Magic Moments

1. Wild Wild Country 2. Midsommar / Wicker Man - Read more here 3. The Family Upstairs - Read Book Review here 4. Offering to the storms ( Baztan Trilogy) - Read more here 5. House of Secrets : The Burari Deaths 6. The Jonestown Massacre - Jim Jones who led a mass suicide of 900+ people. 7. Under the banner of heaven This post is a part of  Blogchatter Half Marathon 2023 .  

I first heard of this novel in a BooksOnToast show on their YouTube channel. And I'm so glad I did.  Spanning four generations of Tagore (Thakur) family in Bengal, from 1823 to 1902, this book is a very unique experience. It is especially the life stories of the daughters-in-law and the daughters of the Tagore family - their world and their perspectives.  There's the din and bustle of a joint family household, where the everyday chores are an elaborate affair, and I could relate to it all. A palatial mansion which was home to the little child brides from their pre teen years till their death. They almost lived their entire lives here. Difficult to imagine. Aruna Chakravarti brings alive the era, the inception of the Brahmos, the new religion, the changing laws of the land, and the various members of the Tagore family who influenced the Bengali culture and tradition a great deal with their written word. Satyendranath who wrote plays to be enacted for the public, Swarnakumari who

  I have long been fascinated with Shillong. Rather Meghalaya as a whole. Introduced to it through Janice Pariat’s books – ‘Nine Chambered Heart’ , ‘Boats on Land’ , and ‘Everything the Light Touches’ . In her stories it seems a far-off land, deep in culture, myths and folklores, where people speak such a different tongue. The oral tradition of storytelling there has long enchanted me, of how mountains came to be, those fireside narrations and gatherings in winter nights. I long to visit the rolling hills, the forests, the sacred groves, the clean waters of Dawki river, the idyllic villages, and the numerous roadside waterfalls in the state. Through ‘Name Place Animal Thing’ I was introduced to how the childhood and the school life of a teenage girl looks like in Shillong. The author, Daribha Lyndem, has put the tale so simplistically, like a collection of memories from days past. And recently through numerous blogs by Cheryl Rhyn, I was again fascinated by so many local tales the

  Firstly, I cannot help but be jealous of these kids who get to live such a happening and adventurous childhood. I love the pre-internet era. All romanticism got lost once internet came into picture. But yes I mean they did perfect with the setting, the fashion of that time, those trending hairdos, and it is such fun to frolic around with your buddies. Going to the shopping mall was such an occasion, such fun. Eating ice-creams scoop after scoop, playing games, just goofing around in your bicycle in forested suburbs, such privilege. Not a lackluster everyday affair that it has become now.   Like we millennials had Harry Potter while growing up, GenZ has Stranger Things, is what I feel. Thanks to newsletters from Resh, I have come to appreciate the middle-grade books, as well as movies. When we had things to wonder about, and seek wonderment. I miss that phase of life. Reality and adulthood aren’t half as interesting as what these kids do in these 4 seasons. Friendships, secrets, bru

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Magic Moments (@books_under_my_pillow) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Magic Moments (@books_under_my_pillow) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Magic Moments (@books_under_my_pillow) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Magic Moments (@books_under_my_pillow) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Magic Moments (@books_under_my_pillow) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Magic Moments (@books_under_my_pillow) This post is a part of  Blogchatter Half Marathon 2023 .  

  The ruins of the Vijayanagara kingdom capital are just magnificent in their architecture, the tales they depict, and the culture and era they represent. Hampi had been forever in our wishlist, the archeological ruins raise so much curiosity and intrigue to know history. They make history tangible, not just some chapter in a textbook anymore. We had a guide who explained us the engravings in the stone structures of The Vitthala Temple and Virupaksha Temple- tales of foreign trade, luxury, prosperity, spice markets, the river Tungabhadra, Ramayana, and wars. There are some 200+ monuments in and around Hampi. Visiting all would have been almost impossible in the span of two days that we had planned our stay. But we did visit the major ones. The Royal Enclosure with only remaining foundations of the main palace, the floors of the King's durbar hall, a temple floor with a secret chamber underground, the step well with stone pipes bringing water from the River Tungabhadra; Zenana with

  As the name suggests, it is a spin off from the Jane Austen world of ‘Pride and Prejudice’, the protagonist being Mary, the Bennet sister who got the least pages dedicated to her in the book. While Jane and Elizabeth were the stars in the original story, our author here imagines the world from Mary’s perspective. We get a glimpse of her childhood, the events of marriages and ball rooms from her eyes, her ambitions in life and her potential romantic encounters. Mary as a character is fully developed in this book, which is such a joy to read. Perfect Jane Austen vibes. Mary spends her days unnoticed, hidden from limelight, seldom receiving appreciation for her talent in piano or her scholarly pursuits. She lives a rather lonely existence. I identify my younger self – timid teenage self with Mary. Awkward and shy in social settings, may not really come across as the smart one with interesting conversations to offer in social gatherings. Dressing plain and unflattering clothes, so as n