Ms. Marvel, Turbulence, Underland; Let's Pretend This Never Happened: This Week~My Life

It's Gulmohar season out here...
Photo Credit: Chenthil Mohan

This post is too late for last Sunday and too early for the coming Sunday but, oh well...

After an almost month long reading slump (filled with TV series) I got some real reading done in the last 10 days. I finished Mastani by Kusum Chopra and Twin Reflections by Elizabeth Joseph.



Detailed reviews coming up but for now... I enjoyed the detail and research in Mastani, I'm now a little more educated on the Marathas. Twin Reflections took me by complete surprise, this book has so much detail and thought put into it. The end left me itching and craving more! And to think it's written by a 14 year old!

I've just started The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson, which was recommended to me ages ago. It's going great and I'm glad to get one book off the #ForeverTBR.



The last 10 days haven't seen me do much except focus on my TCS10k run that's coming up this Sunday. So wish me luck guys. Che took over my training and he's been grilling me. It's been tiring but also so satisfying as I've pushed limits and found new ones.



In the last 10 days I've learned the importance of pushing when you think you can't do more and discovering you can, realised the role food, sleep and stretching plays, and the value of massages - I've gotten two deep tissue massages with Dipali Patel at Peak Performance and man, are they painful. But the muscles feel like new on the next run after that!

My TCS10k is also a run for a cause. I'm running for the organisation Bal Utsav that works in the education for children space and believes that #EducationCanMakeAllTheDifference. In 2016 they hope to reach out to over 10,000 children and changes their lives with education.

I didn't believe I'd be able to make a big difference to the cause but my friends thought different for we've raised over Rs.47,000 as of now. I can't be thankful enough to all my friends who believed in me.

My target's 50K and I need just that little push, so if are reading this and can help, please do, every little bit counts. Click here and just follow though. It's super easy and works for all currency and amounts. :)



That's about all from me this week. It's a relaxed week (after 8 weeks of training) as I recharge for the run and I'm off to get back to my reading. ;) Oh and yeeaaah, my interview about the run is also up and you can read it on the Bal Utsav blog here.

Also if you have a minute please stop over at Bhawna's blog (YellowMellowLife.com) and wish her too. She's my running partner and the one behind getting me back on my feet and running. She's running the TCS10k too, so send us both good vibes!

 

More in the overflowing #TBR

 

I did make up for that TBR addition slump over the last few weeks. :D This week there are loads of books. Feel free to add some more in comments if you think I'll love them. And don't forget to tell me which ones of these you've read or plan to read.


The Tusk That Did The Damage by Tania James
(Get Booked #25)

Set in South India this is a book about the Ivory trade, only it isn’t just one side of the story but rather the story of the poacher, the documentary filmmaker and the elephant. James weaves all the perspectives into one tale. I’m in an Indian books phase and this one is so it...


Art of racing in the rain by Garth Stein
(Get Booked #25)

I’d come across this book many months back and it’s been on my list since then, this is like a reinforcement. :) I’ve read A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron and loved it, told from the perspective of a dog, humans and their lives seem so odd and there’s a lot of insight to be got. This is another one from the 4-legged perspective.


Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote
(Get Booked #25)

The story of a stray dog that adopts a house and a human. This one pulled the strings of my heart as soon as I heard of it. I’ve been meaning to read some dog books and this one’s now on my list!


Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
(Get Booked #25)

I’ve followed The Bloggess for so long on twitter now but didn’t know about her myriad warped past and I’m stumped. I just have to know more about this woman who has a wacky amazeballs sense of humour. Go check her out on Twitter… @TheBloggess


Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud
(Get Booked #26)

I’ve been meaning to learn about comics and understand the craze around them for a while not. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read a lot of comics as a kid but the world of comics seems different now, so when this book was mentioned as a book at explains all about comics, I was awesooome!


Ms. Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wison (Author), Adrian Alphona (Artist), Jacob Wyatt (Illustrator)
(Get Booked #26)

I’ve repeatedly heard about this one for multiple reasons, it’s feminine lead role, the colour and race of the main character, diversity and it’s awesomeness. So.. enough said right?


Turbulence by Samit Basu
(Get Booked #26)

A plane full of people experience turbulence but it leaves lasting effects and leaves them all with superpowers they have always wanted, only they don’t know it as they disembark. The book is about all that happens next as they discover their powers while someone is trying to kill them. Sounds interesting nah?


Underland by Chanda Hahn
(From Twitter)

It was a couple of years back that I stumbled into Chanda Hahn’s books and fell in love. This isn’t a part of her first Unenchanted series but rather a new series and I can’t wait to get started!

It’s a bigggg haul this week. I got through a lot of podcasts you see. ;) What have you been reading? What news?
BTW are you running the TCS 10K? Tell me?

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Angelmaker, Before We Visit the Goddess: #TBR Adds This Week

My Mom - The Birthday Girl :)

The last week was full week. Come to think of it, that's kinda what I say every week. Looks like I live a full life. Lol :D

Che came back from a long trip this week, after 20 days the house had more life in it as the dogs got all excited to have him back and he made his presence felt.

The washing machine got installed too and I love it. Our previous one (Samsung) could be heard across the house and it danced as it washed. This new one (Samsung again) is so silent and doesn't budge through the whole cycle!

I took a day off from home and spent an evening with Mom as it was her birthday. She turned 69 this year!

I got this lovely bag from the Ahambhumika guys, this is an organisation working towards empowering rural women and young girls belonging to lower income communities.



Some doggie pictures!





With my running schedule and the house-dog routine, finding time for new stuff is tough but I managed to fit in a class on the basics of zentangle art which is a beautiful meditative technique. It's looks so complex and intricate but it's so simple and easy, and the making of a tangle is just so zen. :D



Last week was also the last week of the #AtoZChallenge and I survived! I completed another #AtoZ and I'm so excited about that. I didn't do so well on the follow and comment part of the challenge. I managed to stick with it in the first half but in the second half I just didn't manage to keep up. Oh well, I'll try again next year. As with the previous years though I made some wonderful friends and found some amazing blogs to follow.

 

And more additions to my #TBR

 


Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway
(Get Booked #24)

This one sounded like the perfect action novel. The hero is trying to live the quiet life until be accidentally activates a doomsday machine. Now he and the spy-lady who brought it to him much solve things and stop it. Life isn’t so quiet anymore!


Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
(Get Booked #24)

I fell in love with Divakaruni when I read her book The Palace of Illusions, which is about the Mahabrata war but from Draupadi’s perspective. This story is about 3 generations of women and it’s a latest book. I just have to read it!

So what have you been up to this week? Been busy too? What are you reading right now?

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Zero Hour: Timely App Review | 26 Android Apps in April for the #AtoZchallenge

It’s the end, the last letter of the challenge. And hence appropriate I think that I’ve saved the app I start my day, everyday with for the end. :)

Alarms and timers are a very important part of my life, they help me stay on track, stay on top of things. Without my trusty alarm I’d miss many a morning and then slog through the day trying to catch up with time. And without that nifty timer, I’d burn many a dish and motor with my absent-mindedness.

 

What the Timely App’s supposed to do

 

Timely offers 3 options to keep you on time. The alarm section allows you to create as many alarms as you want. You can set the alarm as a one time or make it recurring. You can choose which days of the week it should ring on.

You can also set up a challenge in the alarm, based on math, a pattern or matches, that you have to complete before you will be allowed to switch off the alarm. It’s an excellent way to make sure you don’t switch the alarm off and go back to sleep.

There is also a smart rise option, that makes the alarm go off gently and slowly 30 minutes before your set time. With smart rise you wake up gently and are not rudely awakened by a loud alarm.

The other options offered are a timer and stopwatch. These work as standard and don’t have any special frills.

 

How I’m using the Timely App

 

The alarm and timer are my most used options. I have a variety of alarms setup to wake up in the morning. Mostly in summer I wake up at the same time everyday but in winter I wake up at different times on different days based on the days plan.

By setting up a variety of alarms I don’t have to worry about setting up an alarm every night. Based on the schedule I’ve setup Timely makes sure to wake me up at the right time on the right day. I also set up two alarms as i have a bad habit of snoozing. So, a back up alarm. And on days when I can’t allow a snooze, I setup a challenge to force me out of bed on time.

The timer is the other option that is my lifeline. I use overtime I have to do something that involves an interval. If I’m cooking something that needs to be left to slow cook or I’ve switched on the water motor, I put on the timer. It makes sure I don’t forget to switch things off (I have a history for forgetting and burning stuff).

 

My thoughts on the Timely App

 

When I said this app is an app I wake up to, I wasn’t kidding. Timely is one of the most important apps in my android arsenal, it’s an app I can’t live without and one of the apps I use the most.

A very useful app in day to day life. Timely is simple, clean and to the point. It’s pretty but it doesn’t have too many frills. What it does have as options and functions, work really well and are very useful. If you don’t have Timely, get it. :)

What do you use for alarms and timers?

 

App details and link

 


Stars - ★★★★★
Developer - Bitspin
Devices - Android
Size - 9.4M
Installs - 5,000,000 - 10,000,000
Link - Android Store

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Yummy Yields: Burrp App Review | 26 Android Apps in April for the #AtoZchallenge

Che I are not big eating out people, we used to be but in recent years we’ve cut down a lot for various reasons, some in our control and some not. But we still do eat out, only now it’s quite an event, it’s given a lot of thought and it’s appreciated a lot more.

Most often when we eat out, it’s Che who does the choosing of where to eat. He’s good at it and his app of choice is Zomato but recently I got introduced to the Burrp app and now I think I’m going to try and choose.

 

What the Burrp App’s supposed to do

 

This app does so much that I’m not sure if I know all it does and it makes me wonder if it’s spreading itself thin and trying to do too much. But anyway… The app allows you to search for restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs nearby. You can also search based on type of cuisine. Search results are filtered based the distance from you, rating and price.

You can also mark places as favourites and want to try. Check-in, add photos, rate, leave a tip and writing a review is also offered. When looking for a place to eat you can view your favourites and call history to revisit a place.

You can also see places that are currently trending, hosting events or have offers running.

 

How I’m using the Burrp App

 

I haven’t use the app until now so this section is difficult to fill. :D

 

My thoughts on the Burrp App

 

I quite liked what I saw of the app and it’s search results were tempting enough for me to want to try. There’s a lot this app can do but even at the simple level that I would use an app like Burrp, it works well and I think it would be really helpful the next time I’m trying to choose a place to eat.

There seems to be an attempt at community building around food that the Burrp guys are attempting, and for those who eat out a lot, review restaurants or use apps like Burrp and Zomato, this community might just offer good benefits and advantages.

Do you use food apps? Which one do you use? Have you used the Burrp app? Which is your favourite food discovery app?

 

App details and link

 


Stars - ★★★★☆
Developer - Network18
Devices - Android, IOS
Size - 9.8M
Installs - 100,000 - 500,000
Link - Android Store | iTunes Store

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X Marks The Spot: 7 weeks App Review | 26 Android Apps in April for the #AtoZchallenge

Wikipedia defines a Habit as a routine of behaviour that is repeated regularly and tends to occur unconsciously.

Habits are hardy things, difficult to make and break. Earlier in the #AtoZchallenge Glenda had posted about habits. Here’s what she had to say...

"We form habits through repetitive behavior. Often our habits attach themselves to our lives much like a ganglion cyst. Changing a habit requires behavior modification for many, concerted effort and cognizance of the habit for others."

One trick to building a habit or making a certain behaviour a habit is doing it consistently for 7 weeks. That means tracking it everyday to make sure you do what is required everyday for 7 weeks.

 

What the 7 weeks App’s supposed to do

 

You create a calendar for each habit you would like to track and set a start date. You can also enter a reason for why you are trying to make something a habit.

In settings you can choose the theme as light or dark and also select morning or evening reminders. Each day mark the calendar with a not or cross based on whether you completed the habit or not.

Along with a calendar view of the 7 weeks for each habit, the app also offers statistics about your habit and performance.

 

How I’m using the 7 weeks App

 

I have been using the app to track my goal of reading the news everyday on the Inshorts app. (I spoke about this habit I want to form in my Inshorts app review)

I also use the app to track non-habit things like days when Cuckoo showed leg pain or Senti had a tummy upset. Not exactly tracking a habit but the app is great for showing trends/days at a glance.

 

My thoughts on the 7 weeks App

 

This is a very simple app but it’s really useful as it helps build a habit and makes you feel good everyday when you check off another successful day into the habit. A good way to get reminded and track a habit too!

 

App details and link

 


Stars - ★★★★★
Developer - 7 Weeks
Devices - Android
Size - 4.3M
Installs - 100,000 - 500,000
Link - Android Store

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Writing On The Go: Evernote App Review | 26 Android Apps in April for the #AtoZchallenge

I am an impulsive writer, I know I must train myself to write on demand and that I must be disciplined about it but I write some of my best stuff on the spur on the moment, when I write with emotion and the words just flow.

And these moments they come at all sorts of places, waiting in line to pay a bill, at the coffee shop, on a bus across town, as I sit watching and waiting for the dogs to finish eating,… At most of these times I don’t have a computer handy, and sometimes even pen and paper are difficult to find but almost always my trusty phone is with me. (I can’t believe I just said that, that’s how I felt and how I’m supposed to feel about pen and paper).

But to be able to write whenever, wherever and about whatever, all my writing needs to be readily available at all times. It should be accessible across devices and should constantly sync, and having a clean and easy to use interface is imperative.

 

What the Evernote App’s supposed to do

 

Evernote is a rather simple looking app that packs a punch. It syncs across devices and saves locally and on the cloud when internet is available. Inside of Evernote, many notebooks can be created, each holding a variety of notes. Notes can also be tagged for easy search.

In the edit mode, you can add and format text, attach (or create) an audio clip, photo, file, and video to the note. You can also add handwritten notes and scan a document into a note.

Notes created by you can be viewed and accessed from any device, as all notes reside on the cloud.

 

How I’m using the Evernote App

 

I use Evernote as my writing tool. Whether I am writing on my computer or my phone, I write on Evernote. When I’ve written an article on the phone, I can come back home, access the note, proofread and edit it and then post it up from a computer. It’s a great way to work across my phone and computer.

The notebooks option is another one I find very helpful as I can compartmentalise my notes based on topic. With it I can have a large number of blog posts and articles in work-in-progress mode and access them anytime anywhere.

 

My thoughts on the Evernote App

 

There are a lot of writing tools out there for serious writers but these tools are really expensive and are local. On the other hand Evernote has almost all the features from those tools in it’s free version and it syncs across devices and the cloud.

Evernote is an excellent tool for note-taking, documenting research and writing.

 

App details and link

 


Stars - ★★★★★
Developer - Evernote Corporation
Devices - Android, IOS
Size - Varies with device
Installs - 100,000,000 - 500,000,000
Link - Android Store | iTunes Store

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