to him, doesn't object. I repeat, how does a woman forget her husband so quickly?! How does she get comfortable in a strange place without the itch to go back?

I still don't know what the story was trying to convey to me. What I did like is the setting. I'm a sucker for historical fiction and also the way judgement and ruling was carried out. The punishments, as I expected, pretty severe.

I struggle to find what is it that made people swoon over Outlander and jump into the series which to me seems like it would take me eternity if it went on the way the first book did.

Would I recommend this? No. I just want my January 2015 back.

Final Rating: 2/5

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Rouge and Rebellion

This post is a participating entry for ‘A Style Of My Own’ blogger contest by Women’s Web and Trishla emart.

Do you remember when you were little, you'd stand by the dressing table and watch your mother get ready? I was that girl. My eyes would sparkle watching her clip up her hair in a half up-do, kohl her eyes and then the most anticipated application of the red lipstick. To me that was a glorious moment. I watched her go from just mom to fabulous mom. 
I awed at every young woman who took time and patience to do her make up. I would wait, most impatiently to attain adolescence so that I could be one of those sophisticated women who would rock a bold red lip like nobody's business.

And that time did come. All the young girl practice sessions of lipstick application and rummaging through my mother's dressing drawers did bear fruit. May be not in a way that society would accept.
I took my love for the colour red to different heights. In the last 6 years, once I transformed to a redhead I didn't come back. It became my identity. I explored every shade that I could possibly achieve ,never letting it fade. Starting from ' Rihanna Red ' to the current copper red that I have been sporting lately. 

Of course I couldn't ditch my red lipsticks and nail varnishes. I was a riot of red, without a doubt and I loved it. 
However, bold choices grabs eyeballs and generates talk. Not always good talk, mostly criticism. From men to women, down to my parents. I would get attention, at times unnecessarily, from the opposite sex. As for the women, I was called desperate, attention seeking or various synonyms of harlot. Despite being thick skinned, it did hurt my feelings some days. It was just a colour, its just a personal preference, then why so much negativity? And that is when I started exploring feminism.

 I guess from the type of picture I paint, I would probably be called an advocate of lipstick feminism. Third wave feminism as it was called post 80s and in the 90s where women embrace feminine concepts like beauty, sexuality and fashion. On stumbling upon this information, my urge to rebel against societal norms and ideas of the perfect girl increased.

 Majority of the times, it did not take me good places yet I was adamant. I couldn't let anyone have that kind of power over me where I would be forced to change. It seems like a shouting match but it had to be done. As time passed by, I was accepted for who I was. My rewards came when random women down the street or in the ladies room or wherever came up to me and said ' I love your hair ! ' or ' I love the way you pull off red ' 

I loved the colour red so much that I started buying lip balms with a red tint in them. I have a tube of red lipstick in each of my bags, in my office drawer and in my dad's car. I settle for nothing less. 
It has been said that French fashion designer Coco Chanel found red lipstick and nail varnish vulgar since all her guests would leave stains on her tableware. Even though, there are some set etiquette and occasions to wear red, in my context I let them fly out the window. I liked staining my morning tea cups, my cigarette butts, my glass of water all so that I feel a sense of pride when I see the imprints. I'm unstoppable. Look at me, I type with red fingernails this very minute!

Now on reading this you may be wondering, what's with all the hidden codes and connotations? I agree. All these justifications aren't , nor should they ever be needed. There was a time when there was a patriarchal hold over something as personal and feminine like beautification. In these modern times, we do it to for us. We paint ourselves to celebrate us and there is no shame in doing so.

Experimenting at times means pushing boundaries. You start off skeptical, but I say this woman to woman, you will be so proud of yourself that the next challenge won't even seem hard.

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Top 5 Books That Take Place in Your Area/Country/Region

Since I live in the Middle East,it is extremely rare to find books that take place in region that I reside in. I know there are ample books whose premise is set in Saudi Arabia pertaining women especially but I haven't read any of those nor do I want to anytime soon. ( Tsk Tsk ). Instead I have listed books that mostly and even partly take place in my country of origin i.e. India.

5. The Nidhi Kapoor Story by Saurabh Garg

I have read and reviewed this book on my blog couple of months ago.( Click here) A crime thriller set in Mumbai, the characters in the book explores the quite a few areas in Mumbai via the local trains, some of the popular hangout spots and also Pune city which I so dearly love. Ever since I was little, I have visited Mumbai annually and will continue to do so in the coming years.

4) The Mistress of Spice by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni 

A bit of cheating here but I know the origins for the character Tilo is from Southern India. Those who know me, know that my native and ancestral home is on the beautiful Konkan coast. For the most part, the book takes place in Oakland, USA. Click here for the in-dept review.

3) Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

I will give the author props for capturing the essence of Mumbai so accurately. A widely loved book, It tells you how connections are made and how it escalates quickly into trouble especially if you a foreigner. Roberts explores the slums of Mumbai, the red light districts, the city life, downtown areas, Bollywood sets, popular cafes that look like harmless drinking spots, places of historical importance, Arthur Road jail. You name it, the book has it.

2. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

A hit or miss for most people, there was nothing I didn't like about The God of Small Things. An extremely relatable read in terms of the culture. The story and everything with it is Keralite to the core so much that while reading it I missed the humid air of the coast. Checkout out the review here.

1. The Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie

Rushdie is know for writing complex tales. The reason why I place Arundhati Roy after is for the similarities in the style of storytelling. The Moor's Last Sigh starts from the Malabar Coast where the air smells of pepper, Black Gold as it was called back then. Again, the coastal region is where I originate from and spend most of my days in India with my grandparents.

It's no surprise how dearly I love my South Indian roots. From the red soil to the green foliage right down to the moist humid air. Whenever I share picture of my home with my friends, they assume I reside on a tree-house in a rain forest.  Not a bad idea though. Right?

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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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Book Review : The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

Pages :  292

Read on : Kindle

Goodreads Rating : 3.16/5

Review:  It's been a while since I posted anything on the blog. Not something I intended to do on purpose but it happened. Shamelessly,I'm not apologizing because I loved every minute I was away. However I can only neglect my blog for so long without feeling guilty.

I read this book last year and I profoundly remember It taking me longer than usual to finish this. Also I guess I can safely call it my first magical realism adult book I ever read. The story is about a young girl discovering and exploring her ability to taste feelings/thoughts/emotions in food. It mostly revolves around her mother's never ending despair, depression and an affair. It's extremely uncomfortable knowing the pain and loneliness of her mother since these are things we otherwise wouldn't have noticed in real life.
I would have expected Rose Edelstein ( the protagonist) to have taken her talent and secret and be much more adventurous with it. Sadly, that doesn't happen. If anything, she gets fogged down by an even more complex character - her brother. There isn't much said about him as he is by himself an absent character that we learn is part of who he is, discreetly hinting that he may have had a special ability too. Although his ability was strange and eccentric, losing him almost felt like a death in the Edelstein family. No one, including him, ever knew of his whereabouts and the duration that he would be away for or if he would ever return.
This book made me reflect on a few things. I began staring at my mother while she did mundane house work trying to understand what she was feeling or thinking at that moment. I would be lying If I didn't admit I was glad not to know. Food that we consume thoughtlessly on the basis of flavour may have been a painful and even taxing for young Rose Edelstein. Not being able to fully understand and reason with her brother and his subsequent absence will leave you with heartache.
Apart from that, the book is rampantly vague with way too many lose ends that I personally felt is not encouraging enough for a reader to stay on till the very end. Unanswered questions are tricky. Some books are loved for that one hanging, benefit-of-doubt element but not when it is clouded with a dozen of them.
I wouldn't highly recommend this to a lot people. I would,however, mildly recommend it to an older audience with caution just so that we can discuss what they gathered from the story.

Final Rating: 3/5

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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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