There are many things that are full after my birthday: my heart, my capacity to eat cake and the best of all… my TBR!
I have a bunch of books on my list, but I can’t read any of the right now, because EXAMS. (I can’t read new books during exam preparation and exams. 😭😭)
But my TBR is one of the things to look forward to after exams.
My TBR is:
The Song of Achilles
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Let’s Go Time Travelling Again
Magnus Chase and the Hammer of Thor
Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead
Camp Half-Blood Confidential
Atlantis Rising
The Canterville Ghost
Daughter of Empire: My Life as a Mountbatten
Pashmina (Graphic Novel)
Aru Shah and the End of Time
Time Travel Diaries
Romeo and Juliet (Graphic Novel)
WOW I’M SO HAPPY THERE ARE SO MANY BOOKS IN MY TBR!
I’ve had a lot going on. So we’ll catch up on that, first.
My summer vacations ended on 14th July. During my holidays, I went to a few places in South India! It was super fun. Then I got a library membership on 27th June. So, so happy with that. And school started all too quickly…
But I read a lot of books during my holidays! Here are the reviews of some:
1. Faces in the Water: A book on female infanticide in India. Ranjit Lal wrote on a highly repressed topic of Indian society with great sensitivity. Definitely worth a read. ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑/⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
2. Karna’s Wife: This book is told from the point of view of the Mahabharata (an epic from Hindu mythology) character’s Karna’s wife, Uruvi. To be honest, I never thought I would read such a book. The author, Kavita Kané, executed the idea perfectly. ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭒/⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
3. One of Us is Lying: If I had to sum up the book in one adjective, it would be: mind-blowing. The characters are cliché, but the unusual thing is that Karen McManus did is openly acknowledge it. And made it a bit more unique for me. And the ending left my jaw hanging. If you haven’t read it, you definitely should. ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑/⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
4. The Bone Sparrow: This book tackled a topic I’ve never read about: the lives of refugees in camps. The special thing: It was told from the perspective of a nine-year-old child named Subhi. Zara Fraillon gracefully fuses the two different lives of Jimmy and Subhi into one beautiful and crazy adventure. ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑/⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
5. The Hunger Games: OH. MY. GODS. I AM ABSOLUTELY MINDBLOWN. This book beautifully describes every single place Katniss is in, what she’s wearing and what she observes. And the storyline, oh my gods. I got absolutely addicted to this book. So much that I stayed up till 1:45 a.m. finishing it. That might not seem much to you, but it is a lot for me. 😀
Since my birthday was yesterday I got a ton of books:
SORRY, I’D WORKED ON THIS POST FOR A LOOOONG TIME, BUT I COMPLETELY FORGOT TODAY.
Also, I apologise for not posting often. School has kept me slightly busy. And maybe I’m just a little bit lazy. BUT! I did write this post.
I am not going to place them in any particular order because you can’t just rank moms, come on! And I’m going to write about them as actual people, and not just as moms.
Isabel Pullman, Wonder by R.J. Palacio
From Wonder, the movie
Isabel was incredibly brave, caring and supportive. Watching your little boy go through twenty-seven surgeries must be no easy task. She left her job as a children’s book illustrator and homeschooled Auggie all by herself. Homeschooling couldn’t have been easy (she was also hopeless with fractions. Sorry, Isabel). She definitely wrestled with her protectiveness for August while deciding to let him go to middle school or not. She’s always tried to hide her negative emotions from her kids and always tried to show optimism.
Molly Weasley, Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Molly in Chamberof Secrets, the movie
Molly Weasley was a queen. She knew her family so well, that she has prison as one of the whereabouts of her family clock. She was a brilliant cook and excelled at household spells. That is an art in itself (Tonks would agree). She also knew her healing spells. After all, she did live with Fred and George. Even though she had four kids to raise, she still found time to play an active role against Voldemort. Mrs Weasley took in Harry and stuffed him with her awesome food. Hermione and he were welcome at the Burrow anytime. She knows how to keep her seven kids in line (though I doubt her third son, Percy, created any trouble). That, everyone, is a talent.
Sally Jackson, Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan
THE ART IS SO GOOD
Sally Jackson is Percy’s real godly parent, and no, I will not be taking any arguments against this. Though, who will? She 1. refused Poseidon’s offer of living in an underwater palace 2. raised Percy, a chaotic demigod, all by herself, 3. married a disgusting and abusive man so her son could be safe, 4. turned that man into a literal STATUE, sold the statue and used the money for putting down a deposit for a new apartment, made a payment on her first semester’s tuition at NYU, and make a deposit at a good school for Percy, 5. successfully got her son to camp when there was a Minotaur, 6. put up with her son going to life-threatening quests, 7. USED A SHOTGUN IN THE BATTLE OF MANHATTAN WITHOUT ANY TRAINING, 8. wrote a book (honestly, I worship nearly anyone capable of writing books), 9. didn’t go out of her mind with worry when Percy was missing for six months (more for Sally because nobody told her about her son being found). Wow, I am so out of breath. After all these reasons, I think everybody agrees when I say, Sally Jackson is a goddess.
Marmee, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Marmee in Little Women (2019)
Marmee was welcoming, warm and supportive. Her daughters went to her before anyone else when they were going through times of despair and distress and always listened to her daughters’ problems patiently. She also managed to keep her temper in check, which is a great feat in itself, because temper is rather difficult to control. She was a great listener and would not care about her own comfort for others.
Jennifer Honey, Matilda by Roald Dahl
I prefer the book illustration to the movie. 😀
Miss Honey is awesome. Even though she had an inhumanely cruel aunt (a bit like Dolores Umbridge, when you think about it) and was made to live with her, who she knew had most probably killed her father, as a little girl who was made to do chores all day long, she, unlike a certain Professor in Harry Potter, was not venomous towards her students because she had an abusive childhood. (Not a Snape supporter, sorry not sorry.) She moved out of her family mansion at the age of 18 and lived on a small salary in a tiny cottage. That, readers, takes courage. Let’s be honest, not many of us could be able to do that. Also, she taught small kids. You have to be ultra-ultra patient for that. All in all, we all agree, that Miss Honey rocks. *cue clapping for her* 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Who are your favourite (sadly fictional) mother figures or mothers? Let me know in the comments! 🙂
Because why not? It’ll be from books and movies both!
1. No need to call me sir, Professor.– Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (book)
#fearless
I clearly remember the first time I read this utterly savage quote in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I put my book down and went, “Oh, damnnnnnnn! That must have HURT!” And I still do. Every. Single. Time.
2. Turn to page 394.– Severus Snape, Prisoner of Azkaban (movie)
I love the way Alan Rickman delivered this dialogue, which resulted in it becoming one of the most legendary lines in the Harry Potter fandom.
3. We could have been killed, or worse, expelled.– Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (book)
How 10-year-old Emma Watson (yeah, she was 10 at the time of shooting the movie) is excellent and made me laugh a lot. And I’m sure I’m not the only one!
4. We’ve got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.– Sirius Black, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (book)
Sirius could have been a loyal Death Eater to Voldemort, inherit his family’s vast fortune and be the perfect son in general, if he had chosen the Dark side. However, he did not do any of that. He remained loyal to his best friends, godson and The Order of the Phoenix until his last breath and fiercely hated The Dark Lord and his followers. I find that really admirable.
5. Working hard is important. But there is something that matters more: believing in yourself.– Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (movie)
This is so true. It really speaks to me. I can’t verbally express how much I adore this quote. If you don’t believe in yourself, you will immediately lose the will to work hard.
Happy Women’s Day to every woman (and future women, like, you know, girls) in the blogosphere!
To celebrate this occasion, I’ll be listing some world-famous female authors.
J.K. Rowling: The Harry Potter author became the first woman on the planet to become a billionaire by writing books. She also writes under the pen name Robert Galbraith.
J.K. Rowling
Louisa May Alcott: The author of Little Women and its sequels (Good Wives, Little Men and Jo’s Boys. She was one of the first women to author books when writing emerged as an option for a living for women.
Jane Austen: The well-known writer of the books Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility was a rebel, a radical and a feminist.
Dame Daphne du Maurier: Daphne du Maurier was a romance novelist, whose stories, ironically, have been described as “moody and paranormal”, wrote books such as Rebecca, Crows, Jamaica Inn and My Cousin Rachel.
You can get lost in another world when you’re stressed, angry, sad, or any other emotion that brings you down.
It makes you more empathetic to people’s experiences because through book characters’ experiences, you come to know of different types of difficulties people go through.
It enriches your vocabulary, blah, blah, blah.
SO. MANY. GENRES. Sci-fi to travelogues, horror to comedy, you name the genre, you’ll find a book.
No trouble coming up with a wish list. You know your state, and you always have an eye on books published by your favourites, and your interests are ever-growing.
Ernest Hemingway rightly said, “There is no friend as loyal as a book.” A book will be there for you when no one is.
A whole mine of quotes can be found in them, which you can entertain yourself with, or apply in real life.
Thrilled to have you with us, Theodore! TL: Merci, Ms. Tiwari. Me: [blushes because he said tHANK YOU TO ME IN FRENCH]
Q: Uh- a- a little about yourself, Theodore. A: I’m Theodore Laurence, better known as Laurie. My wife’s named Amy and a daughter called Elizabeth. My best friend is Jo, who is Amy’s sister. I’m very close to the March family. I live in a house called Parnassus.
Q: How would you describe yourself? A: I’m generous (I think) and I’m a very jolly sort of person.
Q: How did you feel when you pranked Meg? A: [blushes slightly] I thought it was a very good idea at first, but when Mrs. March scolded me, I was truly ashamed of myself. I will continue to be embarrassed by the memory forever.
Q: Moving on to good memories. Which incident with Jo was most fun with you in your childhood? A: All my time with Jo was extremely fun, but the time she cooked was truly hilarious, because the food was horrible, and she was hoping that it would be good. I had kept going on and I was laughing internally all the while! I think Jo must have seen that laughter in my eyes, because she burst out laughing, and we all laughed till tears ran down on our cheeks. (Note: Chapter 13 of Little Women, ‘Experiments’ for those who don’t remember!)
Q: What’s your favourite quote? A: “Not in doing what you like, but in liking what you do is the secret of happiness.” -J.M. Barrie. (Note: I know the timeline doesn’t fit, but this quote seemed very Laurie-like.)
I’m here with another interview with a fictional character! It’s…. Tom Riddle a.k.a. Lord Voldemort! SH(notSherlockHolmes), a great friend and blogger, gave me this superb idea. Thanks!
Let’s, uh, let’s begin before he decides to go on a killing spree. (Also: He is not aware I am a Muggle-born because I have told him I’m a Muggle-hating pureblood, so please, for your own sake, do not tell him my real blood status.) This interview is placed during the First Wizarding War.
We are, um, delighted to have you with us. TR: Gosh, can we be done with this already?
Q: A small introduction, please, Mr. Riddle. A: *snappishly* I’m Lord Voldemort, not Tom Riddle. Don’t call me by my filthy Muggle father’s name. I’m the commander of the Death Eaters. Darkest wizard of all time. Heir of the great Salazar Slytherin.
Q: How would you describe yourself? A: Dark. Sinister. Sadistic. Not to mention, super cool.
Q: What’s your greatest wish? A: To be immortal and rule over the entire world.
Q: What are your talents? A: I was a brilliant student during my time at Hogwarts and was a great favourite of all teachers, except that Albus Dumbledore. I specialize in Dark magic. I’m also exceptional in duelling. I’m an Occlumens and the best Legilimens. I can fly without a broomstick.
Q: What’re the qualities you look for in a person you’ve just met? A: They should be loyal to the death. Should be interested in the Dark Arts. Should not be a sissy. Should be atleast half-blood.
Q: Who’s your favourite Death Eater? A: Bellatrix and Severus, without a doubt. Oh, and Bartemius Crouch Jr. was quite great too.
We, erm, loved having you with us!
TR: *goes out of the room dramatically, with loads of flourishes of his wand and robes* Me: *is visibly traumatised*
Plants have to experience constant stress on their continuously changing environments because of human beings. There are numerous factors that contribute to their ever-growing strain. Non-heritable modifications in physiological or biochemical characteristics tend to reduce or decrease growth and productivity, and sometimes lead to death. Has it got your interest piqued? Do you want to know more about this topic? There are books on this concept! One such book is called The Life of Plants in a Changing Environment.
Cover of ‘The Life of Plants in a Changing Environment’
If you plan on reading this book, tell us in the comments!
Admist 