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466 reviews by:
allthatissim
Full review on: FLIPPING THRU THE PAGES
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Before reading any further, just keep one thing in mind: This book is NOT just what the title says! I know, whenever anyone sees this title, the first thing that comes to mind is that it contains just the erotic stories. So if anyone doesn’t read Erotica, (s)he will certainly not pick this. Even, I thought so in the place but since I like reading Erotica, I didn’t mind. But today, when I am writing this review, I am really happy that I read this book. It has some erotic stories but yet it is a tale of self-being and expressing your desires openly. This book has so much going on beyond the steamy title.
I think in the title, it should be “by” instead of “for” because the stories are not for the Punjabi widows rather they have been told by them. These women told their stories of their personal experiences. Some of them were even imaginative enough to put the spark of their own creations. In either way, they portrayed their hidden desires. Hidden because the community in which they lived, was not that open minded to talk about these things.
Being an Indian, I can understand the thought process of Balli Kaur Jaswal behind writing this novel. A widow in our society is not accepted as she is supposed to be. There are so-called certain rules that the widows should follow – what to wear, how to behave, where to go etc. Their life is not as free as one can think. So in those conditions, they are often left lonely and disguised. Having sexual desires is not a crime but for those women, even thinking about those things is a disaster. So when these women found such type of class being run, even more, such ladies gather there and were eager to listen and share the stories. they may have moved from India, but the Indian taboos were still haunting them.
I must admit there ARE erotic stories. But the stories are in a pattern and not like the whole chapter is about those stories. Almost all the stories are just 2-3 pages long within the chapters. So even if you are not comfortable with reading erotica, you can simply skip the story and can progress with the rest of the chapter.
Through these stories, Balli Kaur Jaswal has tried to tell the various relationships of a woman within and outside the family. She has tried to show how women are projected and what they are supposed to be. The conclusion of this novel or we can say the hidden story is about the honor killing. Can you believe that even in 21st century, we, especially the Indian community, are not free of it? We have moved out of India, have changed our status, switched so many places, have achieved multiple things and yet here we are. If not all, some of the communities are certainly carrying this horrific thing. And even the worst thing is “moral police brigade". I mean who are these people to judge anyone’s character and take control of the women in society? It is really shocking to know that this kind of things still exists.
Jaswal has also shown the struggle of second-generation immigrants. Since they are living abroad from their childhood, they are used to that society and often struggles to cope up with their parents having the first-generation mindset. Same was the case with Nikki. She had different views from her parents and thus had a conflicted relationship with them. She was against arrange marriage and was not able to understand how her sister can agree to that. She quits the career path that her father chose for her and rather she wanted to make her own way.
This novel also depicts that everyone has secret desires whether they say it or not. When those stories go out and many people get their hands on them, it was revealed that even those people were enjoying those stories who wouldn’t have come forward otherwise. Also, many of these sparked the romance between couples especially between Kulwinder and her husband, who otherwise was still mourning over the death of their daughter Maya.
Except for Nikki and Kulwinder, there are so many other characters that are equally interesting. Jaswal has maintained the integrity of each character perfectly. Once you start this book, you can easily immerse into it. The writing is very easy to understand and the reader doesn’t lose interest anytime. Author has cleverly used some Punjabi words into the story but they didn’t go out of the context anytime. You can actually imagine yourself at Southall while reading it (I actually did!). This book will offer you so much – erotic stories, romances, generation clashes, family complications, gender challenges, and even honor killing with an unsolved crime. This book also presents an interesting documentation of Indian culture that exists in Punjab.
==============================================
This novel is hilarious and thought-provoking. It is dark yet heartwarming. Once you get into the story then it is a full-on page turner. It is not just about romance and erotica but is a story of female empowerment depicting the feminism current. This is about finding the courage to express your sexuality and to be more independent. It is about love, betrayal, courage, family and friendship. An absolutely wonderful book that I highly recommend. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows is about discovering you.
I absolutely loved this book and can’t recommend it enough. If you are fine with reading a little bit of erotica, then I would definitely ask you to read this 🙂 Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
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Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Before reading any further, just keep one thing in mind: This book is NOT just what the title says! I know, whenever anyone sees this title, the first thing that comes to mind is that it contains just the erotic stories. So if anyone doesn’t read Erotica, (s)he will certainly not pick this. Even, I thought so in the place but since I like reading Erotica, I didn’t mind. But today, when I am writing this review, I am really happy that I read this book. It has some erotic stories but yet it is a tale of self-being and expressing your desires openly. This book has so much going on beyond the steamy title.
I think in the title, it should be “by” instead of “for” because the stories are not for the Punjabi widows rather they have been told by them. These women told their stories of their personal experiences. Some of them were even imaginative enough to put the spark of their own creations. In either way, they portrayed their hidden desires. Hidden because the community in which they lived, was not that open minded to talk about these things.
Being an Indian, I can understand the thought process of Balli Kaur Jaswal behind writing this novel. A widow in our society is not accepted as she is supposed to be. There are so-called certain rules that the widows should follow – what to wear, how to behave, where to go etc. Their life is not as free as one can think. So in those conditions, they are often left lonely and disguised. Having sexual desires is not a crime but for those women, even thinking about those things is a disaster. So when these women found such type of class being run, even more, such ladies gather there and were eager to listen and share the stories. they may have moved from India, but the Indian taboos were still haunting them.
I must admit there ARE erotic stories. But the stories are in a pattern and not like the whole chapter is about those stories. Almost all the stories are just 2-3 pages long within the chapters. So even if you are not comfortable with reading erotica, you can simply skip the story and can progress with the rest of the chapter.
Through these stories, Balli Kaur Jaswal has tried to tell the various relationships of a woman within and outside the family. She has tried to show how women are projected and what they are supposed to be. The conclusion of this novel or we can say the hidden story is about the honor killing. Can you believe that even in 21st century, we, especially the Indian community, are not free of it? We have moved out of India, have changed our status, switched so many places, have achieved multiple things and yet here we are. If not all, some of the communities are certainly carrying this horrific thing. And even the worst thing is “moral police brigade". I mean who are these people to judge anyone’s character and take control of the women in society? It is really shocking to know that this kind of things still exists.
Jaswal has also shown the struggle of second-generation immigrants. Since they are living abroad from their childhood, they are used to that society and often struggles to cope up with their parents having the first-generation mindset. Same was the case with Nikki. She had different views from her parents and thus had a conflicted relationship with them. She was against arrange marriage and was not able to understand how her sister can agree to that. She quits the career path that her father chose for her and rather she wanted to make her own way.
This novel also depicts that everyone has secret desires whether they say it or not. When those stories go out and many people get their hands on them, it was revealed that even those people were enjoying those stories who wouldn’t have come forward otherwise. Also, many of these sparked the romance between couples especially between Kulwinder and her husband, who otherwise was still mourning over the death of their daughter Maya.
Except for Nikki and Kulwinder, there are so many other characters that are equally interesting. Jaswal has maintained the integrity of each character perfectly. Once you start this book, you can easily immerse into it. The writing is very easy to understand and the reader doesn’t lose interest anytime. Author has cleverly used some Punjabi words into the story but they didn’t go out of the context anytime. You can actually imagine yourself at Southall while reading it (I actually did!). This book will offer you so much – erotic stories, romances, generation clashes, family complications, gender challenges, and even honor killing with an unsolved crime. This book also presents an interesting documentation of Indian culture that exists in Punjab.
==============================================
This novel is hilarious and thought-provoking. It is dark yet heartwarming. Once you get into the story then it is a full-on page turner. It is not just about romance and erotica but is a story of female empowerment depicting the feminism current. This is about finding the courage to express your sexuality and to be more independent. It is about love, betrayal, courage, family and friendship. An absolutely wonderful book that I highly recommend. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows is about discovering you.
I absolutely loved this book and can’t recommend it enough. If you are fine with reading a little bit of erotica, then I would definitely ask you to read this 🙂 Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
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Full review on: FLIPPING THROUGH THE PAGES
Trigger Warning: Torture/abuse, lots of murder, attempted rape
GUYS, THIS BOOK! This book was freaking amazing. Yes, I can’t describe this book without mentioning how brilliant this debut was. There was nothing not to be loved. It is a high fantasy which definitely deserves all the hype.
This story has diviners (people who are yet to discover their magic), majis (the people capable of doing magic) and the Royals. Zélie is our main character who is a diviner turned maji. Her mother was killed by King Saran who was determined to finish the magic by killing all the majis. Inan and Amari are the children of king Saran. Amari ran away from the kingdom and meets Zélie and his brother Tzain and went to discover magic with them. Inan, like his father, believed in “duty before self” and wanted to kill the magic.
The plot is absolutely entertaining and gave me the vibes of Lord of the Rings. I mean, not exactly but all the fantasy world and the adventurous journey of the characters made me feel so. There is a lot of magic and magical objects, which is, of course, an important element of fantasy. But the good thing is all those magic scenes were well written and actually weren’t out of the place at all (looking at you The Hazel Wood). There were unexpected events one after the another and it will make you turn the pages one after the another.
The magical world of Orïsha is superbly created. This is said to be a Nigerian fantasy and I read a review of someone saying that the place names used are from Nigeria itself. I think this is a cool idea. We get to see many African cultural elements, dresses, foods and other stuff which will make you feel that you are reading the story of real Africa.
The good thing is that the author hasn’t dumped all the info at the beginning of the book itself or at a certain place, which happens in most of the fantasies, rather the information is well-separated. I wasn’t confused with all the fantasy elements and each element felt as a necessity in moving the story.
All the characters were brilliant. The story has 3 POVs – Zélie, Amari, and Inan – all three of them are fabulous. They may not be the perfect characters as they made mistakes and were stupid at times, but they felt exactly what was needed in such a fantasy world. Zélie was fierce and badass. She had all those magic yet she felt so powerless without her mother and thus portrayed raw emotions. Amari was a naive princess but later she comes out as a bolder one. I loved the friendship between Zélie and Amari, who of course started as being enemies.
Inan’s character was little confusing. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I loved him at times and then I hated him at others. He was too weak to fight against his father who filled his childhood with hate towards majis. For almost whole book we saw him conflicting with his emotions. I didn’t exactly hate him though. I kind of felt bad for him because of the situation he was in, courtesy his father and sister. Tzain was a sweetheart who was always protective of her sister. There were many other brilliant side-characters who were done equally good. Each of them suited to their roles in Zélie’s journey perfectly.
Tomi Adeyemi’s writing is brilliant. The language is easy to understand and she writes at such a good pace that you are bound to flip the pages immediately. There were adventures and amazing moments one after the another. During a few scenes, my expressions were “what did just happened”? I read the first half pretty lazily, but guess what, I finished the second half, in a night! Yes, it was so engrossing.
Children of Blood and Bone is a remarkable debut by [a:Tomi Adeyemi|16642745|Tomi Adeyemi|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1500533454p2/16642745.jpg] and is absolutely worth all the hype. It is absolutely a must-read book. Many people can find faults, but for me everything was wonderful. From storytelling to world-building, to pacing, to characters — everything is brilliant.
I have heard that Fox is already adapting Children Of Blood And Bone into a film. Seriously, I can’t wait for the movie and more than that, for the sequel 🙂
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Trigger Warning: Torture/abuse, lots of murder, attempted rape
GUYS, THIS BOOK! This book was freaking amazing. Yes, I can’t describe this book without mentioning how brilliant this debut was. There was nothing not to be loved. It is a high fantasy which definitely deserves all the hype.
This story has diviners (people who are yet to discover their magic), majis (the people capable of doing magic) and the Royals. Zélie is our main character who is a diviner turned maji. Her mother was killed by King Saran who was determined to finish the magic by killing all the majis. Inan and Amari are the children of king Saran. Amari ran away from the kingdom and meets Zélie and his brother Tzain and went to discover magic with them. Inan, like his father, believed in “duty before self” and wanted to kill the magic.
The plot is absolutely entertaining and gave me the vibes of Lord of the Rings. I mean, not exactly but all the fantasy world and the adventurous journey of the characters made me feel so. There is a lot of magic and magical objects, which is, of course, an important element of fantasy. But the good thing is all those magic scenes were well written and actually weren’t out of the place at all (looking at you The Hazel Wood). There were unexpected events one after the another and it will make you turn the pages one after the another.
The magical world of Orïsha is superbly created. This is said to be a Nigerian fantasy and I read a review of someone saying that the place names used are from Nigeria itself. I think this is a cool idea. We get to see many African cultural elements, dresses, foods and other stuff which will make you feel that you are reading the story of real Africa.
The good thing is that the author hasn’t dumped all the info at the beginning of the book itself or at a certain place, which happens in most of the fantasies, rather the information is well-separated. I wasn’t confused with all the fantasy elements and each element felt as a necessity in moving the story.
All the characters were brilliant. The story has 3 POVs – Zélie, Amari, and Inan – all three of them are fabulous. They may not be the perfect characters as they made mistakes and were stupid at times, but they felt exactly what was needed in such a fantasy world. Zélie was fierce and badass. She had all those magic yet she felt so powerless without her mother and thus portrayed raw emotions. Amari was a naive princess but later she comes out as a bolder one. I loved the friendship between Zélie and Amari, who of course started as being enemies.
Inan’s character was little confusing. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I loved him at times and then I hated him at others. He was too weak to fight against his father who filled his childhood with hate towards majis. For almost whole book we saw him conflicting with his emotions. I didn’t exactly hate him though. I kind of felt bad for him because of the situation he was in, courtesy his father and sister. Tzain was a sweetheart who was always protective of her sister. There were many other brilliant side-characters who were done equally good. Each of them suited to their roles in Zélie’s journey perfectly.
Tomi Adeyemi’s writing is brilliant. The language is easy to understand and she writes at such a good pace that you are bound to flip the pages immediately. There were adventures and amazing moments one after the another. During a few scenes, my expressions were “what did just happened”? I read the first half pretty lazily, but guess what, I finished the second half, in a night! Yes, it was so engrossing.
Children of Blood and Bone is a remarkable debut by [a:Tomi Adeyemi|16642745|Tomi Adeyemi|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1500533454p2/16642745.jpg] and is absolutely worth all the hype. It is absolutely a must-read book. Many people can find faults, but for me everything was wonderful. From storytelling to world-building, to pacing, to characters — everything is brilliant.
I have heard that Fox is already adapting Children Of Blood And Bone into a film. Seriously, I can’t wait for the movie and more than that, for the sequel 🙂
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This book was a buddy read with Evelina @ AvalinahsBooks. Read my full review with Evelina's questions, on my blog: Flipping Through the Pages.
I totally loved this book. It was not a 5 star read for me but was definitely close. I loved it right from the first page. Though it usually takes some time for me to get into a book, it was not the case with this one. And have I told you I like this kind of reads? 😀 For the beginning itself, I was right into a high school drama with some adorable and witty characters.
Characters
------------------------
This is mainly a story about Willowdean (Will) Dickson, who is fat an decides to compete in the Miss Bluebonnet Pageant. My first feeling for Will was – I love this girl! Then came her best friend, Ellen and I loved her too. There was Bo (Will’s on-and-off boyfriend), Mitch, Hannah, Millie and other interesting characters. I have to say I loved almost all of these characters. But when you go into mid of the story, then you can feel that a few of them are outstretched especially Bo’s character. I think there was no clear focus given to his character as much it was required. But in the end, it was a book about Will and I am glad her character was well developed. There is only one character that I wish had some fair ending. That is Mitch. My heart broke for him in the end.
But my absolute favourite was Millie! I just loved her. Sometimes, I felt, she was even overpowering Will. She was fierce and strong headed. At many places, Will seemed confused about her decisions, but Millie? She was so determined about this whole pageant thing (yes she was also the part of the pageant) and even she give courage to Will at some point. GOSH, I really loved her.
Diversity
----------------------
Dumplin’ presents the story of Will who is fat and felt as if Julie Murphy has tried to portray some instances from her life too. So if you consider it as a #OwnVoices read, then you can easily relate to all the diversity. And sugar-coated? No, it wasn’t! Dumplin’ exactly shows what it is. I loved that Murphy didn’t try to write a character who tries to solve her issues, instead, Willowdean doesn’t solve her issues with losing weight. She’s like, fuck it, this is who I am and if you want to accept me, accept me as I am. I kept waiting for the scenes where she would try to lose her weight after her mother scolds her, but fortunately, those scenes never came! Will’s best friend, Ellen is conventionally beautiful and she finds herself a bit jealous of Ellen sometimes. I liked how this was shown as a real stuff and was not at all sugarcoated. All the jealousy, competition, and stuff were shown really well.
Quirky romance
Okay so here comes the exact reason for not giving this a full 5 star. Well, the reason is this – romance and the representation of romantic relationships. Millie was attracted to Bo and their relationship was going good, till she becomes self-centered? I know, the feelings and insecurities of a fat girl can come in the way, but I think that was overdone. She loses the boy she loves all because it was all about HER? Also, despite her insecurities, Will has another admirer, Mitch. He likes her and tried to become her friend but guess what she is not even okay with this. She becomes quite self-centered. There were actually some old good romance scenes (typical John Green’s style) which I wished to end well. But again, the insecurities of Will made the ends bad. I really liked Bo’s character as a lover but then I guess the execution was not up to that point as it should have been. There was so much potential in his character but I guess he was overshadowed by Mitch. So definitely, the romance was the weakest part of this book.
FInal thoughts
I would really like to praise Julie Murphy for writing such an incredible story. I would like to recommend this book to pretty much everyone. I would like to pass this book to everyone who has ever made fun of someone just because how they look. This book gives you a simple but fierce message about loving yourself and accepting yourself the way you are. It is about a relationship of a girl with her aunt and her grief. It’s about the complicated relationship between mother and daughter. It’s about friendship and what happens when it goes through rough time. It’s about the fangirling moments. It’s about enjoying the little moments in your life. It is about first love and insecurities. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone.
I have so many expectations for the sequel Puddin’, after all, it includes the story of my favourite character Millie along with others. I am totally looking forward to it. I so wish that there is not such quirky romance. I am so waiting for its release.
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I totally loved this book. It was not a 5 star read for me but was definitely close. I loved it right from the first page. Though it usually takes some time for me to get into a book, it was not the case with this one. And have I told you I like this kind of reads? 😀 For the beginning itself, I was right into a high school drama with some adorable and witty characters.
Characters
------------------------
This is mainly a story about Willowdean (Will) Dickson, who is fat an decides to compete in the Miss Bluebonnet Pageant. My first feeling for Will was – I love this girl! Then came her best friend, Ellen and I loved her too. There was Bo (Will’s on-and-off boyfriend), Mitch, Hannah, Millie and other interesting characters. I have to say I loved almost all of these characters. But when you go into mid of the story, then you can feel that a few of them are outstretched especially Bo’s character. I think there was no clear focus given to his character as much it was required. But in the end, it was a book about Will and I am glad her character was well developed. There is only one character that I wish had some fair ending. That is Mitch. My heart broke for him in the end.
But my absolute favourite was Millie! I just loved her. Sometimes, I felt, she was even overpowering Will. She was fierce and strong headed. At many places, Will seemed confused about her decisions, but Millie? She was so determined about this whole pageant thing (yes she was also the part of the pageant) and even she give courage to Will at some point. GOSH, I really loved her.
Diversity
----------------------
Dumplin’ presents the story of Will who is fat and felt as if Julie Murphy has tried to portray some instances from her life too. So if you consider it as a #OwnVoices read, then you can easily relate to all the diversity. And sugar-coated? No, it wasn’t! Dumplin’ exactly shows what it is. I loved that Murphy didn’t try to write a character who tries to solve her issues, instead, Willowdean doesn’t solve her issues with losing weight. She’s like, fuck it, this is who I am and if you want to accept me, accept me as I am. I kept waiting for the scenes where she would try to lose her weight after her mother scolds her, but fortunately, those scenes never came! Will’s best friend, Ellen is conventionally beautiful and she finds herself a bit jealous of Ellen sometimes. I liked how this was shown as a real stuff and was not at all sugarcoated. All the jealousy, competition, and stuff were shown really well.
Quirky romance
Okay so here comes the exact reason for not giving this a full 5 star. Well, the reason is this – romance and the representation of romantic relationships. Millie was attracted to Bo and their relationship was going good, till she becomes self-centered? I know, the feelings and insecurities of a fat girl can come in the way, but I think that was overdone. She loses the boy she loves all because it was all about HER? Also, despite her insecurities, Will has another admirer, Mitch. He likes her and tried to become her friend but guess what she is not even okay with this. She becomes quite self-centered. There were actually some old good romance scenes (typical John Green’s style) which I wished to end well. But again, the insecurities of Will made the ends bad. I really liked Bo’s character as a lover but then I guess the execution was not up to that point as it should have been. There was so much potential in his character but I guess he was overshadowed by Mitch. So definitely, the romance was the weakest part of this book.
FInal thoughts
I would really like to praise Julie Murphy for writing such an incredible story. I would like to recommend this book to pretty much everyone. I would like to pass this book to everyone who has ever made fun of someone just because how they look. This book gives you a simple but fierce message about loving yourself and accepting yourself the way you are. It is about a relationship of a girl with her aunt and her grief. It’s about the complicated relationship between mother and daughter. It’s about friendship and what happens when it goes through rough time. It’s about the fangirling moments. It’s about enjoying the little moments in your life. It is about first love and insecurities. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone.
I have so many expectations for the sequel Puddin’, after all, it includes the story of my favourite character Millie along with others. I am totally looking forward to it. I so wish that there is not such quirky romance. I am so waiting for its release.
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Full review on: FLIPPING THRU THE PAGES
This book just made me crazy and I have like multiple thoughts running wild into me like spirals (yeah I am using the line from this book) and I want to share all those thoughts right now! And pardon me before you go any further, this is going to be my longest review ever because-
1. I have multiple feelings cloaked into my brain right now
2. John Green is amazing
3. and whatever I say about his writing is always less
4. I want you people to discuss those feelings with me.
John Green is one of my favourite authors. I just love his writing. Now here, I must admit that I HAVEN’T read all his books. And now when I finally read TATWD, I can say it is definitely BETTER than TFIOS. Yes, I just SAID it. This is John Green’s best work in my opinion. If you call yourself a John Green’s fan, then you are incomplete without reading it. NOTE IT.
AM I SOUNDING TOO EXCITED? 😀 Because I am!
Let's talk about 10 reasons it demands to be read:
1. BEAUTIFUL PLOT
[a:John Green|1406384|John Green|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1353452301p2/1406384.jpg] has a way of creating beautiful plots (just keep in mind that I am only talking about the books that I have read). This plot was not anything else but better. It was a little slow plot, I agree, but nothing like to lose your interest in it. It was really good. The main reason is the lack of dramatic things and so called YA cliches or typical tropes. It was just so real. It was a story told like our everyday story, like the real one.
2. REALISTIC CHARACTERS
Believe it or not, John's characters are always beautiful and real. Aza’s character was really amazing. She is quite and talks so less. I thought, at some points, that she was like me because I too talk less, well, mostly. It made perfect sense to make this character quite so that readers can see the inner feelings of her. While she is just listening to others, she often keeps talking to her mind. Davis’s character also feels real. He is not like a typical rich urban boy in love with money. Instead, he is a normal boy having a troubled relationship with his rich father, who happens to leave him and his brother. Another interesting character was Aza’s best friend Daisy. Though she convincingly loved Aza, we actually come to know later her actual feelings. Through her fan-fiction of Star Wars, she actually shows how she thinks of Aza. But later she explained her reasoning that it is not an easy task to handle a friend having anxiety issues.
Honorary mention: The relationship between Aza and her car Harold (yes she named it). Have you ever encountered persons in real life who have imaginary relationships with objects? Yes, it feels real, right? When Harold was broke down, Aza was devastated like a real person would be if (s)he has any such relationship with a mere object.
3. AMAZING QUOTES, as always
John Green is a writer whose specialty is giving you some amazing quotes to remember. TFIOS is the book which has the most number of my favourite quotes that I can actually remember. TAtWD surpasses that in that department too. Few of my favourites are here:
Tell me, aren’t these have capabilities to be your favourites too?
4. The USE OF TECHNOLOGY
Okay, so I must admit that this is a point that really impressed me and I was glad to see that many reviewers have highlighted it too (because it’s highlight worthy). In most of the YA and movies, do you remember seeing (or reading) the scenes where the phone actually gets off whenever there was something important to convey, or the person usually forgets his/her phone etc? I really hate these kinds of tropes, because in real life I don’t think that this is actually what happens every f****ng time. Is it?
I really appreciate John that he hasn’t included any of these tropes. Actually what John included was something advanced and I really enjoyed reading it. Though most of the advanced technologies were used in Davis’s house (because he was rich), but still they were worth mentioning, like-
1. removing the pool cover by just tapping on a phone app
2. opening a home theater by just touching a book’s spine (that was really cool!)
3. tapping a button on phone to record your message and echo in the whole house (Huh, interesting?)
5. MENTAL ILLNESS was brutally talked about
This is the main motif or the borderline for the whole novel and let me tell you, John has dealt it with brutally and honestly. He himself suffered from OCD so it makes more sense to read a story about this from an author suffering himself. But yet, I really want to appreciate that how John has actually presented it. During some scenes, I was feeling like I too have that thing- like I was feeling Aza, what she was going through. I could understand her anxiousness, her trouble with OCD.
Aza had an obsessiveness with C. diff bacteria. She was even scared from kissing her boyfriend because all she could think was that it would transfer some bacteria in her and then she will be infected.
It was really scary reading these kind of thoughts. John made us feel bad her. He presented the very reality of OCD, the mind process o the person suffering for it. Yes brutally. This was, in fact, his story- taking readers to the mind of the defective person. I would say, BRAVOS John, you really did it.
6. NORMAL CONVERSATIONS
I really like the plots where there are normal conversations and this novel has perfectly used it. There are message conversations like we do with our friends on phone and reading them makes you feel like you are just talking to your real life friend. Then there is the use of normal words in conversations like today’s generation like to talk IRL. There were repeated words like “You know” etc. which happens to be included in our real lives so reading those doesn’t feel awkward.
7. John’s EXTENSIVE RESEARCH/KNOWLEDGE about various other fields
This is a quality about John’s writing that I have appreciated in each of his novels that I have read. He does an extensive research on each of the subjects that he includes in his novels. For eg, In [b:Looking for Alaska|99561|Looking for Alaska|John Green|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394798630s/99561.jpg|919292], he talked about the last words of famous people. I was really impressed by this unique thing. Later I found out that it was his real hobby too. In TAtWD he has talked about the constellations and stars. Also, there is a whole big damn thing about Tuatara. I mean who the hell knew what a Tuatara was? I certainly didn’t.
It is clearly visible that he gives a whole lot of research about various other fields. These things not only just makes the story makes interesting, but also provides some knowledge to the readers (it is okay if you skip those parts, I guess). I actually Googled what a Tuatara is during reading the book 😀
8. COVER AND TITLE
Okay, so at first glance, the title doesn’t reveal anything about the plot, so it may seem confusing to all (it does to me too in beginning). But I think that’s the beauty of it. As you progress through each chapter and you are closer to end, then only you come to know that what exactly it says! Also, look at the beautiful cover. It is kind of a metaphor for Aza’s thoughts. I must say John is a man of metaphors. 😛
9. PERFECT ENDING
I mean, it’s a John Green novel. You know how most of his endings end- in an imperfect, yet perfect way. This was not different either just that no one died. I both loved and hated the ending. Loved because it was the most mature thing to leave the characters at that level. I loved that how Aza was not cured in the end like a happily ever after. It made it more practical. I hated it because I wanted to see something for the relationship of Davis and Aza. But I loved it for that too. Ahh.. I am confused. Either way, the ending was perfect.
10. BECAUSE IT'S JUST JOHN
No doubt about it. Just read it because it’s John Green. He has amazing writing skills, has given amazing plot with beautiful characters and some quotes to remember for a lifetime. What else do you need?
I can say, I am A JOHN GREEN FAN FOREVER.
==============================================
I would recommend this to each and every one whether you like John Green or not. Just read it. It is an absolutely deep, thought provoking book with hidden agenda of crushing your heart and make you think of your existence. TAtWD is sad and yet happy. It is not fake, it is just real and raw with true feelings. It teaches you how to cope up with mental illness and still go on with your life, because "It is okay not to be okay".
A fun fact: This is the most highlighted book for me till date. Gosh, there were so many good lines!
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This book just made me crazy and I have like multiple thoughts running wild into me like spirals (yeah I am using the line from this book) and I want to share all those thoughts right now! And pardon me before you go any further, this is going to be my longest review ever because-
1. I have multiple feelings cloaked into my brain right now
2. John Green is amazing
3. and whatever I say about his writing is always less
4. I want you people to discuss those feelings with me.
John Green is one of my favourite authors. I just love his writing. Now here, I must admit that I HAVEN’T read all his books. And now when I finally read TATWD, I can say it is definitely BETTER than TFIOS. Yes, I just SAID it. This is John Green’s best work in my opinion. If you call yourself a John Green’s fan, then you are incomplete without reading it. NOTE IT.
AM I SOUNDING TOO EXCITED? 😀 Because I am!
Let's talk about 10 reasons it demands to be read:
1. BEAUTIFUL PLOT
[a:John Green|1406384|John Green|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1353452301p2/1406384.jpg] has a way of creating beautiful plots (just keep in mind that I am only talking about the books that I have read). This plot was not anything else but better. It was a little slow plot, I agree, but nothing like to lose your interest in it. It was really good. The main reason is the lack of dramatic things and so called YA cliches or typical tropes. It was just so real. It was a story told like our everyday story, like the real one.
2. REALISTIC CHARACTERS
Believe it or not, John's characters are always beautiful and real. Aza’s character was really amazing. She is quite and talks so less. I thought, at some points, that she was like me because I too talk less, well, mostly. It made perfect sense to make this character quite so that readers can see the inner feelings of her. While she is just listening to others, she often keeps talking to her mind. Davis’s character also feels real. He is not like a typical rich urban boy in love with money. Instead, he is a normal boy having a troubled relationship with his rich father, who happens to leave him and his brother. Another interesting character was Aza’s best friend Daisy. Though she convincingly loved Aza, we actually come to know later her actual feelings. Through her fan-fiction of Star Wars, she actually shows how she thinks of Aza. But later she explained her reasoning that it is not an easy task to handle a friend having anxiety issues.
Honorary mention: The relationship between Aza and her car Harold (yes she named it). Have you ever encountered persons in real life who have imaginary relationships with objects? Yes, it feels real, right? When Harold was broke down, Aza was devastated like a real person would be if (s)he has any such relationship with a mere object.
3. AMAZING QUOTES, as always
John Green is a writer whose specialty is giving you some amazing quotes to remember. TFIOS is the book which has the most number of my favourite quotes that I can actually remember. TAtWD surpasses that in that department too. Few of my favourites are here:
Your life is a story told about you, not one that you tell. Of course, you pretend to be the author. You have to..You think you’re the painter, but you’re the canvas.
Anybody can look at you. It’s quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see.
You’re both the fire and the water that extinguishes it. You’re the narrator, the protagonist, and the sidekick. You’re the storyteller and the story told. You are somebody’s something, but you are also your you.
Tell me, aren’t these have capabilities to be your favourites too?
4. The USE OF TECHNOLOGY
Okay, so I must admit that this is a point that really impressed me and I was glad to see that many reviewers have highlighted it too (because it’s highlight worthy). In most of the YA and movies, do you remember seeing (or reading) the scenes where the phone actually gets off whenever there was something important to convey, or the person usually forgets his/her phone etc? I really hate these kinds of tropes, because in real life I don’t think that this is actually what happens every f****ng time. Is it?
I really appreciate John that he hasn’t included any of these tropes. Actually what John included was something advanced and I really enjoyed reading it. Though most of the advanced technologies were used in Davis’s house (because he was rich), but still they were worth mentioning, like-
1. removing the pool cover by just tapping on a phone app
2. opening a home theater by just touching a book’s spine (that was really cool!)
3. tapping a button on phone to record your message and echo in the whole house (Huh, interesting?)
5. MENTAL ILLNESS was brutally talked about
This is the main motif or the borderline for the whole novel and let me tell you, John has dealt it with brutally and honestly. He himself suffered from OCD so it makes more sense to read a story about this from an author suffering himself. But yet, I really want to appreciate that how John has actually presented it. During some scenes, I was feeling like I too have that thing- like I was feeling Aza, what she was going through. I could understand her anxiousness, her trouble with OCD.
Aza had an obsessiveness with C. diff bacteria. She was even scared from kissing her boyfriend because all she could think was that it would transfer some bacteria in her and then she will be infected.
I was revolting, but I couldn’t recoil from myself because I was stuck inside of it. I thought about how the smell of your sweat isn’t from sweat itself, but from the bacteria that eat it.
It was really scary reading these kind of thoughts. John made us feel bad her. He presented the very reality of OCD, the mind process o the person suffering for it. Yes brutally. This was, in fact, his story- taking readers to the mind of the defective person. I would say, BRAVOS John, you really did it.
6. NORMAL CONVERSATIONS
I really like the plots where there are normal conversations and this novel has perfectly used it. There are message conversations like we do with our friends on phone and reading them makes you feel like you are just talking to your real life friend. Then there is the use of normal words in conversations like today’s generation like to talk IRL. There were repeated words like “You know” etc. which happens to be included in our real lives so reading those doesn’t feel awkward.
7. John’s EXTENSIVE RESEARCH/KNOWLEDGE about various other fields
This is a quality about John’s writing that I have appreciated in each of his novels that I have read. He does an extensive research on each of the subjects that he includes in his novels. For eg, In [b:Looking for Alaska|99561|Looking for Alaska|John Green|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394798630s/99561.jpg|919292], he talked about the last words of famous people. I was really impressed by this unique thing. Later I found out that it was his real hobby too. In TAtWD he has talked about the constellations and stars. Also, there is a whole big damn thing about Tuatara. I mean who the hell knew what a Tuatara was? I certainly didn’t.
It is clearly visible that he gives a whole lot of research about various other fields. These things not only just makes the story makes interesting, but also provides some knowledge to the readers (it is okay if you skip those parts, I guess). I actually Googled what a Tuatara is during reading the book 😀
8. COVER AND TITLE
Okay, so at first glance, the title doesn’t reveal anything about the plot, so it may seem confusing to all (it does to me too in beginning). But I think that’s the beauty of it. As you progress through each chapter and you are closer to end, then only you come to know that what exactly it says! Also, look at the beautiful cover. It is kind of a metaphor for Aza’s thoughts. I must say John is a man of metaphors. 😛
9. PERFECT ENDING
I mean, it’s a John Green novel. You know how most of his endings end- in an imperfect, yet perfect way. This was not different either just that no one died. I both loved and hated the ending. Loved because it was the most mature thing to leave the characters at that level. I loved that how Aza was not cured in the end like a happily ever after. It made it more practical. I hated it because I wanted to see something for the relationship of Davis and Aza. But I loved it for that too. Ahh.. I am confused. Either way, the ending was perfect.
10. BECAUSE IT'S JUST JOHN
No doubt about it. Just read it because it’s John Green. He has amazing writing skills, has given amazing plot with beautiful characters and some quotes to remember for a lifetime. What else do you need?
I can say, I am A JOHN GREEN FAN FOREVER.
==============================================
I would recommend this to each and every one whether you like John Green or not. Just read it. It is an absolutely deep, thought provoking book with hidden agenda of crushing your heart and make you think of your existence. TAtWD is sad and yet happy. It is not fake, it is just real and raw with true feelings. It teaches you how to cope up with mental illness and still go on with your life, because "It is okay not to be okay".
A fun fact: This is the most highlighted book for me till date. Gosh, there were so many good lines!
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FULL REVIEW ON: FLIPPING THROUGH THE PAGES
WOW, just WOW!
When I won this book in a giveaway on Instagram, I was like super excited. I didn’t know what was this book about exactly. I just saw this book doing rounds on Instagram. So I was excited to get my hands on it. When it arrived, I instantly decided that it is going to be my next read, and alas! Here we are. I have never been so happy after reading a book that I got in a giveaway. This book was absolutely magical!
I am not going in detail here about the story (you can read it on my blog), but this is a story about a girl named Ivy Lovely and a magical town called Croswald. Ivy was a Scaldrony maid at House Plum. She had spent her entire childhood in Plum castle as a maid under the Head cook Helga. She only had a single friend named Rimbrick who was a dwarf. Rimbrick gave her a letter and helps her to escape the Plum castle. When she reached Croswald, magical things start happening. She got admission to Halls of Ivy, the magical school, where she was about to become a Scrivenerist. When Ivy entered the school, she got herself in troubles from the very first day. She gets Rebecca as her room partner. Ivy also met Fyn, who always looked after her and was always present near her whenever she was in danger.
As Ivy progresses to know more about her, she unfolds many secrets and came to know that she is the rightful heir of Croswald as she is related to former queen Isabella. She came to know that the Dark Queen is after her and her crown for some reason. Who is this Dark Queen? What she has to do with Ivy? How will Ivy manage to fight her? What the other secrets that are yet to unfold? How are Isabella and Ivy connected?
Character building and plot development
-----------------------------------------
Ivy is a lovely character. She hadn’t known of her magical abilities till she gets to Halls of Ivy. She has been portrayed fearless and fierce. She was always ready to go to adventures and to seek the truth behind her existence. Because of this behaviour she always gets herself in trouble. She was always keen to learn new things and most importantly, she loved reading!
Rebecca was the room partner of Ivy. She was equally interesting. Though she was a queen, she wanted to be a Scrivenerist. Then there is Fyn. I initially doubted Fyn, that somehow he is not so straight as he looks and is conspiring against her. He seemed to always follow her, everywhere. but once they were together in the forbidden forest, I could see their chemistry and I actually liked him.
There is another interesting character, Derwin Edgar Night. Since her childhood, Ivy dreamt of him but never was able to saw his face. Not much detail was given about him like how he disappeared in the first place and all, but in the end, it was good to see his major part in the story and Ivy’s life.
All the magical elements and places introduced in the story were excellent. I loved all the different subjects that they taught at the Halls of Ivy. I wish I could have learned one of those things, especially to go to some place magically in a bottle 😀 Sounds interesting, eh?
The forbidden forest was interesting too. And those Cloaked guards of Dark Queen? And those bearded clouds? That cabby ride? Those pie? Those Scaldron Dragons who bake in their mouths? That Forgotten room? And those magical Quills? Oh my, so many interesting elements. D.E. Night has successfully bound the completely new world where each thing is magical and so interesting that you ought to know more. As the story progresses, so many secrets unrevealed and sit just hooked to the story. There is a suspense like what will Ivy do next or in what trouble she will get herself into!
And yes, there were magical Crowns! Each queen had a different kind of crown with special magical powers. I want one!
There were many instances similar to Harry Potter. Some readers may like these similarities, some may not. But regardless of all this, I would say the author has managed to create a different world altogether with so many magical elements and the story stands on its own very well. During the later parts, especially the ending is what I hadn’t expected. I was imagining as if a movie is going on in front me.
Writing
----------------------------
I have to admit writing was not so much simple for me in first 50 pages. The reason behind this, what I think, is that I haven’t read much fantasy. When it comes to the new world and new terms I feel that I am still too low in this genre. There were many times that I Googled the words that were written like Scrivenerist, Scaldron etc, as I didn’t know their meanings. But once I understood all the initial world building, the story was a piece a cake. I kept on reading till its end and I wanted the next part right then!
Final Thoughts
---------------------------
It was an action and adventure filled story. Even if it’s labeled as a middle-grade, I enjoyed it thoroughly and I guess any other person who loves fantasy will do so. If you are a Harry Potter fan (which I guess most of you are), like magic schools and lost princesses then this book is definitely for you. I adored Ivy and her world. I would definitely recommend to give it a read! This was a very good debut attempt and I am surely waiting for the next book in the series now.
(Haha 😀 I am not going to beat you up if you don’t read it)
If you are a Harry Potter fan,like magic schools,lost princesses and adventurous rides, then this book is definitely for you.
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WOW, just WOW!
When I won this book in a giveaway on Instagram, I was like super excited. I didn’t know what was this book about exactly. I just saw this book doing rounds on Instagram. So I was excited to get my hands on it. When it arrived, I instantly decided that it is going to be my next read, and alas! Here we are. I have never been so happy after reading a book that I got in a giveaway. This book was absolutely magical!
I am not going in detail here about the story (you can read it on my blog), but this is a story about a girl named Ivy Lovely and a magical town called Croswald. Ivy was a Scaldrony maid at House Plum. She had spent her entire childhood in Plum castle as a maid under the Head cook Helga. She only had a single friend named Rimbrick who was a dwarf. Rimbrick gave her a letter and helps her to escape the Plum castle. When she reached Croswald, magical things start happening. She got admission to Halls of Ivy, the magical school, where she was about to become a Scrivenerist. When Ivy entered the school, she got herself in troubles from the very first day. She gets Rebecca as her room partner. Ivy also met Fyn, who always looked after her and was always present near her whenever she was in danger.
As Ivy progresses to know more about her, she unfolds many secrets and came to know that she is the rightful heir of Croswald as she is related to former queen Isabella. She came to know that the Dark Queen is after her and her crown for some reason. Who is this Dark Queen? What she has to do with Ivy? How will Ivy manage to fight her? What the other secrets that are yet to unfold? How are Isabella and Ivy connected?
Character building and plot development
-----------------------------------------
Ivy is a lovely character. She hadn’t known of her magical abilities till she gets to Halls of Ivy. She has been portrayed fearless and fierce. She was always ready to go to adventures and to seek the truth behind her existence. Because of this behaviour she always gets herself in trouble. She was always keen to learn new things and most importantly, she loved reading!
Rebecca was the room partner of Ivy. She was equally interesting. Though she was a queen, she wanted to be a Scrivenerist. Then there is Fyn. I initially doubted Fyn, that somehow he is not so straight as he looks and is conspiring against her. He seemed to always follow her, everywhere. but once they were together in the forbidden forest, I could see their chemistry and I actually liked him.
There is another interesting character, Derwin Edgar Night. Since her childhood, Ivy dreamt of him but never was able to saw his face. Not much detail was given about him like how he disappeared in the first place and all, but in the end, it was good to see his major part in the story and Ivy’s life.
All the magical elements and places introduced in the story were excellent. I loved all the different subjects that they taught at the Halls of Ivy. I wish I could have learned one of those things, especially to go to some place magically in a bottle 😀 Sounds interesting, eh?
The forbidden forest was interesting too. And those Cloaked guards of Dark Queen? And those bearded clouds? That cabby ride? Those pie? Those Scaldron Dragons who bake in their mouths? That Forgotten room? And those magical Quills? Oh my, so many interesting elements. D.E. Night has successfully bound the completely new world where each thing is magical and so interesting that you ought to know more. As the story progresses, so many secrets unrevealed and sit just hooked to the story. There is a suspense like what will Ivy do next or in what trouble she will get herself into!
And yes, there were magical Crowns! Each queen had a different kind of crown with special magical powers. I want one!
There were many instances similar to Harry Potter. Some readers may like these similarities, some may not. But regardless of all this, I would say the author has managed to create a different world altogether with so many magical elements and the story stands on its own very well. During the later parts, especially the ending is what I hadn’t expected. I was imagining as if a movie is going on in front me.
Writing
----------------------------
I have to admit writing was not so much simple for me in first 50 pages. The reason behind this, what I think, is that I haven’t read much fantasy. When it comes to the new world and new terms I feel that I am still too low in this genre. There were many times that I Googled the words that were written like Scrivenerist, Scaldron etc, as I didn’t know their meanings. But once I understood all the initial world building, the story was a piece a cake. I kept on reading till its end and I wanted the next part right then!
Final Thoughts
---------------------------
It was an action and adventure filled story. Even if it’s labeled as a middle-grade, I enjoyed it thoroughly and I guess any other person who loves fantasy will do so. If you are a Harry Potter fan (which I guess most of you are), like magic schools and lost princesses then this book is definitely for you. I adored Ivy and her world. I would definitely recommend to give it a read! This was a very good debut attempt and I am surely waiting for the next book in the series now.
(Haha 😀 I am not going to beat you up if you don’t read it)
If you are a Harry Potter fan,like magic schools,lost princesses and adventurous rides, then this book is definitely for you.
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Surely a great companion to Harry Potter to understand the history of Quidditch better. The details were too specific and makes you feel as if you are reading a real history book.
J.K. Rowling's writing is just too good.
J.K. Rowling's writing is just too good.
How do you rate a children's book? From the perspective of a child or an adult? Well, I am confused here, so I'll look it from the angle of a 8-12 years old child's perspective.
So, its a simple story. A simple story of a nine years old boy named Jackson, who is mature enough for his own age, to understand his family situations. His family's conditions are not simple. They are living with poverty. But he has lovely parents and a little sister. But he is not happy with all the situation going on in his family and he feel that he needs to do something, as a mature person would do. Amidst all these tensions, he create an imaginary friend call Crenshaw. It is a big cat, who can surf, bath and can do all other things that you can't imagine a normal cat doing. Jackson first met his imaginary friend when he was five. Now he is seeing him again.
His family is going through cash problems. His father is suffering from MS. His parents are failed singers. They have to sell their stuffs to survive. May be they have to live in their van for a while, which horrifies him and his sister. They have to cut on their food. He make her sister calm as a big boy would do and told her sister that everything's going to be fine. He wanted to be involved in the family matters and asked his parents to treat him like an adult.
Between all these situations, the only friend Jackson has is Crenshaw. He appears whenever Jackson thinks of him. He thought that he is mentally ill because is has an imaginary friend. But later he comes to know that most of the children his age do have an imaginary friend and it is perfectly normal.
"Imaginary friends are like books. We're created, we're enjoyed, we're dog-eared and creased, and then we're tucked away until we're needed again.”
There was nothing much to expect from the story, but yet it was too good for children. This is a simple story which tells the importance of family, how to deal with issues and what is family love. It makes children understand that it is not always a happy life, sometimes there can be or will be problems. But if you are with your family you can stick to it. The other issue that the author [a:Katherine Applegate|1036736|Katherine Applegate|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1269837168p2/1036736.jpg] wanted children to learn and understand here is "homelessness". What it is live without a house and food and nice clothes and other stuffs. Children needs to understand that its not that you always get all the luxury in your life.
I think this book should be taught to children in school. Its a great way to make them understand the basic needs and issues of life. I loved every thing in this book and would definitely keep the book for my future children to read :P I am grateful that I found this book through recommendations in "Popsugar reading challenge 2017". And I am glad that I read it.
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So, its a simple story. A simple story of a nine years old boy named Jackson, who is mature enough for his own age, to understand his family situations. His family's conditions are not simple. They are living with poverty. But he has lovely parents and a little sister. But he is not happy with all the situation going on in his family and he feel that he needs to do something, as a mature person would do. Amidst all these tensions, he create an imaginary friend call Crenshaw. It is a big cat, who can surf, bath and can do all other things that you can't imagine a normal cat doing. Jackson first met his imaginary friend when he was five. Now he is seeing him again.
His family is going through cash problems. His father is suffering from MS. His parents are failed singers. They have to sell their stuffs to survive. May be they have to live in their van for a while, which horrifies him and his sister. They have to cut on their food. He make her sister calm as a big boy would do and told her sister that everything's going to be fine. He wanted to be involved in the family matters and asked his parents to treat him like an adult.
Between all these situations, the only friend Jackson has is Crenshaw. He appears whenever Jackson thinks of him. He thought that he is mentally ill because is has an imaginary friend. But later he comes to know that most of the children his age do have an imaginary friend and it is perfectly normal.
"Imaginary friends are like books. We're created, we're enjoyed, we're dog-eared and creased, and then we're tucked away until we're needed again.”
There was nothing much to expect from the story, but yet it was too good for children. This is a simple story which tells the importance of family, how to deal with issues and what is family love. It makes children understand that it is not always a happy life, sometimes there can be or will be problems. But if you are with your family you can stick to it. The other issue that the author [a:Katherine Applegate|1036736|Katherine Applegate|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1269837168p2/1036736.jpg] wanted children to learn and understand here is "homelessness". What it is live without a house and food and nice clothes and other stuffs. Children needs to understand that its not that you always get all the luxury in your life.
I think this book should be taught to children in school. Its a great way to make them understand the basic needs and issues of life. I loved every thing in this book and would definitely keep the book for my future children to read :P I am grateful that I found this book through recommendations in "Popsugar reading challenge 2017". And I am glad that I read it.
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I don't think that there is anybody in India who loves Hindi cinema and doesn't know about Gulzar. I am a big fan of his lyrics. I am listening his songs since childhood. So today, when I saw this book at a bookstore, then I started reading it instantly.
This is a collection of his 100 popular songs from Hindi movies. Though there were only a few songs that I was able to recognize, I enjoyed reading the less known ones. Actually what was happening is that whenever I was reading a song that I already knew, I was singing it instead of reading it like a poem :D So obviously I read the others as poetry which I didn't knew.
I don't think that it is possible to give any review to his work, because his writing is just awesome. The words and their meanings are so much meaningful. My favourites are the songs "Tujhse naraz nahi Zindagi", "Mera kuch Samaan" and "Tera bina Zindagi se". Actually there are many more favourites, but I can't write them all here :p
If you love the songs of Gulzar, then you must read this collection.
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This is a collection of his 100 popular songs from Hindi movies. Though there were only a few songs that I was able to recognize, I enjoyed reading the less known ones. Actually what was happening is that whenever I was reading a song that I already knew, I was singing it instead of reading it like a poem :D So obviously I read the others as poetry which I didn't knew.
I don't think that it is possible to give any review to his work, because his writing is just awesome. The words and their meanings are so much meaningful. My favourites are the songs "Tujhse naraz nahi Zindagi", "Mera kuch Samaan" and "Tera bina Zindagi se". Actually there are many more favourites, but I can't write them all here :p
If you love the songs of Gulzar, then you must read this collection.
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I know this is considered as one of those classics that you must read at least once. Most of the people seems to like it, but for me, it didn't made any such impression on me that I would recommend it to anyone. I just didn't felt the connection with this book.
During the whole book, I was trying to figure out what's special in this? What is the hidden meaning that the author want to tell us? But I didn't found any. Rather, it was just a simple story of a fisherman and his quest to kill a big fish. The whole story was just this - fisherman trying to kill the fish and later on protecting the dead fish from the sharks.
There was neither a single quote that I would remember from this book. However, the things that I liked about the book are:
1) Its simple writing. It was easy to read and understand.
2) The relationship between the fisherman and the boy. the boy had a lot of understanding, love and respect for the fisherman, and fisherman also loved him.
3) The little conversations of the fisherman with himself and the fish when he was in sea.
4) The spirit of the fisherman to fight till end in those conditions.
However, I don't think that you will miss anything if you didn't read this. But again, its truly my opinion (and there are probably many people out there who will hate me for this :P), and there are people out there who can interpret different meanings from it and can enjoy it. But I couldn't.
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During the whole book, I was trying to figure out what's special in this? What is the hidden meaning that the author want to tell us? But I didn't found any. Rather, it was just a simple story of a fisherman and his quest to kill a big fish. The whole story was just this - fisherman trying to kill the fish and later on protecting the dead fish from the sharks.
There was neither a single quote that I would remember from this book. However, the things that I liked about the book are:
1) Its simple writing. It was easy to read and understand.
2) The relationship between the fisherman and the boy. the boy had a lot of understanding, love and respect for the fisherman, and fisherman also loved him.
3) The little conversations of the fisherman with himself and the fish when he was in sea.
4) The spirit of the fisherman to fight till end in those conditions.
However, I don't think that you will miss anything if you didn't read this. But again, its truly my opinion (and there are probably many people out there who will hate me for this :P), and there are people out there who can interpret different meanings from it and can enjoy it. But I couldn't.
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This was my first audio book that I listened, so I am not sure if I can review it correctly or can even do the justice to this amazing piece. But it felt great, really really great. Listening to the voice of [a:Mindy Kaling|194416|Mindy Kaling|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1440718587p2/194416.jpg] was great. I listened to the sample of many audiobooks, before finally picking up this. There was something in her voice that attracted me towards this book. Though, it was my first [a:Mindy Kaling|194416|Mindy Kaling|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1440718587p2/194416.jpg], I really enjoyed it.
After completing this, I just felt that [a:Mindy Kaling|194416|Mindy Kaling|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1440718587p2/194416.jpg] is just a simple girl, a girl like you and me, but not star. You can easily call her your best friend. You will feel that you have a similar opinion on many of the things that she has told. In each essay, she has mentioned so much about herself, that you will feel as if you know her more closely than many of your close friends. Her points and conversations were clear and up to the mark. They make you think "Exactly! That's what I thought!"
Her readable tone is lovely and humorous and she kept the feeling real and that's why the readers can attach to it more closely. She has mostly discussed about her life before, during and after her show "The Mindy Project". She talked about her initial failure while beginning the show, how it got success and what were the struggles she faced. Thebest part about this book was that every essay was funny in its own way. you will never feel bored.
There were many favourites for me, but by most favourite essay was the last one which was about that Indian girl who asked her "How did you got that confidence?". At the begining you will feel that she answered what any of the other Star would. But as goes on saying that how sorry she was for that answer, you feel for her and realize that her explanation is indeed real. So wherever that Indian girl is now, I hope that she got her answer.
Mindy has raised various concerns in this book. The main was the "Body-shaming". I loved how she tackled this and how confident she is about her body. I think this is a very good lesson for everyone in the real life especially for girls these days who loose their confidence easily if they don't have a perfect body.
"Its hard to get people to like you, but its even harder to keep people liking you."
Another essay that I really enjoyed was the one about her complex relationship with BJ Novak. It was funny and surely 'weird' as she said. But I guesseveryone needs this kind of friendship.
She didn't just talked about her positive things, rather she talked about her flaws and how she overcame them through the years. She was bad in sports, her body was not that good, her realtionships were not good, her confidence was low etc. But she overcame all these things and now she is at a position that we call success.
"Haters are just more people paying attention to you."
I will definitely say that she is a good writer. I haven't watched her show 'the mindy project' but I have watched some of her other work. She is just hillarious and a very good sstory teller. I am surely eager to listen her first book [b:Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?|18420015|Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns)|Mindy Kaling|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410768595s/18420015.jpg|15237902] also, and I really wish that she write some more book and may be some romantic one.
I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend this (especially audio version) to someone who is in a mood to read/listen some lightweight read. And now, I am thinking of watcing her show.
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After completing this, I just felt that [a:Mindy Kaling|194416|Mindy Kaling|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1440718587p2/194416.jpg] is just a simple girl, a girl like you and me, but not star. You can easily call her your best friend. You will feel that you have a similar opinion on many of the things that she has told. In each essay, she has mentioned so much about herself, that you will feel as if you know her more closely than many of your close friends. Her points and conversations were clear and up to the mark. They make you think "Exactly! That's what I thought!"
Her readable tone is lovely and humorous and she kept the feeling real and that's why the readers can attach to it more closely. She has mostly discussed about her life before, during and after her show "The Mindy Project". She talked about her initial failure while beginning the show, how it got success and what were the struggles she faced. Thebest part about this book was that every essay was funny in its own way. you will never feel bored.
There were many favourites for me, but by most favourite essay was the last one which was about that Indian girl who asked her "How did you got that confidence?". At the begining you will feel that she answered what any of the other Star would. But as goes on saying that how sorry she was for that answer, you feel for her and realize that her explanation is indeed real. So wherever that Indian girl is now, I hope that she got her answer.
Mindy has raised various concerns in this book. The main was the "Body-shaming". I loved how she tackled this and how confident she is about her body. I think this is a very good lesson for everyone in the real life especially for girls these days who loose their confidence easily if they don't have a perfect body.
"Its hard to get people to like you, but its even harder to keep people liking you."
Another essay that I really enjoyed was the one about her complex relationship with BJ Novak. It was funny and surely 'weird' as she said. But I guesseveryone needs this kind of friendship.
She didn't just talked about her positive things, rather she talked about her flaws and how she overcame them through the years. She was bad in sports, her body was not that good, her realtionships were not good, her confidence was low etc. But she overcame all these things and now she is at a position that we call success.
"Haters are just more people paying attention to you."
I will definitely say that she is a good writer. I haven't watched her show 'the mindy project' but I have watched some of her other work. She is just hillarious and a very good sstory teller. I am surely eager to listen her first book [b:Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?|18420015|Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns)|Mindy Kaling|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410768595s/18420015.jpg|15237902] also, and I really wish that she write some more book and may be some romantic one.
I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend this (especially audio version) to someone who is in a mood to read/listen some lightweight read. And now, I am thinking of watcing her show.
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