Talking of Muskaan has been on my to-read list for a long time, and I finally bought it, read it and loved it. It was everything it promised to be – moving, relatable and real. Muskaan knows herself better than a lot of others her age. That does not make life easier for her; in fact, […]
The Emily Series
If I wanted to make friends with Anne Shirley, I was Emily. I deliberately use the italics Emily loves; Mr Carpenter isn’t here to censure! With a pang that borders on envy, I wonder, how could L.M. Montgomery create so many wonderful characters? Emily of New Moon tells the story of a sensitive young girl who cannot choose […]
The Anne of Green Gables Series
Pictureskew. Kindred spirits. The Lake of Shining Waters. Carrots! Rilla-my-Rilla. Puffed sleeves. The first time I read Anne of Green Gables, I felt the queer ache that Anne describes when she comes across something beautiful. Beauty that is intangible, almost unknowable. If I’d known the word ‘sublime’, I would have used it. Of course there were […]
Books and Travelling Go Together!
I’ve had a lot of work to do, so I’ve obviously been avoiding it by reading everything I can. I read a few old favourites, swallowing them whole as comfort reading as I postponed all the work that lay pending. I returned to Georgetter Heyer after a long time, rereading Venetia and These Old Shades … Ah, how I enjoyed […]
More Books – AFCC 2017
AFCC 2017 had a charming activity that was open to the public. Pick up a public programme and explore the book fair, programme in hand. As you visit each stall, get your book fair map stamped. If you’re among the first 20 to get all the stamps, you win a book voucher worth ten dollars! Walking through the […]
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece
As Gratiano didn’t quite say, I love this book, and ’tis my love that speaks. I loved the book, but I did have issues with it – issues that made shuffle uncomfortably. As I read My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, I think the first thing that startled me was the imagery that seems to compare Sunya […]
The Secret Hen House Theatre
It’s been such a long time since a book forced me to stay up and finish reading! I loved The Secret Hen House Theatre. It made me imagine. It got me excited. Yes, there were parts that were uneven, but how does it matter when you’re caught up in the emotion and excitement? I remember reading The […]
Picture Books for Winter Nights
I just finished reading a handful of picture books; they’re such a comfortable way to spend a winter evening! Chuckling, tucking your brain aside, reading and looking at pictures – what more could I possibly want? All Mine was my absolute favourite. Written by Zehra Hicks, it is a picture book that does have a moral, […]
Hetty Feather
Many, many years ago, a friend gave me The Suitcase Kid for my birthday. I devoured it — and did not understand it. I cannot explain that. I had never felt that way about a book before, and I have never felt that again. The chapters are arranged alphabetically, with each chapter starting with one letter. It was […]
Mr Oliver’s Diary
I enjoyed reading this review of Mr Oliver’s Diary written by Arwen Banerjee, one of the students of the Writers’ Club at St. Mary’s School. The theme of the month was school stories, and this review was a refreshing change from the ones on Malory Towers, St. Clare’s and others! Mr Oliver’s Diary: Review Arwen Banerjee Ruskin […]
How to Capture an Invisible Cat
Yes, I picked it up because of its name. No surprise there. Wouldn’t you pick up a book that seemed like a guidebook to capturing an invisible cat? I’m sure you don’t know how to do it, and who knows when you’ll need to? How to Capture an Invisible Cat was a funny book, one that was […]
You Can’t take an Elephant on the Bus
It’s Children’s Day; what better time to celebrate a picture book I loved? You Can’t take an Elephant on the Bus is one of the books in this year’s Reading Challenge collection, and I loved it! I enjoy picture books that rhyme. I also enjoy whacky books that don’t have a hidden agenda – to teach, preach, […]
The Boy with the Tiger’s Heart
The cover of The Boy with the Tiger’s Heart is one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen. When I picked up the book, I didn’t notice the tiger, and when I did, it took my breath away! My reading of the book was certainly influenced by how beautiful it was. Every time I closed the book […]
Reading Challenge at MIT Gurukul
Going back to a school at which I was once a teacher was a whole new experience for me! Despite all the reasons I quit, I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as I walked around the school. This time, I was not there an employee, but as an independent trainer from the British Council. Going to […]
Flickering Flames – A Review
Flickering Flames is a collection of short stories and poems written by the members of the Writers’ Club at St. Mary’s School. Here’s a little about it. Ishitaa Shevate, one of the students in the next batch of the Writers’ Club, reviewed the book: here’s what she has to say! This is a very nice book. It […]
The Great Cheese Robbery
Lots of books on my blog this week: that’s what happens when I do a workshop for the British Library’s Reading Challenge! The Great Cheese Robbery was a delightful picture book that brought back memories of Disney’s “Dumbo”. I remember the first time I watched “Dumbo” and saw the elephants shriek at the sight of a […]
The Paper Dolls
I love Julia Donaldson! I came across her work for the first time when I read and watched The Gruffalo’s Child. Then, I read Running on the Cracks – a completely different book for a completely different audience. And now, as part of the Record Breakers Reading Challenge, I read The Paper Dolls, first by myself and then […]
The Imagination Box
Isn’t the name wonderful? The Imagination Box is the story of a boy called Tim, who has convinced himself that all he needs in life are his pencil and paper (and some confectionery would do no harm). Recently adopted, he knows that all the papers have been signed, but cannot help thinking of his new home […]
The Boy in the Dress
I started reading The Boy in the Dress long ago and never ended up finishing it. I don’t know why. Maybe I was in no mood to deal with all the mucus in the second chapter. Or maybe I was just not in the right mood. I picked up the book again because I watched a “Britain’s Got Talent” […]
Shine
What a puzzling book Shine was! It leaves me all mixed up in terms of what I feel about it. It’s a page turner, that’s for sure. I began to read and just kept reading without ever stopping. Yet, there were just so many places when I groaned and felt it was too predictable. There were things […]