Skip to main content

Miles to go...

Exactly two years ago this blog was born - more so for my love of books and then of course gradually it went onto become my alter ego. While Memoirs of Me stood for all the good things of my life this one represented the bad things of my life. Needless to say both are immensely special to me and are my two kids that I have had.
 
The most wonderful feeling for a blogger is to have at least one genuine reader who is your worst critic and best appreciator. I would say I am very lucky to have found someone like that in Dumpling - my bestest friend ever. There has not been a single day when he has not written to me about my blogs, books or about what's more special to both of us - LIFE!
 
750 posts, 43k hits, 119 book reviews, 462 daily thoughts on living and loving, this blog surely has a long way to go ! I intended to write a letter to my blog as it's birthday gift but then today morning I woke up to see a beautiful letter in my inbox addressed to my blog celebrating it's birthday. I had to share it here for the sheer beauty it reflects as to how deeply he connects with me and my thoughts.
 
Source: Google Images

Dear Reviews and Musings,
 
Wish you a very happy birthday :) I am glad that you have completed your 2 years so happily :) All
the credits due to your author as well who has been updating you regularly and leaving no stones
unturned to make you more beautiful and better than yesterday.
 
Just two years back at the same time you have started your journey at the same time (approximately
after 9 months to your sister - Memoirs of Me). And you have turned out to really well and trust me
when I say you are reaching there. To be honest, there is no race but you will be best for yourself as
you are improving very fastly :).
 
Even though people gives more attention to your other sister than you, but I have realised that you are
truly simple and yourself than yours sister. Yours sister is also truly yourself but little crafty though.
But I really feel sad sometimes as world wants crafty or make-up rather than appreciating the
simplicity. She is trying hard and succeeded also in becoming so, but you should be happy at it rather
than being J ;). I can understand sometimes smaller sister gets J faster, but as your nature is I feel
that you would understand soon about it. But your trust have been phenomenal to your sister and your
author as well.

You have been rock solid in sharing your daily thoughts to us, reviews - books, blogs, etc., letting your author write something really simple - her true emotions, etc. Yours author is truly a big fan of yours and she can do anything to be in touch with you. She can’t stay without you two sisters at least I feel so ;). I have seen the changes in you since last 1.5 years almost. Trust me you have improved quite a lot.

Kudos to yours author as well to maintaining you and never letting us down. I wish you a long and
prosperous life with yours author. Like always keep teaching us and share yours precious thoughts. I
know she is not far away in becoming a “remarkable” author.
 
Source: Google Images
Last few lines to the author:
 
Dear privy trifles,
 
Wish you a happy blog anniversary. I hope you two stay together forever. I really appreciate the understanding and love you two have. Keep writing and spreading the happiness around :)
With lots of love, smiles and cute hugs,
Yours dumbest,
Dumpling
*-*-*-*
 
What better than having such a beautiful and inspiring letter on your birthday! This for me is one of the simple joys of life!
 

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review: Desiccated Land by David Lepeska

  ISBN: 978-9395481205  Genre: Non-fiction Publisher: Vishwakarma Publications  Bringing together his experiences as a journalist and a keen observer, David Lepeska writes a raw and gut-wrenching book on Kashmir. Part memoir, part travelogue, and part reportage, Desiccated Land is a page-turner.  The book starts by tracing the history of the region along with his own history, as a student who was dimly aware of the history of Kashmir and the turmoil it has been causing for centuries between India and Pakistan. Lepenska takes us to Nilamata Purana ( likely written in the 7th century ) which tells us the story leading to the birth of this region. He also shares an alternate possibility of the word being derived from a lake ‘Mira’ named after Vedic Sage Kashyapa.  His first visit to Kashmir closely followed by his second (and much longer) visit as a journalist working for the Kashmir Observer after the 9/11 attacks, make for an interesting read. Lepeska had questions, a lot of them. An

From there to here to where

From this blog in 2011 to Barnes and Noble website, my reviewing journey has been full of surprises.  I am working on an essay tracing it and realized that I started reviewing books in 2001 (Yes! I am old) for a small library next to my house. Needless to add, my payment was in the books. The library owner also happened to be the first person who taught me how to write a book review and what to focus on. And that is where I learned why reviews matter.  Cut to 2016 when my book review was taught in a Literary Criticism class held by British Library. A relative happened to attend that class and the news spread like wildfire in the family. That is the moment when my family knew this much more than just a hobby. 

Book Review: Never Mind Yaar by K Mathur

Introduction ·          ISBN - 978-0-473-17480-4 ·          Genre: Fiction ·          Publishers: Southpac Publishers ·          Price: Rs. 350/- ( I got this book from Blog Adda for a review ) The title is an attitude - our tendency to feel defeated by the scale and nature of certain problems. Rather than meet them head on, we circumvent them with a sigh and a consoling “never mind, yaar”. When long time friends Binaifer Desai and Louella D’Costa meet Shalini Dayal at Gyan Shakti College, a true friendship that transcends cultural and religious backgrounds is born. Louella is a Christian, Binaifer, a Parsi and Shalini, a Hindu. The novel’s main plotline surrounds Shalini who has fallen for an impetuous student activist, Bhagu. Where does his desire to help the less fortunate lead him? The challenges are many - Shalini’s tradition bound family, the couple’s youth and inexperience and the travails of life in Mumbai, a city the girls love but know, is fraug