#JTWYAReadAlong Disussion Post #2

Hi, everyone! Today, I have for you the second discussion post of the Just The Way You Are read-along. If you missed out on the first one, you can check it out right here. I hope that all the participants are liking the book.

If you're done with part two of the book that's to be the topic of discussion today, you'll know that there's not much to discuss about this particular part of the book, which makes up the entire chapter eight. The only highlight of part two can possibly be the mother-son relationship portrayed there. It was all very filmy for me and I really do not see any reason that's convincing enough for me to understand why Sameer stopped talking to his mom. The obvious generation gap and upbringing differences didn't add up to much either. What I did like about this part is the pace of the book. Everything moved at lightning speed and that was really a positive because suddenly there was action. Something was happening, so that was great.

What are your thoughts on Sameer's relationship with his mother? Do you believe that any of the side was well justified? How would you feel about just stopping talking to your mother altogether?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or you can even make your own post. If you have any questions, just ask! As for the author interaction this time, my question for Sanjeev is:

Does the mother-son relationship portrayed in your book have anything to do with your relation with your mother? What kind of relation do you share with your mother?

Thank you for stopping by, and happy reading! 

#JTWYAReadAlong Discussion Post #1

Hi, everyone! Welcome to the first ever discussion post for our Just The Way You Are read-along. 

As decided, this discussion post is based on the first part of the book, i.e., from page number one up until page number ninety four. Those of you who have read the book till there, do share your thoughts so far in the comments below and please feel free to answer all the questions I have come up with. Those of you who are yet to finish reading part one, beware of spoilers! And don't worry at all. You have until Friday, before we start the next discussion post. So take your time, read and share your thoughts as and when you like. 

Coming to the book, I have planned on dividing this discussion into three parts and those are: writing, character(s) and story. So without much ado, let's get started.

Writing: I quite like the simple writing style of author Sanjeev Ranjan. There were a few points like ridiculous typos and the mix of Hindi and English that annoyed me, but if I put that aside, I must say that the writing is easy to follow.

What are your thoughts on the writing? Is it a positive or a negative for you when there's a mix of Hindi and English, not just in writing, but perhaps in speech as well?

Character(s): For me, from the very start until the part till I'm done with, the main focus is Sameer. This is his story throughout. I admit that it was shocking to see him leave it all behind and go to Switzerland within a few hours of his marriage. While his need to fit in, groom himself just because his friend said so and befriend girls was a complete turn off for me, I liked that he still believes in being kind. When he was so against tradition, I didn't see why he had to submit to it in any case. Anyway, he seems pleasant as a person and that was nice. 

As for the family mentioned in the book, it was over the top like I've come to expect from Indian writers. The drama adds some fun and comic elements to the story. 

Are you liking Sameer? Are you hoping for some major character development with him or do you believe he will be the same throughout the length of the book?

An additional question, if you were married and your husband/ wife did what Sameer did and left for a job in a foreign country on the day of your marriage, how would you react?

Story: As far as the story is concerned, there was a mix of past and present which at times was confusing for me, as a reader. While the whole idea of Switzerland was oh so exciting, I would have loved to see more of that, but Sameer kept taking us back to his past. Not like I mind, and on top on that, I guess the past is anyway important to understand the present. One aspect of the story that I'm looking forward to the most is how Sameer meets his then girlfriend now wife Shagun (what a name), and I hope that story comes up soon.

Is the story engaging for you? Are you looking forward to what happens next? What are you expecting Shagun to find in Sameer's diary?

Please share your thoughts with me, guys! I am looking forward to you responses. I hope you liked this post just as much as I liked putting it up for you. If you have any questions regarding the book or the inspiration behind it or just anything really, don't forget to Facebook or tweet the author, and he will gladly answer you.

My question to Sanjeev is: If Just The Way You Are were to be made into a Bollywood movie, which actor and actress would you like to see play the role of Sameer and Shagun?

Thank you so much  for stopping by, and until the next post, happy reading!

Read Along: Left From Dhakeshwari by Kunal Sen - Week 1 Discussion Post

Hey guys! Ours is the first stop in the Left From Dhakeshwari Read Along. You can find out all the details of the kick off post and our fellow hosts by going to the link below.

Left From Dhakeshwari Kick Off post

First, a little about the book. Left From Dhakeshwari is actually a collection of nine short stories which are all inter connected with each other. These nine short stories are described as nine tragedies and from what I can tell, each story focuses on a particular theme like urban loneliness, lust, death, sadism, obsession, memories, madness etc. Yeah, tough stuff but that is what makes it so intriguing.

Summary-

 'Left from Dhakeshwari' is a collection of nine interconnected stories dealing with lust and loneliness, death and obsession, memories and madness.

In the first story, 'We Were Writers', we meet a Bengali film actress, who after her brother’s suicide, returns to her small hometown and reflects upon the life she left behind; in ‘Bomb Church’, Aniruddha tries to piece together his mother’s identity after her mysterious departure; the only clues available in the existential whodunit being: a soap-box, a brown shoe and the statements of five witnesses; while the heartrending 'Salt Lake' recounts an unusual affair between a disfigured girl and a mime-artist with scars of his own. 

The other characters in this collection include a runaway teenage-girl, an agoraphobic writer, a masochistic cosmetic surgeon, a ghostess, identical twins and a manic-depressive housewife. And they are all in search, of a time and place they can call their own. That is perhaps why the title itself, denotes both a time and a place: a point of departure and the forbearer of journeys. 

In his first solo book, Kunal Sen infuses his women with souls of poetesses and a seductive melancholy and arms his men with child-like, romantic sadism. 'Left from Dhakeshwari' is written in a style that straddles between the tragic-dramatic and mildly surrealistic, but remains in the end a book about some remarkably original people and their depths and failings.

This is the first week in the read along so, Sarika and I will be talking a little about the first two short stories in the book.

We Were Writers

This short story seems to be dealing with death of a loved one. A quote by Charles de Lint from Into the Green sums it up perfectly- "Death is a tragedy...but only for the living. We who have died go on to other things." Gublu and Riju in this story are dealing with the death of Babla who was Gublu's brother and Riju's best friend. This story seems to have a mix of emotions. There are a ton of unsaid things between Gublu and Riju. There is anger but also acceptance.

Bomb Church

This story seems to deal with obsession from what I can make out. Aniruddha is determined to find out every single detail from every person imaginable connected to his mother. His mother has been missing since his child hood and all he has are a few glimpses of memories with her. Aniruddha's need to find out more about his mother has taken him to great lengths and I think his obsession will lead to his destruction. There is no contentment in his character even by the end of the story.

In General

The stories were okay, but a little hard for me to get into. It took me time and a few minutes to figure out the Tree of Characters before I actually got what I was reading. Though the themes behind each story came through clearly. The writing was really good. I'm quite intrigued to see how all the stories will intertwine. if they do. Or if they just are.

The cover for Left From Dhakeshwari is really different and unique. It depicts a mime artist and I am most looking forward to the story "Salt Lake" which shows an unusual affair between the mime-artist and a girl with a three inch scar on her cheek. I'm all in for a forbidden romance but yeah seeing that these stories are tragedies I have no hope for a happy ending.

Lastly, I don't read many short stories. I have always preferred reading full length novels. Novella's rarely satisfy me and keep me wanting more. But I can see how short stories have a charm of their own. Still, I am firmly for full length novels.

Questions

What did you think of the themes in the book?

How did you find Kunal Sen's writing style?

Do you like the cover?

Do you prefer short stories or full length novels?

Let us know in the comments below :)

And don't forget to stop by the other hosts' posts in the weeks to come.

Happy reading!

Read-along Wrap Up- The Homing Pigeons... by Sid Bahri

Summary-

In the middle of the catastrophic 2008 recession, Aditya, a jobless, penniless man meets an attractive stranger in a bar, little does he know that his life will change forever…..
When Radhika, a young, rich widow, marries off her stepdaughter, little does she know that the freedom that she has yearned for is not exactly how she had envisioned it…..
They say Homing Pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth. Homing Pigeons is the story of love between these two unsuspecting characters as it is of lust, greed, separations, prejudices and crumbling spines.

The Homing Pigeons..read along has flown by really quickly and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves along with our co hosts Ankita at Booklok Coffee and Nimi at The Readers Cosmos. The discussion posts have been great and quite a few in depth questions were asked. The Homing Pigeons..is one of the most unique and amazing book I've read by an Indian author. Sarika and I still pop up into random discussions relating to Aditya and Radhika's actions and decisions. This book is going to stay with us for a long time :) 

This is the wrap up post of the read along. If you missed any of our previous posts you can go find them at the links below-

Read-along Discussion post #1

Read-along Discussion post #2

Now, onto our questions. They're really simple. So go forth and answer away!

Q1 Did you enjoy reading The Homing Pigeons..? Did it meet your expectations?

Janhvi: I really enjoyed read The Homing Pigeons. It actually surpassed my expectations as I;m a little wary of reading Indian authors at times. The book was superb and it will definitely stay with me for a long time. I REALLY hope and wish there is a second book. I want to know what happens next with Aditya and Radhika.

Sarika: I absolutely enjoyed the book. I've said it before and I'm saying it again, it is unlike any Indian contemporary I've read and I mean that in the best way possible. It's one of those books where everything is just right- the cover, the title, the summary- it's all simply beautiful. I didn't really know what I expected from the book but it surpassed all my expectations and has made it to the list of one of the best Indian novels ever. 

Q2 In the book Adiya feels parental pressure which leads him to make life changing decisions. What do you think of it?

Janhvi: I totally got how Aditya could feel pressurized by his parents. His battle between the brain and the heart was clear. But sometimes, you try to listen to logic and that's what he did. Though I could see that he regretted it, it was too little too late.

Sarika: In my opinion, it's absolutely justified. We live in a country where family is given immense importance and no matter what you do, family counts, it comes first and it is who and what we are. 

Q3 What did you think of Radhika's decision in her second marriage? Is revenge really satisfying?

Janhvi: Revenge is a dish best served cold, as they say. Radhika was hurt by Aditya's actions and behavior. I could see that she was impulsive and her insecurities and abandonment issues were gnawing at her. I felt sad but her actions were totally justified. I got Radhika.

Sarika: This was actually pointed out to me by Janhvi and I think what Radhika did was not only right, but at that time, also very essential. Her actions, like Aditya's, are truly justified. 

Q4 Did you like the way The Homing Pigeons ended? Do you want a sequel?

Janhvi: I am total happily ever after girl so the ending was a bit abrupt for me. It was left slightly open ended and I would have loved to see some real interaction between Aditya and Radhika. HELL YES, I want a sequel!

Sarika: I was more than happy to see Radhika and Aditya together by the end of it all although I wish there were more details. There is a sequel and I really hope we get to see where our two beautiful and broken protagonists go from where they left. 

Q5 Did you like Sid Bahri's writing?

Janhvi: Actually, I loved Sid's writing style. It was easy and precise. The book was written beautifully, the phrases aptly used. You could connect with Aditya and Radhika and I loved the dual point of views as we got glimpses into both their heads.

Sarika: Liked is an understatement, I LOVED it and I loved it a lot. It's beautiful beautiful beautiful and I have nothing but heartfelt admiration and respect for the author. 

Update: ASK THE AUTHOR! 

As promised in the intro post, you can ask author Sid Bahri any questions and he'll gladly answer them. Ask your questions in the comments below and we'll make sure Sid gets back to you or simply tweet @Sid_Bahri or write on his Facebook timeline. 

I really hope you enjoyed following our discussions as much as I did. If you haven't read The Homing Pigeons... yet go grab your copy asap! Happy reading everybody! :)

Read-along Kick-off: The Homing Pigeons... by Sid Bahri

We are back with another Read-along! 

This time, along with our dear fellow blogging buddies, Ankita @ Booklok Coffee and Nimi @ The Readers Cosmos, Janhvi and I will be reading The Homing Pigeons... by Sid Bahri, the most beautifully written Indian novel that I have read so far. 
Yes, I have already read the book but I am really looking forward to rereading it with these wonderful ladies. Also, the ever kind author Sid will be joining us as well! 

Below is all the info you need to know. 

My review of The Homing Pigeons...

ABOUT THE HOMING PIGEONS (GOODREADS SUMMARY):

In the middle of the catastrophic 2008 recession, Aditya, a jobless, penniless man meets an attractive stranger in a bar, little does he know that his life will change forever…..
When Radhika, a young, rich widow, marries off her stepdaughter, little does she know that the freedom that she has yearned for is not exactly how she had envisioned it…..
They say Homing Pigeons always come back to their mate, no matter where you leave them on the face of this earth. Homing Pigeons is the story of love between these two unsuspecting characters as it is of lust, greed, separations, prejudices and crumbling spines.

BOOK LINKS:

Official Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Flipkart / HomeShop18 / Infibeam 

ABOUT AUTHOR SID BAHRI:

I am this half bald man who is trying to make a living by writing books. I gave up a corporate career  to follow my passion of writing. I was equally insane when I moved to the hills of Ranikhet, giving up the comforts of a city and a job that paid very well. Yet, that is what I am - eccentric and happy.

For more info, you can check out our Author Interview with Sid Bahri. 

Website / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube 

MEET THE HOSTS: 

Take a look at our co-hosts! 

Ankita @ Booklok Coffee- We can safely say that Ankita is a good friend of ours. It feels like we know each other since ages. It's always nice chatting with A. Like us, Ankita too loves books and reading and mind you people, this fierce, smart and wonderful girl is going to save the world! 

Blog / Goodreads / Twitter

Nimi @ The Readers Cosmos- Nimi is who all Indian book lovers and bloggers as well as authors turn to for help. A sweet girl, Nimi introduces us to new books and is herself a big time reader and book lover. 

Blog / Goodreads / Twitter

Janhvi and Sarika @ The Readdicts- I don't have anything to say about myself, but I can tell you that Janhvi is my best friend, a brilliant girl and if you don't know her, well, you're simply missing out on knowing a beautiful soul. 

Since you are on our soil and since we're too lazy, you can get our links from the side bar. 

READ-ALONG SCHEDULE: 

The lovely banner below made by Ankita will give you the schedule of the Read-along. 

As you can see, the Read-along will take place from July 01 to July 15. The Homing Pigeons... has a total of around 315 pages and by the time we meet for a discussion, we'll be reading 100 pages, which roughly adds up to 20 pages per day and is very doable. This will also make it easier for other readers to join in anytime they feel like. And you can buy the book with the links provided above. 

Bloggers who will be participating, make sure you add the button in your blog side bar. It'll be really helpful. Here's the button:

We'll be using the hashtag #THPReadAlong on Twitter. 

ASK THE AUTHOR: 

This is the part where Sid will be joining us! 

The author has kindly said that he will answer readers' questions. You can shoot him a question on Facebook or Twitter (links above) or simply ask your questions in the blog post comments and we'll make sure your question reaches the author and is answered. Don't worry, we aren't going to threaten Sid! 

I'm sure the author himself will be super pleased to interact with y'all, so don't miss the opportunity to chat with a great author. 

THE END! 

Okay, that's about all I have for you, folks! I hope I've covered up everything. If you have any questions, feel free to ask any of us hosts and we'll try our best to answer you all. 

I hope to see you all at the discussions. Trust me, this is one book you don't want to miss reading. 

So yes, see you all soon, have a great time and happy reading! 

Immortals Of Meluha Read Along: Week 4 {Wrap up}

It just seemed like yesterday when we'd started the conversation on how all of us wanted to read The Immortals of Meluha and before the blink of an eye we had a read along on our hands. It seems totally unreal to me that 4 weeks have passed so soon and we're onto the wrap up of the Immortals of Meluha read along.

For those of you, like me, who haven't caught up yet to all the discussions and the very beautiful posts made by my co hosts you can go take a look at them through the links below-

Immortals of Meluha Read Along: Week 1 Discussion

by Ankita at Booklok Coffee.

Immortals of Meluha Read Along: Week 2 Discussion

by Sarika at The Readdicts

Immortals of Meluha Read Along: Week 3 Discussion

by Kartik at MeBookGeeko

Now, I gotta admit that I haven't read the book yet. Yes, shame on me and I suck as a host and I have no excuses to give. So, I'm gonna keep it simple. I lack the creativity unlike Sarika and Ankita who made such lovely posts and I lack the details as I haven't read the book yet. So I have no lengthy questions or answers or any great philosophical finds.

I'm just gonna ask a bunch of general questions and answer them truthfully hoping y'all do the same :)

Q 1. Have you finished reading Immortals of Meluha?

This is embarrassing but I guess I deserve it. No, I haven't finished reading Immortals of Meluha yet.

Q 2. Did you enjoy reading it?

Again, I can't say but in general from what I've heard and spoken with Ankita and Sarika the book is not all that easy to get into. You need to have time and patience to enjoy it, I guess.

Q 3. What are your last thoughts on the book? Will it stay with you for a long time or is it that you can't wait to forget about it?

I'm gonna skip this one.

Q 4. Will you be reading The Secret of the Nagas and The Oath of the Vayuputras?

I do not see this happening for me in the near future at least. But you never know what might happen.

Q 5. Was the book how you expected it to be?

I'm no one to speak here but before starting it I did have hopes and good, if not high expectations of it. Therefore I was one of the few or many, who were disappointed by it.

Q 6. Would you recommend this series to anyone?

Um, I don't think so, unless and until the person is like a hard core mythology fan and just desperately wants to know what's going on in Amish's books. There are several better books out there.

Q 7. How do you feel about Amish's writing style?

From what I can tell the lengthy descriptions are not easy to get through but if it helps in the whole world building I wouldn't mind it. But I don't know if this series has that much of a capacity to pull me in.

Q 8. What are you expecting from The Immortals of Meluha movie if there is one? Will you be watching it?

When Sarika and I had gone for Amish's book signing he did say that there was a movie in the works. I am a movie buff so I will probably watch it in spite of how the book turns out to be.

Q 9. Do you think the book lives up to its hype?

There are several books which don't live up to its hype and sadly, Immortals of Meluha is one of them for me. Actually, maybe it does live up to its hype for some of you but it is just a genre I failed to instantly connect with so it was a fail for me.

Q 10. What are you currently reading? What do you plan to read next?

I'm currently reading Allure by Nina Lane and I'm enjoying every single word of it. Its an amazingly brilliant book which I hope to devour. I plan to read some new adult book like, The Forever of Ella and Micha next.

I would love to know your answers to any and every question!

Hope y'all had a good time :)

Happy Reading!

Sweet Evil Read Along: Week 4

 

                                             This week's topic is: Halloween

We're from India so we don't celebrate Halloween here but it sounds really fun! Here are some of the things we'd love to do on Halloween-

Read scary Halloween type books:
These are some seriously creepily awesome books which you should read for Halloween. I haven't read all of them yet but they sound awesome :)

Watch awesome TV shows:

The Vampire Diaries and Supenatural would make the perfect Halloween shows. Sam and Dean are awesome and Damon/Ian Somerhalder is just hot! *sighs dreamily*

 Eat Halloween Candy:

I've said it before and I'll say it again, you don't need a reason to eat chocolate but Halloween is as good as any, hell, breathing is as good as any ;)

My thoughts on Sweet Evil:

I loved and hated the Halloween party scene. It was sad and heartbreaking. I loved getting to know about the Dukes. That was the most interesting part. I loved the alley scene between Kai and Anna but again I hated Kai's behavior what with sleeping around with every girl in the vicinity. The end left me totally unsatisfied though it wasn't a cliffhanger ending as such. Sweet Evil was an okay read for me. I really liked some parts but some parts were just not good for me. But I will definitely be reading Sweet Hope to see what happens with Kai and Anna. My review of Sweet Evil should be up in a couple of days.

This was our very first read along and I loved taking part in it. All the topics for each week were totally awesome and I had loads of fun creating those posts. I will definitely be taking part in the future read alongs. :)

  Janhvi

Sweet Evil Read Along: Week 3

                                                    This week's topic is :

I am not very fond of playing truth or dare but when we were in school a couple of friends including Sarika and me would play spin the bottle and then who ever would be it would be asked a truth or their thoughts about anything. And I do mean ANYTHING. It was a fun game and though we couldn't finagle out all of each other's deep dark secrets- not that we had any or many -it was interesting and sometimes surprising. It just made us grow that much closer and they were undoubtedly some of my most treasured memories from school. They were good times. But the present is a whole another story. I don't think I'd be comfortable with it. I highly doubt I would be able to play truth or dare with complete honesty now. I'm too shy to take a dare and the truth would have to depend on the question asked.

                        My thoughts so far:

Sweet Evil is not going as well for me as it is for some of the others in the read along. It is good but I'm getting frustrated with Kai and Anna sometimes. I am not liking Kai's continued rejection towards Anna. Anna is really hurting but now things have really started to move. It was interesting that we got to meet Kai's friends. The thing that surprised me the most was the love triangle. I did not see that one coming. But Kope is very intriguing. I loved the whole jealous possessive thing happening with Kai. Hopefully he should come to his senses soon and see what's right in front of him. I hope the book ends on a good note but somehow I doubt that because it is going to be a trilogy.


                                       Janhvi

Sweet Evil Read Along: Week 2

So this week's topic is sharing a Pear or Citrus Recipe

I am clueless about all things cooking so I asked for Sarika's help on this one. There were several recipes she suggested but there was chocolate in this one so I couldn't help myself. We've got a really cool and hopefully easy recipe of Cream Cheese Chocolate Orange Drops. Found this recipe here.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Orange Drops

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sweet butter, softened
3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
l/2 teaspoon salt
6-ounce package semisweet chocolate pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make sure that the cookie sheets are well greased.

Cream together butter, cream cheese, sugar, orange rind, and vanilla extract. Mix flour and salt; beat into butter mixture. Next, stir in the pieces of chocolate.

Drop by rounded teaspoons 1 1/2 inches apart onto prepared sheets.

Bake10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

The popular quote which resulted in this topic:

" How's your orange juice Ann? Does it have a touch of lime? "

The glass paused at my lips as I processed his innuendo, and I took a second to make sure my embarrassment stayed hidden inside. I let the drink swish over my tongue a moment before swallowing and answering.

" Actually it's a little sour, " I said, and he laughed.

" That's a shame." He picked up a green pear from his plate and bit into it, licking juice that dripped down his thumb. My cheeks warmed as I set down my glass.

" Okay, now you're just being crude," I said.

" I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just enjoying my breakfast." He took another bite and I shook my head.

                         My thoughts so far:

And so the road trip has begun. We're really getting to know Anna and Kaidan in this part so I'm liking it. They are also getting to know each other better. I am very curious to see how the Nephilim thing works. That's a very interesting part and something I haven't read before. Anna has not completely grown on me but I don't dislike her or anything. I do not appreciate Kaidan giving Anna mixed signals. But I guess he can't help himself. Hopefully more things should happen soon.






                                                     Janhvi

Sweet Evil Read Along: Week 1

 

                                                               

Things which make a road trip fun are:

1. Friends:

Its pretty obvious. You want to have a fun road trip, go with your friends or family. What better way to spend time on a road trip than chatting with your best friend?

2. Music:

Good music is a must on road trips or you'll get bored out of your mind. Music which makes you feel good without making you fall asleep and which can help you enjoy your drive.

3. Books:

There's no better way spending time on your road trip if you can read your favorite books. I love it when I read a book which later reminds me of the place where I read it while travelling.

4. Chocolates:

You really don't need a reason to eat chocolates but Road Trip is a good reason as any ;)

5. Beautiful Scenery:

You can thoroughly enjoy your road trip by gazing out at the beautiful scenery and enjoying it. It'll just make you feel content and happy.

                                                   My Thoughts so far:

I wanted to read Sweet Evil just because of its pretty cover at first but then its blurb interested me too. I don't know why I hadn't picked it up before but this read along seemed like a great opportunity. The book has started out okay for me. I am not a very big fan of Anna yet but I hope as the story continues I can understand her better. We have just got teases of Kaidan till now. I really want to know more about him. I haven't read a book with the whole angel demon thing in quite some time so I'm quite eager to go ahead and see what happens. I am tempted to finish off the book.

                    Janhvi