Sunday, March 24, 2013

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

I've read a half dozen very interesting books in recent weeks. I'm sure you're dying to hear about them ;) and even if you're not, here goes...

Image: Goodreads
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud (Non-fiction, graphic). This book was recommended by two people- Gretchen of The Happiness Project included it in her book club picks and Radhika recommended it in a comment. And so I was intrigued enough to pick up the book. V did a double take when he spotted me reading it: "You're reading comics??!" Because he knows I'm not particularly keen on the genre. On the other hand, he can spend hours guffawing over Calvin and Hobbes. I did read  my fair share of Archie comics as a child, and Indian comics such as Tinkle (I know! Unfortunate name!) and Amar Chitra Katha. There was a Marathi comic that was my favorite- about a little boy named Chintu. I have very fond memories of reading Sunday comic pages with my maternal grandfather- I remember his distinctive chuckle as he read Beetle Bailey and Dennis The Menace and Garfield to me.

I haven't really read comics in a couple of decades though, but can I just say that I loved Understanding Comics? It is a brilliant book in which McCloud explores comics as an art form, using the medium of (what-else-but) comics. What a cool book- I highly recommend it. Also, please tell me about the graphic novels and comics you love. No superheroes, though, I'm not there yet.

Image: Goodreads
And what do you know- the very next book I'm talking about is a graphic novel: Aya by Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie.  This one was recommended by Niranjana- I read her eloquent review and knew I had to find the book. And it was indeed a fun and quick read. The story is set in the Ivory Coast in 1978 and the illustrations transported me right into a working class neighborhood in Yop City and into a colorful teenage drama about a girl named Aya and her friends, flavored with regional slang and replete with sticky situations. Apart from the story itself, the book was my first introduction to the culture and history of Cote d'Ivoire and a gentle reminder that socioeconomic differences notwithstanding, the human spirit (and teenage drama) will always prevail.


Image: Goodreads

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (debut fiction, drama). Victoria is a young adult with a troubled past who has lived her entire life in the foster care system. The story weaves between her past and her present efforts to build a life for herself. I liked two things about the book: it focuses attention on the lives of foster children, a group that seems to be largely ignored and forgotten (the author has started a foundation to help foster children build their lives). And the central theme of the book is Victoria's special talent for the Victorian language of flowers (the Victorian era tradition of assigning romantic meanings to flowers). Some of these meanings of flowers are popular even now- such as red roses for love, but the whole list is fascinating and I enjoyed that aspect of the story. Other than that, I found the narrative to be quite uneven and many things in the story were implausible and unexplained, I felt. So this was a strictly OK read for me.

Image: Goodreads
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (fiction, thriller). This book made it to many book lists last year and I had to wait in line for a full 6 months at the library to get my hands on a copy. The story was engaging enough,and with enough twists and turns that I raced through the book in a weekend, even sneaking in some reading time while dinner almost burnt on the stove because I wanted to know what happened next. But that's about the only good thing I can say about Gone Girl. This book left me with a very sick feeling. The characters were toxic and the ending most unsatisfying. I came away shaking my head and thinking- wow, there's no justice in this world. For a hard-hitting psychological thriller, I much prefer the work of Tana French, say, because I end up caring about the characters she creates.


Image: Goodreads

Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking by Susan Cain (non-fiction). Cain explores how current society, especially in the US, relentlessly idolizes extroverts (They network! They engage! They dazzle!), and this book is a manifesto in favor of introverts. On a personal level, this book naturally makes you ask yourself whether you are an extrovert or an introvert (or an ambivert- which is equal parts of both. No, I did not make this word up). In my case, growing up, I was labeled an absolute bookworm and an introvert. These days, my friends are likely to say something like "Nupur is totally a people person. She makes friends so easily. She can chat anyone up."

You can take a shorter form of the book's quiz here. The truth in my case, as with most people, lies somewhere in between. I clearly tilt on the introvert side of things from the quiz results: Prefer one on one conversations? Check. Express myself better in writing than speaking? Absolutely. Feel drained after social occasions and need solitude to recharge my batteries? OH YES. But when I am passionate about something, I seem to channel it into extroversion- relating with people and making friends quickly based on common interests. Certain parts of the book were thought-provoking, but there were other things that sounded like stereotyping and psycho-babble. Overall, a worthwhile read. If nothing else, it reminded me not to label myself or other people as "introverts" or "extroverts" but to recognize that most people can be one or the other based on the situation, and that both qualities bring something to the table.

Your turn: What are you reading these days? I'm linking to the It's Monday meme on Book Journey.

Before I leave, I have a mini recipe to share. OK, it is a stretch to call it a recipe- let's call it an idea. I got this darling salt and pepper shaker as a gift (thanks, Ashwini!).


The salt went in one shaker, naturally, but I don't like putting ground pepper in the other shaker- preferring to use a pepper grinder instead. Madhur Jaffrey had a nice idea in her book World Vegetarian; I remembered it vaguely and looked it up on my bookshelf. She calls it "An Indian Salt Mixture" or some such. Very simple- toast cumin and coriander seeds and peppercorns gently. Cool, grind to a coarse powder and mix with salt. Fill this spice-salt mixture into a shaker and use at the table to perk up just about any food that could use more flavor. Now the second shaker is full and I love sprinkling this masala salt on fried eggs and sandwiches and so many other things. I wanted to share this idea for anyone else who has a empty pepper shaker sitting around.

On a final note, you know what this post needs? Some vegetables. This was a gift I put together for Lila's friend's second birthday last weekend. My friend Cathy sent a book to Lila as a gift some months ago- Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert. The darling illustrations made me fall in love with fruits and veg all over again. So I bought a couple more copies to give as gifts to other kids.

For this gift, I crocheted a few items- onion, eggplant, carrot, apple and pepper and packaged the book and veggies in a basket. Hopefully the little birthday boy will spend some happy hours playing with these.


85 comments:

  1. Those items are lovely! I have always admired your icon, the banana leaf! :-)

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    1. I didn't make that adorable banana leaf though- that was bought from a market in Pune, made by some unknown and talented local artist.

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  2. I am glad you enjoyed McCloud. I picked up Aya a few weeks ago after reading about it on Niranjana's blog and enjoyed it.

    A work of graphic non-fiction I read this year and cannot recommend enough is 'The Photographer' by Emmanuel Guibert (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5967064-the-photographer). If you don't mind something that might make you weep, try Tangles (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8468008-tangles). It is sad, but incredibly beautiful.

    Right now, I am making slow progress on Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. It reminds me a lot of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time so far, but I haven't read enough to know if I love it.

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    1. Thanks for the graphic non-fiction recommendations- they sound terrific. I read Extremely Loud... about 3 years ago and overall, I liked it (NOT loved) but at times was very peeved by the main character.

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  3. And what a wonderful, thoughtful gift!

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    1. Thanks- I hope the little guy enjoyed it.

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  4. hello Nupur. I've been reading your blog for last 6 months regularly. Love your ideas. Loved the gift for the little one.

    Keep blogging.

    I think i am the first one to comment today.

    - Shruti

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    1. Thanks Shruti- you were one of the first ones to comment :) not the first, because comments are moderated so you see them here after a delay. I have to moderate otherwise this blog would be drowning in spam.

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  5. After a very long time I picked up a book and did not stop until it was done. It felt soo good to do that. The Mango Season & Serving Crazy with Curry by Amulya Malladi. They were easy reads, well developed plots along with a few recipes in them. Willpower - Rediscovering the greatest human strength by Roy Baumeister is one the best books I've read in a while. This weekend I picked up some Alexander Mccall books and a Joanne Fluke book, Carrot Cake murder - with recipes. Can't wait to get started on them.

    The masala salt idea is genius, definitely going to fill up my pepper shaker with it. And the crocheted veggies look really cute Nupur.

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    1. I started Willpower and then we moved so I returned the book- you've reminded me to look for it again. I read Malladi a while back and was not much of a fan. But the McCall books, oh, I love them so much.

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  6. I totally love those crochet vegetables. The idea for masala salt is great. I prefer ground pepper too and never store it in a pepper shaker. Nupur, how do you find time to do so much ? Seriously ?? You quilt, cook, crochet, manage an baby and a job (?) Really, how do you do it ? Do you have the same 24 hours that we do ??

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    1. Oh c'mon there are people out there who do so much more! Life is too short, so I try to finish chores quickly and get to the fun bits.

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  7. Nupur, please write a post about what a week looks like in your life! I read your post about time management but I still can't wrap my head around how you work full time, mother a little one, cook nearly every meal at home from scratch, AND read books and find time to crochet! You are a superwoman in my books (I know you said you don't like superheroes, but still... :)

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    1. Yes, I so agree with Samyuktha and guess have asked you for the same thing in one of my previous comments! I would ve to hear how your day and week looks!

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    2. Well, I don't mind writing a post to discuss things re time management and prioritizing one's hobbies but it would be simply too silly for me to dispense any advice. Maybe in a couple weeks we'll talk about this!

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  8. I'm working my way through Quiet on audio. I think it is thought provoking and makes me think more about how I react to situations.

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    1. I've never heard a single audio book yet, can you believe it? It is something on my bucket list. Yeah, Quiet made me think too.

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  9. Wow nupur...i really wonder how u make up that time for reading while working, raising a baby n managing a house!!! Hats off to u. I wanna really know how u r managing ur time...maybe fill us in with your daily schedule/routine...hope im not asking for too much!

    also...its amazing how just a few days ago i was filling up a new salt n pepper bottles which i had bought and not open for such a long time...and i filled up the salt and wondered its boring to fill the pepper bottle ..as i would hardly use it anyway...just pepper is not my thing maybe!

    now with ur lil recipe...i can surely fill it up with sumthing far more useful...
    thanks nupur...
    mauli

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    1. Mauli- even if pepper isn't your thing, you'll love this masala salt!

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  10. Those knitted veggies look so adorable! I am sure the child is going to love them. You are so creative!

    I am currently reading Mindy Kaling's 'Is everyone hanging out without me?'. Don't go by the title :-) it's just meant to grab attention (didn't work in my case, I ignored the book totally). Hubby was waiting for me at the library and happened to find this book next to him on the center table so browsed it and found it to be funny. It's been a fun read so far.

    - Priti

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    1. Oh really? I know Kaling from The Office but never thought to pick up her book. Now I will.

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    2. The book turned out to be a ok read, made a good start but not much fun later. I have borrowed 'Quiet' from the library and 'Friendfluence : the surprising ways friends make us who we are'. Looking forward to some happy reading time ahead.

      - Priti

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  11. That is such a beautiful gift Nupur.

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    1. Thanks Shilpa! Kids love play food, right?

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  12. Loved Gone Girl! It was so crazy! And funny enough I just learned how to crochet this weekend. Maybe one day I'll work up to the vegies!
    Happy Reading!
    Here's what I'm reading

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    1. Gone Girl was crazy but for me, not in a good way :D Good for you for learning to crochet- isn't it fun?

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  13. Love your ideas! I'm reading The Tower, the zoo, and the tortoise by Julia Stuart and also The Alchemist.

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    1. The Tower sounds very interesting!!

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    2. Read it! You'll love it! It's laugh aloud funny but not just comic. I'm listening on audio book which is really fun ( plus I can multi-task). I have loved your blog for years. Rashmi

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  14. Glad you liked Aya! There are lots of well-known graphic novels (Maus by Art Spiegelman, the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman etc.)worth checking out. And Smile by Raina Telgemeier is for middle-graders, but I really enjoyed the story of a young girl's struggle with... braces.
    What a beautiful, thoughtful gift! He's a very lucky little boy :)

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    1. Thanks for the recos, Niranjana and for your wonderful book reviews- I always find good reads thanks to you.

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  15. Ye, I have been waiting to see what you have been reading.
    I have been finishing up with "In the company f cheerful ladies" by McCall Smith. I cannot get enough of this series!
    Then I read 'Below Stairs'. I love the Downton Abbey series but I could not compare the book to the series as this book seemed to edge on the melancholy a little bit.
    The next boon in line is the The Seven Habits of Effective Families by Covey. I really like his first Seven Habits of Effective People and I hope this one dishes out like that one.

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  16. I am reading immortals of meluha currently (not really sure I am liking it or not!!).
    The power of quiet is an interesting book. My company had invited the writer for a guest speech where they discussed the book and it was very interesting. Especially how being from a particular cultural setup changes how you interact with people. Planning to get my hand on that one.
    -neha

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    1. Yeah the effect of culture on whether being introverted is considered good or bad (in general) is very interesting! The book is a good read- how nice that you got to see the author.

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  17. I absolutely love your gift basket! What kid wouldn't love veggies like adorable?!

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    1. Hopefully the kid will eat more veggies too ;)

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  18. Dunno about others but I wait like crazy to read your book posts. Make Mondays bearable :) I read 'We the animals'...a very slim book that packs a sucker punch in my opinion. Love the masala salt idea...fresh fruits with that masala would be so awesome. - Ashwini

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    1. Oh Ashwini, thank you for saying that! I so love when we get to talk books :) and share recommendations.

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  19. Hi Nupur, long time reader but infant-commenter :)

    I love your book posts. I fell off the reading wagon and slowly getting back on.

    I am reading "My family and other animals" (from your comments section) and "brain rules" by John Medina. And browse through Martha Stewart's "Baking Handbook" on the side :) I've finally learnt that I do better reading more than 1 book at a time.

    I have a 30+ min drive to work. And audio books from the library have been a welcome find. I just finished Anna Quindlen's "Lots of candles, plenty of cake" and started "Buddy: How a rooster changed my life" this morning.

    +1 to requesting a time management post from you.

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    1. I know what you mean! I also usually have 2-3 books going at one time, to suit different moods :)
      And that's awesome to use the commute time to listen to some good books! I have Quindlen's book on my to-read list. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

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  20. Hi Nupur,

    Just love your blog! The 'masala salt' sounds very unique and interesting! I've just stopped using the salt shaker. Realized was overusing it while at the table. The veggies look too cute. Where did you learn to crochet? Right now am reading a book on Abe Lincoln "in his own words". My daughter is learning about Civil War in school and this got me interested! Abe Lincoln is my hero! Thanks for the books list. Will pick up some soon.

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    1. Oh boy, I am a big one for overusing salt at the table but I won't stop anytime soon. I learned to crochet from a book called "The Happy Hooker" LOL. Super easy to learn from books or online videos.

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  21. Nupur your books are a great mix. I never read many comics as a child either except reading Tintin to my brother.
    the toys are so cute and good for encouraging kids to eat veggies.
    Yay for being friends on goodreads. I've been reading a lot of good books recently. One of them I have you to thank for : Maisie Dobbs. A good storyteller and I have never really read any books set during the Great War. I am eager to read the rest.
    Another excellent read was the Paris Wife about Ernest Hemingway's 5 years in Paris during the bohemian Jazz Age. Even though I believe I am a very conventional person I like reading books that describe complex human interactions. The story told from te perspective of Hemingway's first wife made my heart ache for her dilemma. Books like these make me think but kind of stress me out.
    Some simpler books were Laura Ingalls Wilder's recollection of solitary , self reliant existence in the Wisconsin wilderness, and Edmund Crispin's rollicking mystery The Moving Toyshop - possible one of the best ( definitely the funniest) mystery novels I've ever read.
    If I was given any kind of authority I would make this a compulsory read for all school going children :-))) guess its better I don't have it. Happy reading .
    Arpita

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    1. Hi Arpita! I'm having so much fun looking at your book selection on Goodreads. So glad you're enjoying Maisie Dobbs. I know just what you mean about complex books that stress you out. Sometimes I need cozy mysteries as a palate cleanser if I read too many of those. Thanks for adding a couple more books to my TBR pile!

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  22. Oh oh and I forgot to say : I've started 44 Scotland Street by McCall Smith. What a cute book with the most delicious illustrations . Cute pictures always make a book more readable. Eager to find out how I like the story.
    Arpita

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    1. That's the one McCall Smith I haven't read yet!

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  23. Still need to read Gone Girl -- I have heard it's amazing!

    My Monday Post

    Eva @ All Books Considered

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    1. It was amazingly toxic for me :) but you'll have to see how you like it.

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  24. Absolutely adorable crocheted veggies! The salt and pepper shaker is very cute too. I am slowly finding time to read again and love your book posts...get a lot of good pointers. Thanks!

    Sonali

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    1. So glad you're finding time to read again, Sonali!

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  25. I want to be Lila's friend so that I get those veggies too :)

    I used to have pepper mill that I filled with toasted cumin, to add over raita/koshimbeer/chole/rajma etc. It recently broke, need to buy another one.

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    1. LOL Isn't play food fun? More fun sometimes than real food? What a great idea to fill whole cumin into a pepper grinder!

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  26. Your ideas are awesome, Nupur.. thank you for sharing it. I loved the veggies in the basket :).
    On an unrelated note, I have a question for you. I rmemeber that you had made tres leches cake for Lila's b'day party, I want to make the same for my daughters party.. my question is that how do I know the right amount of the milk mixture for pouring on the cake? I have to frost it too.. by pouring in less liquid I am afraid it will be dry and if I pour more, it might leak and I need to trasport the cake to the party location. Please give me some tips. Also if you have any good tres leches recipe can you please point me to a good one? I appreciate your help.

    Thanks,
    Archana

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    1. Archana- I made tres leches cake in a 9 x 13 baking pan and left it in there. Basically, transport the cake right in there and serve slices straight from it. Because tres leches is a very moist (wet! although wet cake sounds unappeetizing :)) cake and delicate too. Since it stays in the pan, you don't need to worry too much about adding too much liquid.

      Here are three great recipes:
      http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/tres-leches-cake/

      http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/04/29/tres-leches-cake/

      http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/tres-leche-cake-recipe/index.html

      Good luck!

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    2. Thanks so much, Nupur.

      Archana

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  27. Hi Nupur,im into parenting books now,just read Amy Chua's "Battle Hymn of a Tiger mother",made me think into why and how much of time mothers spend writing their childrens lives!Trying my one year old to sleep soundly using the book by Dr Ferber,i hope it works in a week,am doing it my style!btw i tried the foil baked feta,was scrumptious!

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    1. I read so many articles about Battle Hymn that by the end, I didn't want to pick up the actual book :) Not to mention that I am the exact opposite of a tiger mother. The foil baked feta must be from some other blog- I can't stand feta!

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    2. Yup it was from the kitchn,u suggested me the link when i mailed u abt how to use up feta :)

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    3. Oh yes, I remember, so glad that recipe worked for you!

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  28. I know just what you mean about the ending of Gone Girl. Yikes, right?? Crazy people.

    I'm very much looking forward to reading Quiet one of these days. Thanks for sharing the link to the quiz, I hadn't seen that before :)

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    1. Yikes is right!! I think you'll enjoy reading Quiet.

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  29. What a great blog you have! My kids and I like graphic novels. They are especially great for reluctant readers. I've passed up on reading Gone Girl for the reason that I've read similar comments to yours about it. QUIET is on my list of books to read. I like non-fiction books that inform. Thanks for visiting my blog!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Laura! I agree that graphic novels are a nice in-between visual media (like TV) and books.

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  30. Oh Nupur! How do you come up with such awesome ideas? I absolutely love that gift basket! My toddler has that book and he loves it. As for books, I still haven't completed the book I started 2 months ago! I try to read a few pages before I go to sleep at night but I'm fast asleep after reading a paragraph!

    Mamatha

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    1. If you're falling asleep as soon as you pick up a book, it clearly means you need the sleep more than you need to read! That vegetable book has the most darling illustrations, right? I will look for more books by the same author/illustrator.

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    2. Haha, I think so too. We picked up another book by Lois Ehlert from the library that my toddler loved too - Planting a garden.

      Mamatha

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  31. Hi Nupur!

    I caught up with your blog after many days. Our brand new baby kept me away from blogs for a few weeks. Had to comment on the darling crocheted veggies. Marathit: tula sashtang namaskar karte. You are very talented! I managed to read quite a few books during my maternity leave. I agree with you about Gone Girl. I kinda got irritated toward the end.

    -Anu

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    1. Congratulations on the new baby! I hope you and baby are doing well! And thank you for the sweet words :)

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  32. Hi Nupur! I totally look forward to and love your Monday book posts. I get to see such a variety of books, from the post as well as the comments.
    I too read Gone Girl and did not like it much!I dislike complex characters, too many layers and none positive. But I did use the plot to scare my hubby, asking him if he truly knows the person he's living with:P

    A post on how your week looks will definitely be a good useful read(especially about sleep hours, coz' that's my killer :)

    -Kavi.

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    1. OK I was rolling on the floor laughing when I imagined you scaring your spouse with Gone Girl's plot!!!!

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  33. I read every comic I could get my hands on, the Amar Chitra Kathas, Tinkles, Asterixs', Tintins, Archies, Richie Rich(es), Indrajal Comics (Phantom, Mandrake the Magicians), and yes, I knew the alter ego of every superhero out there. I was a comics fiend. And a cartoon fiend. Still am. :)
    If you haven't read them, I recommend Asterix and Tintin (if for nothing then the hilarious puns. I've read these in English and some even in French on a dare. Great way to learn a foreign language.) Also Dilbert, the office cubicle hero of engineers everywhere. Calvin and Hobbes, my all-time favs, you are familiar with.
    You read an amazing amount. I used to think I was a voracious reader but wow, much respect! I just finished "Where'd you go Bernadette?" which I enjoyed quite a bit. Starts off a but slow but loved how it all came together.

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    1. Hi Sharmila! You brought back lots of memories by mentioning Phantom and Mandrake. I'll definitely look for Asterix and Tintin- I've barely read one or two books of each. I read as much as I can, I need to read to be happy, honestly, and the public library makes it possible.

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    2. One quick added note: some of these comics are continued after their original authors and illustrators move on. While they are still ok, it's the originals that shine. For Asterix look for the ones by Goscinny and Uderzo. The Tintins I think are still only by the original author Herge. These have been around since before since before my parents were born, can you believe it?
      Comics like this are deceptively educational and poking at the then political condition. Tintin makes a lot of references to the conditions in Europe. Asterix refers to a time of Roman conquest. I find new things to marvel at every time.

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    3. Good to know, Sharmila! You're getting me very excited about reading comics :)

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  34. I've had Quiet on my TBR list for awhile, I think it's a really interesting concept. The misconceptions about introverts are really fascinating to me...as an introvert myself, sometimes it seems like extroverts are a completely different species, lol. I'm related to several people who just absolutely cannot stand to be alone, which is fine with me, but it always amuses me when they assume that I dislike being alone as well. The whole discussion is extremely interesting :)

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    1. It is a very interesting discussion for sure- and yes, I also had relatives who were baffled that I might actually like being alone, they thought it was most unnatural!

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  35. If you are into history, I recently read Indian Summer by Alex Von Tunzelmann which is about the years leading to and during India's independence and afterwards. It was a great read, very engaging and not dry at all, much of the narrative revolves round Nehru and the Mountbattens but there is quite a bit about Mahatma Gandhi, Jinnah and all the other key players involved. Much recommended.

    Another book read recently that I liked was "Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion" - talks about the surge in cheap low quality seemingly fashionable clothes and the environmental impact of producing such clothing and the misery that comes with it (think sweatshops). I am not much of a shopper anyway but this book reinforced the fact that I should really think before buying a garment instead of mindlessly bringing home things.

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    1. You know, I am not really into history at all (although my husband is, very much, and I'll pass on the reco to him). But this book does sound interesting. Overdressed sounds like a very good read. Thanks so much for chiming in!

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  36. Oh, Nupur...those veggies are so pretty...I'm so lazy, borrowed the book from library for amigurumi...kept it return it with fine & still didn't made anything out of that....now that veggie basket is inspiring me again....What kinda a yarn did U used...cotton ? As for books I like to read cookbooks & craftbooks only :)

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    1. The yarn I used was scraps left over from many other projects- but it was mostly acrylic and wool blends, I don't think there was any cotton used in this project at all. I share your love for cookbooks and craft books!

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  37. Thanks for continuing to share the names of books you are reading! I read Appetite after you recommended it in one of your comments and I loved it.
    I'm reading Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In. 40 pages into the book I was already feeling empowered. Sheryl has sprinkled advice with anecdotes from her life and that makes it a must read for everyone. I also have "Stalking the Wild Asparagus" lined up, it is an interesting book for anyone who wants to know more about foraging.

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    1. You reminded me to put "Lean In" on my reading list. The foraging book sounds very interesting too. Thanks for sharing these books!

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  38. i finished the bllod of flowers by anita amirrezvani,i think u had suggested it sumtime back,in the end it was inspiring that even being a muslim woman in the 17th century she was able to stad on her two feet and empower others as well :)

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    1. I think someone may have mentioned this book in the comments because I haven't read it- sounds very interesting though!

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