2015: My Year in Books

For three years now, I’ve repeatedly tried to hit that 100 number. I set myself the challenge of reading 100 books in a year and fell short every year. But, I did read more than the last year, every year.

Playing the number game with something I absolutely love doing was a learning experience. I realised as I pushed myself to read more, faster, that I was losing interest in reading. If I wasn’t fully enjoying what I was reading I was literally dragging my way through the book. And that wasn’t fun!

The drive to read 100 books slowly from excitement became guilt. And it was some time in October that it hit me, that I was being silly and stupid. I dumped the challenge. I’m going to stay of challenges this year.

Instead this year I’d like to explore the book space that exists online. I’d like to join communities, make more friends, learn for about the book world, and all such things. I want to look-out, expand my book horizon, and also look-in at my reading history and see what I’ve been doing.

In 2014 I’d been swamped by review requests that I’d excepted, so in 2015 I’d been more careful about books I accepted, made time lines more clear, and learned to say ‘no’. This year I’m going to try and hold it there, and create space for reading books from my #ForeverTBR.

This post won’t be complete without the stats of last year, so...



I’d didn’t do all that bad on the challenge - 74/100. And better than 2014 (2014-59, 2013-56, 2012-68, 2011-65).

Perry Mason was the biggest contributor to my numbers with 47 of the series read this year. I don’t know why but I’d put off Perry Mason all these years, but once I started mid last year, I couldn’t stop until I’d finished the series and watched a season of the TV series starting Raymond Burr. :D

I accepted and reviewed 15 books last year.

11 books were written by Indian authors.



I read 14799 pages, more than 2014 (13240) but less than 2012 (25412).



Majority of books were read as ebooks on the Kindle and the longest book was Good Omens at 430 pages.



2 books got 2 stars from me, 44 books got 3 stars, 25 books got 4 stars, and I gave only 3 books 5 stars!
Good Omens by Terry Pratcheet and Neil Gaiman
Learn how to Compost by Margette Riley
Love Muffin and Chai Latte by Anya Wylde

Goes with out saying that I recommend the three above, but here are a 5 more I recommend.

It’s a Wonderful Death - Sarah J Schmitt
Warrior - Olivier Lafont
The Seeker - Karan Bajaj
Palm’s Foster Home for Peculiar Stories - C. G.Salamander
The Heat and Dust Project - Saurav Jha, Devapriya Roy

That’s about it from 2015, let’s see how 2016 pans out. Happy Reading! :)

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Indian Reads… #2: Chat with Author C G Salamander

 

Indian Reads… #2: Chat with C G Salamander about his book Palms Foster Home for Peculiar Stories

After reading C G Salamander's book I was intrigued by the workings of the mind that created Palms Foster Home for Peculiar Stories. And that’s the seed of this interview.

A fiction writer and a story teller, C G Salamander's short stories and comics have been published in various anthologies and journals. His first book, Palms Foster Home for Peculiar Stories was released in 2015 and reviewed by me earlier.


(If you can't see the video above, click here to watch on Youtube)

In our chat we talked about -

- what inspired his stories, how did cabbagism come about
- why his book is described as a 'collection of episodic short fiction belonging to the comic fantasy genre'
- how did he become a writer, his journey to getting published
- his use of a pseudonym vs real name
- his upcoming comic book

I didn’t know much about the comic side of him [the book one, that is :D ] and I got to learn a thing or two about comics as we talked. Comics have come a long way from from my childhood (of Tinkle, Phantom & Amar Chitra Katha) and I have some catching up to do. :) I'd known that comics were a rage in the US thanks to shows like Big Bang Theory and websites like Panels(from the Book Riot family) but I hadn't realised how much it was catching on here too. Should get back to them, where do you suggest I start?

I also got to understand something of the mind behind Palms Foster Home for Peculiar Stories. Do checkout my interview with C. G. Salamander and tell me what you think in comments.

Also, do read the book, here’s my review of Palms Foster Home for Peculiar Stories. :)

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Book Review: The Thirteenth Day by Aditya Iyengar

The Thirteenth Day by Aditya Iyengar

 


Title: The Thirteenth Day
Author: Aditya Iyengar
Paperback: 246 pages
Publisher: Rupa Publications (June 1st 2015)
Genre: Epic, Historical, Action
Read: Paperback
Stars: ★★★★☆
Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US | Flipkart

 

Summary:

(Goodreads)

It is the tenth night of the great war between the Pandavas and Kauravas. Bhishma, the venerable patriarch of the families, lies fatally wounded on the plains of Kurukshetra. On his deathbed he offers Radheya, his nemesis, a chance to rule the Kuru kingdom by capturing Yudhishthira.

In the Pandava camp, Yudhishthira, a reluctant warrior, tries desperately to hold his allies together and escape capture without appearing to be a coward. Meanwhile, his young and impulsive nephew, Abhimanyu, a warrior prince, dreams of glory and yearns for a chance to save the Pandava cause. The lives of these three warriors, Yudhisthira, Radheya and Abhimanyu, collide brutally on the thirteenth day. A story of how stories are created, how fact becomes fiction, how history becomes mythology and how men become legends, The Thirteenth Day re-imagines India's greatest epic like never before.

 

My Review:

Note: Thanks Aditya Iyengar for offering me this book to read and review :)

Cover: Detailed!

Paper and font: Easy on the eyes!

Readability, language: Easy on the mind!

Why did I choose this book: A different angle to the many times retold story, caught my interest. I’ve read Draupadi’s perspective in the The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and have Uruvi’s (Karna’s Wife by Kavita Kane) point of view lined up. This was a good addition to the list. :D

This is a retelling of the Mahabharata with the subject as Abhimanyu. This is his story - his quest for glory, his contribution to the war and his death.

As Abhimanyu’s story the title is appropriate for it was on the thirteenth day of the Mahabharata war that his valour on the battlefield made him a known name for ever. A darkish cover, there is something about it that I quite like, it drew me in every-time I walked past, inviting me to peer at the details. The blurb does a quick job of setting the stage and telling the reader what’s coming. Short and sweet.

I remember watching B R Chopra’s Mahabharat on Doordarshan, and the chakravyuh had made such an impact. I found myself cheering the young hero, being filled with indignation at his murder and feeling grief at his death; the emotions searing the character in my memory. So, this plot isn’t new and yet, it felt so because of the perspective.

Set in Kurukshetra the story starts out on day 10 of the war, when Bisma falls to the arrows of Arjun. In a bid to save the Kuru race, Bhishma asks Radheya to take the throne and bring about peace. The next couple of days are all attempts to capture Yudhishthira and it is these attempts that lead up to the chakravyuh. Aditya Igengar doesn’t just describe the war but also all that happens behind the scenes when the war is not on, in the camps and around the campfires, and does a good job of it.

The story is narrated from the perspectives of Yudhishthira, Radheya and Abhimanyu. The story unfolds with insight into their characters, their fears, their motives, their ambitions; I’d never before got to know Abhimanyu’s story this way. Aditya Iyengar has described each character well through the eyes of the main storytellers. The main and support characters are rich in detail and it felt like I knew them.

The story seems to follow a three act structure made up of days - 11, 12 & 13. There aren’t any loose ends but there is an abrupt end, smoothly delivered, such that the reader doesn’t feel all that bad about not knowing what comes after. The pace of the story is good with a build-up towards climax, that kept me glued to the book.

I enjoyed Aditya Iyengar’s style of writing and language. The Thirteenth Day was simple and easy to read both in words and sentences. The paper quality is good and the font makes for comfortable reading. The book is a breeze to read and an enjoyable one at that.

I’d recommend this book if your are a epic fan and even if you are not. For this book has insight into the minds behind the war and action & drama. So if you are someone who likes a good action drama, this is a book to pick up. YA and above.

Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US | Flipkart

About the Author:

Aditya Iyengar has worked for ten years as a writer in advertising and television. He has been writing fiction for five years now, mostly in the hours between sunrise and ten AM.

Author Links:
Website │ Goodreads │ Twitter │ Facebook

 

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2016: Doodling, Running, Gardening & More in Life as Freya

Happy New Year Folks!

This seems to have become a ritual on Life as Freya; blogging at the beginning of the year is like this thing I’ve been doing for over 5 years now it seems. I hadn’t realised I’d been doing it and now it’s a ritual, a pattern, a routine, like so many other things in our everyday life. Little things we do everyday so often that, sometimes we forget we are doing them, their doing goes unnoticed.

I went back and read a few of my 'start of year' posts and they made me smile with fondness at my younger self. It’s just a couple of years but so much has changed since then. It was pleasant reminder of the joys and challenges, the fun times and the togetherness, love and our family and life as I know it.

Last year I put together a bucket list for the year and did good at it, I think. It was the year of ME and I did a lot of me stuff! I did hit my weight target, watched 100 movies, read 74 books, got started with my kitchen garden, and kept my eyebrows intact through the year. :)

This year I’m putting together a few buckets I’d like to work on. :D

Reading

For three years now I’ve tried to hit the 100 mark in the Goodreads Book Challenge. It took me three attempts to realise that competition, even with oneself was’t the way to go. Reading for numbers just doesn’t cut it.

Of all the things I love doing, this one I love doing the most, so this year I’m looking to take this up seriously, paying more attention to the books I’m reading and being more unforgiving with myself about how I spend my reading time. I’m going to be more critical of my book choices and I’m going to try reduce my #ForeverTBR.

Fitness

I’ve been meaning to get fit but I spent most of last year hoping it would happen while I still lay curled up in the couch. It was only at the end of the year that I finally did something about it and got myself to Zumba class. The last month has been so much fun! (Thanks Yashodhara Lal for introducing me to Zumba in your book There's Something About You)

Getting started helps, it’s still baby steps but now that the ball is rolling it’s easy to push further. A shout-out to Bhawna of YellowMellowLife who pushed me into putting on those running shoes for #Pinkathon at the end of this month. This year I’m back to pushing to finish that marathon. :)

Blogging

Last year I wrote 139 posts, that’s not a huge number but it’s the highest ever and double done in 2014. This year I want to explore the creative space beyond writing. Giving myself space on the reading front has opened up a lot of stuff in the blogging space too.

I’ve enjoyed dabbling with video the last few months and I’d like to do more in the video space this year. Maybe even start a podcast. I’d like to explore the overlap space of reading and creativity, and see what I can do with it beyond writing.

Gardening

I spent a bit of time in the garden in 2015, trying my hand at ideas and experiments. We grew some veggies - corn, carrots, methi, coriander, radish, tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, bitter gourd, but lost some too - palak, peas, chillies. The one thing that flourished through it all was my composting khamba. It’s a hit with everyone!

Got to get more active in the garden this year. I want to expand my potting space and do some more experiments; try my hand at more new plants and veggies. Also got to try and increase my compost production. :)

Learning

This section has a few things to list -

- I’m going to learn to play the harmonica this year. I’ll start of with youtube I think, in the security my bedroom. :D

- I’m going to take up a course related to books this year. I’ve tried my hand at Lit. Degrees before, so not that. I’m not sure but I’m leaning towards a librarian course for now.

- I’m also planning to plunge into some craft challenges. Putting together the quilling pieces for my 500 post winners was a reminder of how much I enjoy craft and why it has to be a part of my year plan.

- And I’m gonna learn to do Zen Doodling. I have to master doodling. :D

 

2015 was truly my ME year. I went through some weird phases in my head but it seems to have been worth it, for now, as the fog is shifting and clarity is making itself somewhat felt.

2016 must follow from where the last year left off, so I’m hoping to better ME this year in all the areas I’m choosing. What I’ve left out in the above are the bits about working on getting more productive, better time management, setting routines, tracking tasks, packing in more stuff,… You know, all that stuff that makes you do more. :D

Aside from do more, this year I’d like to take time out to notice, to see the little things around me, to appreciate the life I have, life as I know it, in everything I do.

What is your plan for 2016? If you run, tell me in comments, we should connect, being running buddies would be great. The same goes for reading and craft, I’d love to join a challenge. So, what’s in your buckets?

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Book Review: The Bestseller She Wrote by Ravi Subramanian

 


Title: The Bestseller She Wrote
Author: Ravi Subramanian
Paperback: 391 pages
Publisher: Westland (October 28th 2015)
Genre: Romance
Read: Paperback
Stars: ***/5
Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US | Flipkart

 

Summary:

(Goodreads)

He was a bestseller She wanted him to make her one.

Paperback king, Aditya Kapoor life is straight out of a modern man's fantasy. His literary stardom is perfectly balanced by a loving wife and a spectacular career. With everything he touches turning to gold, Aditya is on a winning streak.

Shreya Kaushik is a student with a heart full of ambition. Young, beautiful and reckless, Shreya speaks her mind and obsessively chases after what she wants. And what she wants is to be a bestselling author.

What happens when their worlds collide? Is it possible to love two people at the same time? Can real ambition come in the way of blind passion? Can trust once broken, be regained?

Master storyteller Ravi Subramanian, delves into the glitzy world of bestsellers and uncovers a risky dalliance between a superstar novelist and his alluring protege.

The Bestseller She Wrote is a combustible cocktail of love, betrayal and redemption.

 

My Review:

Note: Thanks BlogAdda and Ravi Subramanian for offering me this book to read and review :)

Cover: Bright and Conspicuous

Paper and font: Easy on the eyes!

Readability, language: Easy on the mind!

Why did I choose this book: I was offered this book by Blogadda. Since this was a deviation from Subramanian’s standard writing fare, it caught my fancy.

Shreya wants to be a bestselling author and she will do anything it takes to get that, even destroy a marriage as she comes between Maya and Aditya. But will Bestselling Author Aditya Kapoor be used and abused or can he save his marriage. Shreya can get all she wants without this destruction so why is she doing this? The answers the climax. ;)

The end justifies the title; it’s appropriate and it caught my interest. The cover is bright and conspicuous, it’s one you can’t ignore. As for the blurb, it’s succinct and simple.

I haven’t come across a plot quite like this one before, a story of blind ambition and it’s repercussions, while also dealing with betrayal. At a lot of points I found myself thinking I knew what would come next but Subramanian surprised me repeatedly.

Set in present day Mumbai, the author has woven the city well in his story and the city is always present in the shadows. He has also woven in a lot of pot-shots and truths about the publishing industry. There were a lot of places where I found myself laughing when I made the connection to real life and many a place I was shaking my head at the sad publishing truths.

The book has a large character set, but they all play important roles in the story and take it forward. Aditya, Maya and Shreya are sketched well. I found myself doing exactly what the author wanted, feeling for Maya, hating Shreya while admiring her guts and feeling both love and hate for Aditya. The only character who left me disturbed was Sanjay, his involvement has me still confused; I can’t find them but there seem to be loose-ends there.

The story is well laid out, though the pace slows down a bit and gets draggy toward the end. Almost as if the author was implementing his advice from the book on words per book. The story builds up well toward the climax and takes you by surprise. All loops are tied up though the Sanjay threads are a little twisted and knotted up for me, his plot didn’t sit too well in the jigsaw for me.

I enjoyed Subramanian’s style of writing, his snide remarks and tongue-in-cheek sense of humour. His Hinglish (which I particularly loved) is simple and easy to read and I didn’t once have to reach out for a dictionary, which was refreshingly nice!

Not just a story of blind ambition and betrayal, The Bestseller She Wrote is also the current state of India’s publishing industry - from author antics to emotional blackmail, Facebook fiascos to newspaper scandals, anything goes and it’s all in the book. For YA and above. Recommended if you are looking for a fast mindless read!

Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US | Flipkart

About the Author:

Ravi Subramanian is an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and author of seven previous commercial novels. Having been a banker himself, he has a unique insight into the industry he writes about.
Ravi lives in Mumbai with his wife, Dharini and daughter Anusha.

Author Links:
Website │ Goodreads │ Twitter │ Facebook

:P Compulsory Text: I am reviewing ‘The Bestseller She Wrote’ by Ravi Subramanian as a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

 

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So Long Buddha, Run Free My Child

Buddha - The Wise One
11 Sept. 2004 - 22 Dec. 2015

Che and I decided early in our relationship not to have babies but like a lot of other parents we landed up with an unplanned baby. Unplanned she may have been but she was never unwanted, and we enjoyed her so much, we had 5 more in 5 years. Yep, we're really bad at family planning. ;)

Two nights ago I lost my first born, my oldest son. Words seem inadequate to describe what I am feeling. There is a blankness, a numbness, an emptiness that is yet to set-in that I know will leave behind a void never to be filled.

Buddha came into our lives late in his and our lives, he was 6 then. I still remember that day when Che looked at me with puppy-eyes and asked if we could bring home another dog. I remember telling him that I'd first like to see the dog.

So, Che whisked me off to Windward Kennels to get me to meet the dog he was already in love with; to convince me to take him home. I still remember my first impression of Buddha - a timid dog who took time to warm up to strangers, a guy who rather be left alone than be in the thick of things and yet so beautiful both inside and out.



I thought he would be easy, a cake walk for me that would also be an excellent calming influence on the two young nut-cracks we had. I was proven so wrong!

As the months rolled by Buddha transformed, he still retained his quiet introspective self but he also started to display a boisterous self who joined in the games, the play, the charges to the door and the barking howling matches.

He came into his own and stopped backing off, he started to take dogs head-on. Clear about what he wanted, what he liked and disliked, he now didn't hesitate to put the dogs in their place. And as the months rolled by I fell in love with him, more and then some more.

Buddha was a dog no one who met him would forget. He made an impression, an impression all his own, an imprint unique to just him. But he had his quirks - he was terrified of crackers and loud noises, had a dislike for too much excitement, pee'd slow and long, and had a mouth so foul-smelling that you'd never forget a kiss from him, that is if you hadn't died of the aroma. :D

A couple of years ago when he had been diagnosed with an enlarged heart and arthritis, I started to worry but Buddha's love for life made the problems look like they didn't exist. He fought his way through it all with help from various people who loved him and stayed active right up to the end.



When his heart started to act up a couple of weeks ago, he valiantly held on while I fretted. He loved his walks and demanded them, and I, had to give in and take him in spite of my misgivings. On his last day, he walked well, ate heartily, showered me with time and attention and refused to leave my side.

And when he went, he went just as quietly as he had come in 5 years ago. A gentle presence by my side that slipped away before I knew it. He gave us 5 glorious years that we will relive forever. He was Buddha, through and though, aptly named for he had learned all the secrets of the universe and he held them all in himself.

I lost a son two nights ago, my oldest, the first born and I will never be whole again. I'm not a mother of human babies and I don't know the pain of losing a child but what I do know is that words aren't enough to describe my grief, no balm is soothing enough for this chasm I have in my heart, no amount of tears can wash away this pain I am feeling.

Buddha the wise one with floppy ears... #LifeAsFreya #InstaDog #BuddhaTheWise #weinerdog #dachshundsofinstagram #dachshund #dogsofinstagram #whd

A video posted by @freya3377 on Feb 7, 2015 at 7:52pm PST

You will be missed Buddha and yet I know you will always be with me, as that little hole in my heart that will be filled again only when we are reunited. Run free my child, I hope you get your very own hammock up there. xxx

 

That should have been the end of this monologue but there are people I must thank for him and his life before I close. Preeti - a big thank you for sharing Buddha with us, Devisri - for kicking me into getting his diet right, Dr. Pavan, Dr. Ramesh, Dr. Ajitesh & Dr. Girish at Cessna Lifeline and Dr. Shiv Prasad his homeopathy doctor with the magic sugar pills - for keeping him medically healthy, and the brat pack for keeping him happy. Special thanks to Anithra, Chaitanya and Mom & Nanisaheb for being there always, even at the end and for his first toast.

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Book Review: The Starriest Summer by Adelle Yeung

 


Title: The Starriest Summer
Author: Adelle Yeung
Paperback: 377 pages
Publisher: Indigo Platinum Press (December 1st 2015)
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary
Read: eBook
Stars: ***/5
Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US

 

Summary:

(Goodreads)

Fifteen-year-old Michelle saves the world on a daily basis…with her trusty video game controller, of course! Naturally, she jumps at the chance to play an experimental virtual reality game.

The beautiful fantasy world of Starrs? Check. The power to mold matter? Check. No reset button? Wait, she didn’t sign up for this!

Turns out Starrs is really real, and to make matters worse, Michelle’s interference awakens the Cycle of the Six Moons, a series of devastating trials that will devour the universe.

Fighting the apocalypse was way easier when danger stayed on the other side of the screen, but Michelle finds a secret weapon in her new-found powers. She uses them to rescue the crown prince of a powerful magic kingdom from their sworn enemies, a technologically-advanced cult that strives to eradicate magical blood.

Michelle starts to fall for Prince Jayse, the only one who believes Michelle to be a savior rather than a curse. But not even video games could prepare her for what the cult has in store for them…

 

My Review:

Note: Thanks Adelle Yeung and YA Bound Book Tours for offering me this book to read and review :)

Cover: Eye-catchy!

Paper and font: Easy on the eyes!

Readability, language: Simple on the mind.

Why did I choose this book: I love watching Che play story based video games, so a book based on getting sucked into a game just had to be read!

Michelle gets pulled into a different world when she starts to play a virtual reality game. Only this isn’t a game but is real and Michelle’s arriving in this world has set of a chain of events that could end the world. She has to team up and save the world.

The title The Starriest Summer is appropriate considering the book is predominantly set in the Starrs world. The cover is attractive and caught my eye. I couldn’t make much sense of the characters on the cover initially but looking at the cover after completing the book makes it all clear. The blurb is enticing and got me interested.

I’ve never come across a plot like this before so it was a refreshing find. I really like the idea of falling into a video game and becoming an actual part of the game. The plot is clear, as in Michelle has to save the Starrs World but the whole thing about the Cycle of the Six Moons was complicated and I’m still confused about it.

The world of Starrs has been created well and I found it very believable. Yeung’s descriptions of the terrain made it easy to visualise the world as I read the book. It almost felt like watching someone play a story-based video game.

The main character is Michelle but she is supported by a bunch of primary, secondary and tertiary characters. The characters are well fleshed out and described rather in detail too but somehow some things just felt odd for me in my head. Some characteristics and even clothes just didn’t suit the characters I had drawn up in my head. That said, I must add that Michelle felt real with her fears and hang-ups. Getting pulled into the game doesn’t make her a superhero and I liked that.

The story follows a three act structure and is split into 3 parts, with the conflict clear in the first few pages. The flow of the story is good and so is the pace, I found myself wanting to read constantly to know what would happen next. But the pace is also constant and there is no build up to climax, it doesn’t feel like a climax, but that might be because it is to be a series?

The language used is simple and easy to read but I think the book could have done with one more proofread. I found quite a few grammatical errors and missing letters. At some points it just felt very childish too, the dialogues were just too cheesy, even if said by teenagers.

Overall I enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it if you are a Young Adult and into video games and that kind of fantasy.

Buy On: Amazon India | Amazon US

About the Author:

Adelle Yeung is the author of The Cycle of the Six Moons trilogy, a young adult fantasy adventure. She is also a voice-over artist who can’t go a day without a cup of tea. When she’s not writing or recording, she enjoys sewing costumes, baking sweets, and escaping on video game adventures.
She lives in California with a cat that dreams of eating the pet bird.

Author Links:
Website │ Goodreads │ Twitter │ Facebook

 

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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