1 to 10 books

Finally I get round to doing the tag Kiran Manral asked me to do. I am going to move away from the high class books and just talk about those simple ones that gave me a high not because of their complexity but because of their simplicity and heartwarming index and also a beautiful escape. I will try to keep them chronological so I can stop myself from playing favourites.
1. I start with those I read when I started reading ...all my precious amar chitra Katha especially the Ramayana which I read painstakingly in class 1 over a period of a couple of months, little did I know that one day I will turn out to be a very fast reader. Then the Pran comics, champak, chandamama, nandan, tinkle, each of them with stories of a different genre, the ones that stayed with me are tenalirama and Vikram aur Vetaal.
2. All Enid Blyton's esp the school ones and Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, Premchand's stories, HG Wells stories, Somerset Maugham stories, Jungle Book whom I got introduced to in school.
3. All Jeffery Archers and Sidney Sheldons...I club them because I was introduced to both authors at the same time.
4. Asterix and Tintin
5. Rebecca, Gone with the Wind and Scarlett.
6. My Family and Other Animals by George Orwell
7. George Orwell stories
7. Harry potter series
8. All Sophie Kinsella books
8. Palace of a Illusions
9. The Pregnant King, Jaya by Devdutt Pattanayak, Prem Panicker's Bhima and other assorted Mahabharata books
9 a) All Moni Mohsin books
9.b) All Anuja Chauhan books
9.c) The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
9 d)Devapriya Roy's books
10) Jorasanko and all other Tagore stories

And that's my book

In the hands if my little fans who sought our their names written in the book in the author intro!

Repurposed

A crabtree lotion box into a nailpolish organiser
A citizen watch box into a coin box
A ferrerocher tray and box for odds and ends and watches
A hersheys box into a lipstick organiser.
A bath set into a hair clip organiser.
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Butt of jokes

ojas hits his skipping rope in his bum
Quips Tejas ..arya butt.
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Adieu Nana

Adieu to one of the strongest, most enthusiastic and happening grand man I have known. You went doing what you liked best...traveling, buying car and even joking. We did not want to believe you but turns out you had the last laugh. Love you.

The passing of an era. The one who lived life the fullest. The one who was ahead of his time, practical and innovative. An entrepreneur who built everything from scratch. A stylish man who passed on his sense of humour, love of cars, travel and good life to his progeny and in some of us, his ample waist! The guy who lived and passed on, on his own terms. He who had the last word after all. For whom we can't say rest in peace but live it up wherever you are. Bon voyage Papa/(Bade) Dada/ (Bade)Nana 

Coming Soon Mango Chutney

27 authors, 27 stories as tangy, spicy and sweet like mango chutney.

Published by Rumour books, copies will be available for pre order on Amazon and Flipkart from 1st August.


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Coupon Shopping

I discovered the joys of coupon shopping a few months ago when I first purchased tickets to various attractions in Singapore. I felt really very pleased with myself for getting them at discounted rates.

Recently I purchased lunch coupons for 20 people and again I paid only half of what one would pay in a walk in situation. What is good that the coupons come on mail instantly and one has to just take a print and go to the place where you want to utilize them.

Another good thing is that you get a very nice feeling when you walk in, eat and walk out! As if you enjoyed the benefits without paying for them! Certainly a lot of feel good factor, a sentiment which surprisingly many coupon users shared with me!

What is challenging is of course to find the best deal among all available and that is where a site like http://zoutons.com/ come where you get comparative rates from across websites and you could choose the best you wish to take.

If you wish to buy a specific product like Amazon Baby product Coupons you co uld buy them from http://zoutons/stores/amazon

You could also follow them or subscribe and you get the deals delivered on your mail box

The Alternative place to find me

I have started contributing to The Alternative magazine in a bid to have a bigger platform for my voice, considering the hits that I get on my blog are hardly encouraging! 

Here are my few thoughts

On Homeschooling

http://www.thealternative.in/lifestyle/11-reasons-prefer-schools-homeschooling/

Ways to reuse newspaper

http://www.thealternative.in/lifestyle/diy-15-ways-reuse-newspapers-home/

On types of parenting

http://www.thealternative.in/lifestyle/should-parenting-be-permissive-or-authoritarian/

Tell me what you think of them

Lethal Spice

With Lethal Spice, Shimla's Superintendent of a Police Nikki Marwah is back, solving a crime that perplexed the whole of the nation. Mala Joseph, celeb judge in the shot Chef show dies after a lethal dose of cyanide that found its way to her on stage.

A suspicious looking text message not sent out, a set of lab reports that complicates the problem giving it a new dimension and whispers that cast shadows on the complex web of friends she had, causes Nikki Marwah to suspect that the case that was touted as a case of simple suicide looks more like a murder.

No one is spared. Each one is a suspect, be it the judge on the show Kemaal of Kemaal's Kebabs who has shot to fame with his chain of restaurants or Rajat the host of the show who seemed to be besotted by Mala.

Or the contestants, Pallavi Anand, Leena Dixit, Sharon Sen, Vicky, Shaq or Dev.

As Nikki Marwah sets out to investigate the case, she comes across the fact that the show has been unlucky right from the word go. Whether it was the short circuit or the case of food poisoning or now the cyanide incident.

I loved the book cover with a spice jar in the background and an unmistaken smell of fresh spices emanating from the pages. I thought I was hallucinating until I opened the first few pages and found a pouch with a mix of spices taped to the page that remained fresh until long after I had finished reading the book.

The pace of the writing is fast and crisp and Nikki and the readers go in circles as they uncover facets of the contest and the contestants. The author weaves back stories and develops a strong case for each of them to become an eventual suspect however the motive seems to be evading the readers and Nikki until the very end.


Title - Lethal Spice
Author- Swati Kaushal
Price- Rs 350
Publisher- Hachette

State of Things

We are learning states and capitals of India.
Good for Mamma...