Don’t we all try to mug up as much of our portions before our exams but end up forgetting a lot? We know that we’ve learnt it, but find it difficult to remember. I am sure most of us have faced this situation. If you haven’t, congratulate yourself, because you might be the Einstein! (Oh no, I am joking; you can’t be all that brainy). Either ways, the thing I am trying to say is how our brain acts funny at times. There are some things, some people, some memories which we never want to remember again. Yet we are constantly reminded of those. When we want to remember something, we forget; but when we try to forget, we just cannot. Some places, some objects, some people, all remind us of those unwanted memories. Each time we remember those, it might make us melancholic but still we can never let go. Because some memories will haunt us.
But at some point of time, we will realize that there is no point of holding on to those and something will take place which will truly change you – for the good. Believe me – that time will come. Till then you will have to suffer those moments but at some point of time you will be liberated and life will seem all the more beautiful.
Book Review 5
Name Of The Book : Mahashweta
Author : Sudha Murty
Publisher : Penguin Books India
Year : 2005
Category : Fiction
Blurb :
Anupama looked into the mirror and shivered with shock. A small white patch had now appeared on her arm.’ Anupama’s fairytale marriage to Anand falls apart when she discovers a white patch on her foot and learns that she has leukoderma. Abandoned by her uncaring in-laws and insensitive husband, she is forced to return to her father’s home in the village. The social stigma of a married woman living with her parents, her stepmother’s continual barbs and the ostracism that accompanies her skin condition force her to contemplate suicide. Determined to rebuild her life against all odds, Anupama goes to Bombay where she finds success, respect and the promise of an enduring friendship. Mahashweta is an inspiring story of courage and resilience in a world marred by illusions and betrayals. This poignant tale offers hope and solace to the victims of the prejudices that govern society even today.
Review :
In this book ‘Mahashweta’, the protagonist Anupama’s fairy-tale marriage to Anand falls apart when she discovers a white patch on her foot and learns that she has leukoderma. Abandoned by her uncaring in-laws and insensitive husband, she is forced to return to her father’s home in the village. The social stigma of a married woman living With her parents, her stepmother’s continual barbs and the ostracism that accompanies her skin condition force her to contemplate suicide. Determined to build her life against all odds, Anupama goes to Bombay where she finds success, respect and the promise of an enduring friendship. This is the first book that I have completed in 2018. It is a small book and I was able to finish it in a day. The book points to the stigma attached to leukoderma as well as about the plight of women who have to face many challenges with respect to their marriage. It also gives us the message that it is not someone’s outer beauty, but their character which we should look at. Anupama had to face a lot of difficulties in her life but she overcomes all of them with her determination,optimism and willpower. We can see a transformation in her character as the book progresses. However, the story is predictable and highly dramatic. I feel that this could have been better as a short story so that there would have been no lag in the plot. There is a postscript at the end which really touched me. I hope that this book makes more people aware about leukoderma and eliminate the social stigma attached to it.
Book Review 4
Name Of The Book : Mrs Funnybones
Author : Twinkle Khanna
Publisher : Penguin Books India
Year : 2015
Category : Non-Fiction
Blurb :
Almost everyone has a similar family story in India and this is what Mrs Funnybones or rather Twinkle Khanna pokes fun at. The husband who’s the “man of the house”, the crazy mothers in law, friends and of course the constant jibes at her weight make it an intriguing read. Everything comes together to leave the reader cackling away in laughter. The tag line of the book, ‘She’s just like and a lot like me” coupled with the celebrity author might make one wonder, how can one compare a normal Indian household life with the glamorous life of someone like Twinkle Khanna. But that is the beauty of this book. It is not entirely an autobiography of the author, nor is it the typical tell all that celebrities so often write. This is a book of a woman who is a mother of two, an ordinary version of the star and someone who finds humour in the everyday situations that women in India face every day. That is what makes the book relatable even though it has been written by someone who’s the daughter of celebrities and married to one. Through her own anecdotes and by drawing parallels between a star’s life and a normal life, she has managed to write a book which is funny yet at the same time it forces you to think and comment on the situation. Mrs Funnybones is a comical take on the life of modern Indian women.
Review :
‘Mrs Funnybones’ is a comical biography by Twinkle Khanna that captures the life of the modern Indian woman – a woman who organizes dinner each evening after having been at work all day, who runs her own life but has to listen to her mummyji, who worries about her weight and the state of the country. It is based on her super hit columns and covers a variety of topics. I needed a light book to read and this was perfect. This book is un-put-downable and I finished it in a day. It is sure to make you laugh out loud and at the same time addresses pressing matters. The right amount of satire and sarcasm along with the unconventional presentation makes this a refreshing read for those looking for a change from the usual genre.
Book Review 3
Name Of The Book : Arranged Marriage
Author : Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Publisher : Anchor Books
Year : 1996
Category : Fiction
Blurb :
Although Chitra Divakaruni’s poetry has won praise and awards for many years, it is her “luminous, exquisitely crafted prose” (Ms.) that is quickly making her one of the brightest rising stars in the changing face of American literature. Arranged Marriage, her first collection of stories, spent five weeks on the San Francisco Chronicle bestseller list and garnered critical acclaim that would have been extraordinary for even a more established author.For the young girls and women brought to life in these stories, the possibility of change, of starting anew, is both as terrifying and filled with promise as the ocean that separates them from their homes in India. From the story of a young bride whose fairy-tale vision of California is shattered when her husband is murdered and she must face the future on her own, to a proud middle-aged divorced woman determined to succeed in San Francisco, Divakaruni’s award-winning poetry fuses here with prose for the first time to create eleven devastating portraits of women on the verge of an unforgettable transformation.
Review :
‘Arranged Marriage’ is a collection of eleven short stories connected by its common theme – marriage. Each story looks at marriage from a different perspective. The protagonists are all women as is the case in most of her books. I have read many books written by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and thus had high expectations from this book; I was not disappointed with even a single story. Each of them had a theme that was versatile, yet all the stories fit into the book like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The emotional turmoil in the minds of the characters are easily relatable and have been realistically portrayed. Most of them are Indian born women living new lives in America, trying to strike a balance between traditional beliefs and modern liberal thoughts. The language is simple and the stories are thought provoking. Each story is sure to make you delve deep into the complications that underlie relationships. I would not like to go into the details of each of the stories as I do not want to spoil the suspense. I really enjoyed reading the book and would recommend the book to all of you.
Book Review 2
Name Of The Book : A Fine Balance
Author : Rohinton Mistry
Publisher : Faber and Faber Limited
Year : 1996
Category : Fiction
Blurb :
Set in mid-1970s India, A Fine Balance is a subtle and compelling narrative about four unlikely characters who come together in circumstances no one could have foreseen soon after the government declares a ‘State of Internal Emergency’. It is a breathtaking achievement: panoramic yet humane, intensely political yet rich with local delight; and, above all, compulsively readable.
Review:
This is Rohinton Mistry’s first book that I am reading. The author is able to do complete justice to the chosen theme and has touched upon all the aspects to the minutest detail. The book talks about the common people and the impact (mostly negative) of the emergency scenario on their lives. Throughout the book, there is a sense of despair and hopelessness but it has been presented with bits of humour. He has mocked the hypocritical society and the misuse of their positions by those in power. He has also included the various social evils that were prevalent and has shown the adversities faced by women through one of the lead characters. The language is simple yet very powerful. The whole book was a bit long but worth the read. I expected it to end on a happier note but I think this ending made it seem more realistic as our lives are highly unpredictable in reality.
Rating: 4.5/5
Book Review 1 Name Of The Book : The Marble Collector Author : Cecelia Ahern Publisher : Harper Collins Year : 2015 Category : Fiction
Blurb :
A forgotten childhood. A discovered life. What if you only had one day to find out who you really were? When Sabrina Boggs stumbles upon a mysterious collection of her father’s possessions, she discovers a truth where she never knew there was a lie. The familiar man she grew up with is suddenly a stranger to her. An unexpected break in her monotonous daily routine leaves her just one day to unlock the secrets of the man she thought she knew. A day that unearths memories, stories and people she never knew existed. A day that changes her and those around her forever. The Marble Collector is a thought-provoking novel about how the most ordinary decisions we make can have the most extraordinary consequences for how we live our lives. And how sometimes it’s only by shining on a light on someone else, that you can truly understand yourself.
Review :
Cecelia Ahern, who usually brings an element of suspense into romance has tried something new in this book. It tries to bring to its readers the complicated relationship between a daughter and her father through the theme of marbles. The daughter discovers a marble collection that belonged to her father which guides her into a side of her father’s personality that he had kept hidden. The story revolves around her discoveries and realisations and how it affects the lives of those around her which ultimately helps her in the journey of self discovery. I had very little prior knowledge about marbles and marble collection. The book gave me an in depth insight into the world of marbles. However when it comes to the plot, the book lacks a certain depth that is usually found in her books. A difference in theme is surely welcoming but the emotions are lacking. The chapters of the book are arranged such that there are frequent changes in the timeline and characters which creates chaos and confusion. The book also leaves a few questions hanging in the minds of the readers thus creating a sense of obscurity. Overall a good read but not the best from the author.
As someone who loves to read and someone who tries to read a lot of books, I am constantly asked by people how they can start reading books or how they can read more books. Most of these people are youngsters in school or college or have just started their professional lives. But today, through this article, I want to tell you why it is okay to not read. Yes, you heard that right; I just told you that it is okay to not read.
I have seen a lot of people (mostly bibliophiles) shame others for not reading. They claim that those who do not read have never really done anything worthwhile in life. What I personally feel is that it is each individual’s choice and interest. I love reading and I enjoy doing it but I may not enjoy some other activity like singing, dancing or playing an instrument as much as reading. In the same way, each of us will have something that we indulge in during our leisure hours. Some may pursue reading, others may engross in some other recreational activities. What is more important is that you find a hobby that you love and find time to pursue it.
Reading, from time immemorial, has been considered a powerful tool for obtaining knowledge. But what one needs to understand is that at that point in time, it may have been the only source of information. Knowledge has always been passed on from one generation to another through the written word. However, with the development of audio-visual media, there are a lot of new ways to gain information. These days radio, television and the internet have taken over and we can gain knowledge through diverse mediums. A few people may be able to understand better through hearing rather than reading, while others may grasp easily through visual media. We should find out what works better for us. What is good for someone else may not be the best for you.
Of course, reading has a few advantages over other kinds of media. Our imagination develops as we read and imagination is the key to creativity. Reading contributes towards the development of our language skills. We understand how to comprehend written content which will help us in our personal and professional lives. It will also help us improve our reading speed and we will be able to polish our techniques of skimming and scanning texts which have applications in our daily lives. All of this being said, there is no compulsion to read; if you are someone who reads only academic texts that too only to gain intensive knowledge pertaining to a specific subject, you don’t have to force yourself to read. Reading is an exercise to be thoroughly enjoyed just like savouring your favourite delicacy and the compulsion takes its essence away.
For those of you who are occasional readers or pick up a book only once in a blue moon, continue to do so, but make sure that you involve yourself completely in the act and thoroughly enjoy reading the book. Quality matters over quantity. However, if you do want to improve on the numbers as well, I will be back with another post on that. So stop stressing and remember to enjoy what you read rather than seeing it as a chore to be completed.
Recently, I listened to an audio book for the first time. I have always wanted to listen to one. The book was Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster which is an epistolary novel in children’s classics. I downloaded the audio book from LibriVox. LibriVox is a website from where we can legally download free audio books. All the books have been narrated by volunteers from the general public. There are a lot of other websites from which you can download free audio books legally and illegally. You can also purchase them from various sites. These are my observations about audio books from my experience; do feel free to add anything else that I may have missed.
Pros:
The narration of the book with voice modulation makes it very interesting like listening to a play on the radio.
One of the biggest advantage is that we can listen to audio books while we are engaged in some other activity like travelling in a bus, cooking, cleaning the cupboard, etc.
It saves a lot of time because we can multi-task easily and do not need to keep aside a specific time for reading.
Portability is definitely one of the plus points of audio books. Most of us will not go anywhere without our phones and earphones so we don’t need to remember to carry a book.
It is indeed a new experience to hear the words and sentences out loud. Everyone should listen to an audio book at least once.
When we read, we do not give much importance to right pronunciation. Sometimes, we might know how to spell a word and its meaning, but we may not know its pronunciation. So audio books will help us in this aspect.
A lot of people do not enjoy reading books. They are not against books itself, but do not enjoy the exercise of reading; so audio books might be a boon to them.
Cons:
One of the difficulties I faced is that I could not look up difficult words easily as I was not able to deduce the spellings from the pronunciation.
The availability of audio books is also a matter of concern. Only few book are made into audio books thus limiting the number available.
The quality of the narration also affect how much we like an audio book. If we do not like the way it is narrated, it is difficult to take a liking to the book even if the theme is interesting.
In addition, we may find it difficult to comprehend certain accents and if the book has a lot of difficult pronunciations, we may not enjoy it.
When a book is narrated to us in a certain way, our imagination will be limited to that particular voice modulation and tone and we may not be able to interpret it differently.
The kind of book is also a very important factor. Those with dialogues would be more interesting than third person narrations. If the book is in the form of short notes, letters, etc. with date and time specified or contains tables or illustrations, then this technique cannot be used.
Something that happened to me many times while I was listening to audio books is that I was losing focus. We need to concentrate on the audio to understand the book completely and in depth. Sometimes when we multitask, we tend to not concentrate enough and may miss out on important information. We may have to rewind and hear it again. Also our thoughts might wander and we will miss out on the narration.
Even though we learn the pronunciation of words, we will not be able to expand our vocabulary for writing, as we will not learn new spellings.
Good quality of the audio is vital for a hassle-free experience. Using earphones will give greater clarity and avoid unwanted disturbances. If the audio quality is not good, we may not enjoy the experience and it may turn into a difficult chore.
There are different types of readers – some like to read quickly while others may want to devour the book a little longer. But in audio books, the speed is predetermined. Changing the speed of a recorded audio does not yield satisfactory results.
If you are an avid reader and absolutely love books, chances are that you may mark or underline quotes or sentences or even paragraphs that you love. A few people also write down their favourite lines. This cannot be done in case of an audio book.
A lot of readers collect books and maintain a library of their own. These readers will not prefer e-books and audio books. Also, many readers love the smell of the books and the feel of the pages, so audio maybe a disappointment to them. Surely, beautiful covers – hardcovers, french flaps, etc. is what draws the attraction to the book at first sight. With audio books, it is difficult to visually attract a larger audience.
Final verdict – This is my personal opinion and cannot be generalized. Preference of audio books is based on personal choice and level of comfort. I think a few books with simple language can be heard as audio books specially while commuting or completing some chores. Otherwise, for difficult books or for books that I want to devour (including the cover), I prefer hard copies/e-books.
The other day, I happened to purchase a few items from an online store and when I received the package, I took a good five minutes unpacking it. What was I left with? The items that I purchased (which happened to be the size of a notebook) and a huge box, a lifetime supply of bubble wrap and lots of plastic.
This made me introspect about the growing trend of online shopping and how it can adversely affect the environment. It was not the first time that I had purchased something from an online store; but this time, the sheer amount of plastic used to wrap that tiny object made me think. I live in a place where it is quite difficult to purchase many things from the local stores due to the unavailability. So a large number of people rely on online shopping here.
Each product, which is already in a plastic package, before being sent to the customer, is carefully wrapped in layers of bubble wrap and put into a plastic bag or a cardboard box. Further, the cardboard boxes are wrapped in a large amount of tape. A few of these can be reused by the customers for their own personal use, but most people usually dump them in the garbage. It is sad to see that at a time like this when environmental issues are a global concern and is directly affecting us, most of us choose to remain nonchalant.
As it is with all major problems, there are a lot of hurdles to be crossed. One of the major problems is that is impossible to transport the items to the customers without this packaging as it will result in damaged goods. These prevent the goods from damage due to vibrations and other external forces. They absorb the shock and act as cushions. The other concern is moisture which can seep through these goods and cause irreversible damage. During their transportation, these packages are susceptible to various kinds of moisture ingression. These can easily be prevented by packing them in plastic. Few items which are obliquely shaped cannot be transported easily. So the sellers pack them in boxes of similar dimension which make it easier to load and unload and is also better suited for cost-efficient space-utilization. This means that those items need to be put into boxes which are of larger dimensions thus leaving a lot of free space which needs to be filled to prevent the item from moving around. Thus, the amount of waste generated increases tremendously.
The first step towards finding the solution to any problem is accepting that it is a problem. Only then will we be able to find meaningful solutions. As customers and as responsible citizens of planet earth, it is imperative that we work hand in hand with the electronic commerce companies towards this common goal. Only a collective effort will give the required results. At present, a lot of supermarkets and other retail outlets have completely abandoned plastic covers and are using cloth bags. Incentives are also given to those customers who bring their own carry bags. These are all positive changes towards a brighter future for all of us.
Similarly, e-commerce stores must provide the customers with options to opt out of using plastic packaging. Incentives should also be given for the same. It is high time that the government also addresses these issues as they have a large impact on the country. With the current growth in technology, it is not impossible to find an economical and sustainable alternative. After all, ‘Necessity is the mother of inventions’. The faster we address this issue, lesser the damage done and easier the solutions.
From the very beginning of the month of March or even before that we begin to increasingly hear the words – Women’s Day. Over the past few days I have been asked by an overwhelming amount of people (read men) as to why Women’s Day should be celebrated. Notice that the title of this article reads ‘Why Should Women’s Day Be Celebrated?’ rather than ‘Should Women’s Day Be Celebrated?’. So you get the gist – I am going to tell you why it should be celebrated.
Let me begin with what I have been asked (for those of you who still haven’t realised – read the title of the article). I will mention some of the arguments put forward by those who asked me this question. They think that celebrating Women’s Day is unfair to men and that it goes against the original cause. They think that women are given preferential treatment and showered with gifts and attention and that they would never be able to enjoy the same. Kindly note that their concern here is not the fact that women are celebrated and honoured on a particular day when it should have been an everyday practice, but rather that they themselves do not have a day for the same. But even that is a question nevertheless. A very few also argued that women need to be treated equally and with respect everyday and that there is no need for a particular day for it. I appreciate their thoughtfulness (assuming that their concern is genuine). Now let me now tell you what I think.
I will not go into the history of Women’s Day or how it came into existence (Those who are curious may take the help of Google). I also do not need to elaborate about the discrimination faced by women and atrocities against them. There are hundreds and thousands of examples that prove the same and we have all more or less seen or heard about such things. And they continue on a daily basis (reading the newspaper will give you enough examples). So I will jump straight to what I have to say.
I think it is not the celebration but its purpose that people fail to see. The purpose of Women’s Day is not just to honour them on a particular day but rather to create awareness among the public. Day by day, the world is becoming a more and more dangerous place for women. The reasons are too many to name and I will not go into that here. So having a particular day helps to bring more organisation purpose and focus towards these problems. Let me give you an example so that you can fully appreciate this. We celebrate World Environment Day on June 5th every year. We plant trees and conduct a variety of other activities as part of this celebration. The sole purpose is to draw more attention towards the environmental problems. It is without doubt understood that we are to care for our environment but keeping a special day every year drives home the point and will give it due emphasis. Each year we see that more and more people participate in these events and if there has been even a minor change in the thinking and behaviour of these individuals, the purpose is served. It is the very same with Women’s Day.
Something else that I would like to point out here is that Women’s Day is celebrated the very same way as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Children’s Day, Teacher’s Day, etc. are celebrated. The reason why we celebrate these days and appreciate these people is that sometimes though we have it in us to be good to those who play an important part in our lives, we tend to take them for granted. So this day will let us introspect on our behaviour towards them and improve our relationship with them. How is it that we don’t hear people complaining about these? It should just be considered as a day to let the women in our lives know how important they are to us and honour them. All this is done never to put men down as they wrongly seem to assume, but to bring equal opportunities for women.
Now about celebrating International Men’s Day (if you don’t know, go read about it); I am all for it. However, the point to be noted here is that it is a majority of men itself who have no clue that such a day exists. It is not that men do not face problems but their extent and the type of problems are different. It is usually women, who take a lot of initiative to celebrate Women’s Day because they know that it is a good opportunity to highlight the issues they are facing so I think men should also take initiative.
“Some women being empowered does not prove the patriarchy is dead. It proves that some of us are lucky.” – Roxane Gay (Bad Feminist)
Shades Of Lavender 