tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28272524819006997812024-03-19T09:12:48.857+05:30Mixed Expressions- An assorted collection of random expressions of my life...Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.comBlogger256125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-55631207935270456812017-12-23T13:14:00.001+05:302017-12-23T13:18:06.088+05:30Few children books by Indian authors to try this holiday season<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="gmail-p1" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15px; text-align: justify;">
<span class="gmail-s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><b>“Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them. And it's much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the whole world!”</b></span></div>
<div class="gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span class="gmail-s2" style="color: #181818; font-kerning: none;"><b>― <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1221698.Neil_Gaiman" style="color: #1155cc;"><span class="gmail-s3" style="color: #333333; font-kerning: none;">Neil Gaiman</span></a></b></span></div>
<div class="gmail-p3" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span class="gmail-s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span class="gmail-s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Isn’t this so true? It’s the season of gifting and in case you haven't been able to figure out the best gift for the little ones in your family yet, try including some books. Of course, there is a different joy in receiving toys or chocolates as gifts but books have their own charm when it comes to gifting. Wondering which books to gift this holiday season? Well, there are many options to choose from, I suggest to try out based on the interest of your little one. While you must be knowing the popular titles on your own, here’re some Indian titles that I came across this year and quite liked these for my little one. I think these will make great gifts for children of different age groups.</span></div>
<div class="gmail-p3" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="gmail-p3" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">1. </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2Bn7G6X" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Boskys Panchatantra: </a></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span class="gmail-s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail-p3" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJx16qxcexIWpywe1dBnjkLMKg1pXP04Nq9om24bg8unDttk6SqxJaV2PvcVyUm0TkUVlRJuqWSytMy3AHHkKCXYvGHiJbVeAL_w37BIeZPTWthXIE4-4vM428QwhdLZ1vLWsjzlgkf0/s1600/85D99DE7-088A-4D37-A90C-DF1CCE62F645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJx16qxcexIWpywe1dBnjkLMKg1pXP04Nq9om24bg8unDttk6SqxJaV2PvcVyUm0TkUVlRJuqWSytMy3AHHkKCXYvGHiJbVeAL_w37BIeZPTWthXIE4-4vM428QwhdLZ1vLWsjzlgkf0/s320/85D99DE7-088A-4D37-A90C-DF1CCE62F645.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> <div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Now there is a Panchtantra by <b>Gulzar</b>, this I wasn’t even aware of :-). The intro of this book by the "Nanu"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"> Gulzar for his grandchild Samay is quite sweet. It’s a collection of some of the best-known stories from the Panchatantra and the first chapter is about the history of Panchatantra tales. This will make for a good read-aloud book for kids below 6 years age and self-reading for 6 to 10 ones. Definitely worth giving a try.</span><br />
<div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://amzn.to/2zkaiR6" target="_blank"><br /></a></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://amzn.to/2zkaiR6" target="_blank">2. Alone In The Forest: </a></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5wqPU4rla3l7Jn6E-uQS3YorDZRFHS-biGykUGF7j6OoUJ2aNRasP1h85qfU-ZAOybhjNrkhiQnvTYgNDldFWLl1CKenmErmYwmOzJTdnT6QPnYwYthhmLDVmrGW9J7E33JqjwETPWY/s1600/63C9AE59-A745-4388-8B50-2CE37A35CA5C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5wqPU4rla3l7Jn6E-uQS3YorDZRFHS-biGykUGF7j6OoUJ2aNRasP1h85qfU-ZAOybhjNrkhiQnvTYgNDldFWLl1CKenmErmYwmOzJTdnT6QPnYwYthhmLDVmrGW9J7E33JqjwETPWY/s320/63C9AE59-A745-4388-8B50-2CE37A35CA5C.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">A story of adventure and courage, this book pretty much presents the saying - </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: justify;">where there’s a will, there’s a way</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"> - in a story format. It’s about a young boy Musa, who sets off alone to collect wood from the forest near his home. During his journey, he loses his way. Would </span>he<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"> be able to reach his home back? You can read it to know more. What’s the best about this book? <b>The illustrations!</b> Absolutely stunning and very Indian, this book has been illustrated in the Gond form of art by the very famous Gond artist, <b>Bhajju Shyam</b>. My 6-year-old kept on looking at the pictures again and again and I think this will be a good read for 5 to 7 years old.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;">3. <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2zjlePa" target="_blank">The Magic Of The Lost Temple:</a></b> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDC9rjRp0_-m51w-zok3cVYwbU4CI7MCZG0B70yDrzJ7yRrI_v8rQlM4dmVFKwjcJKYcxmozt_1jIYUGLVTg8AhsBd8Qhk0kEHFuCpxDlSuPIGmHy9WYhfySZn3XCauO7q8cNDlf5Avjk/s1600/16883B87-A2BB-4762-8DDC-C733B510E54D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDC9rjRp0_-m51w-zok3cVYwbU4CI7MCZG0B70yDrzJ7yRrI_v8rQlM4dmVFKwjcJKYcxmozt_1jIYUGLVTg8AhsBd8Qhk0kEHFuCpxDlSuPIGmHy9WYhfySZn3XCauO7q8cNDlf5Avjk/s320/16883B87-A2BB-4762-8DDC-C733B510E54D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;">Were you a fan of <b>R. K. Narayan</b> books while growing up? If yes, chances are you might like the books by <b>Sudha Murty</b> too. At least to me, her stories remind me of books by R.K. Narayan - full of innocent anecdotes from regular day to day life. The Magic Of The Lost Temple is about Nooni, a city girl who is very surprised at the unexpected pace of life in her grandparent’s village in the state of Karnataka. Packed with many interesting twists and turns, this book not only makes a great read for kids but it’s worth giving a try for elders too. I had recently gifted this to few girls in the age bracket 8 to 11 years and all of them absolutely loved it.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;">4. <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2BVy09u" target="_blank">Mala’s Silver Anklets: </a></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnU9ZPEgn7aiuCbWnmAl2UWRa7EGOFe2ylN3L5E2rSaEPA1DptjFkDNSc955Kx2RqG5YR8tDoMzNshL494Cj9cCKKuTkBMpxoAuB0FKirsAw5PB-LRuMAwRNCH4qAy18ltEipDph_a84/s1600/545CEE2C-CD8C-4331-91CA-956C3FF78F2C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnU9ZPEgn7aiuCbWnmAl2UWRa7EGOFe2ylN3L5E2rSaEPA1DptjFkDNSc955Kx2RqG5YR8tDoMzNshL494Cj9cCKKuTkBMpxoAuB0FKirsAw5PB-LRuMAwRNCH4qAy18ltEipDph_a84/s320/545CEE2C-CD8C-4331-91CA-956C3FF78F2C.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;">Looking for something for younger kids below 5? You may give some of the titles from <b>Tulika Publishers</b> a try. They have many interesting titles and I recently came across Mala’s Silver Anklets by <b>Annie Besant.</b> Packed with gorgeous illustrations by <b>Nancy Raj,</b> this is a cute book about a naughty little girl Mala who tries to scare everyone in her family. What happens after she starts wearing an anklet? Read it to know more :-).</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
5. <b><a href="http://amzn.to/2pk3Ud7" target="_blank">Dhooli’s</a></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"><b><a href="http://amzn.to/2pk3Ud7" target="_blank"> Story, Air</a></b>: </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplyo-Uy1iKWZ8t1M24Ku9hepykL1XWDmKaN8zdFbkpJSAf4P7A4_gVvNpfDXY7Ubx4IJyy63SIpa0ehmrRYjE-cLKHSXNeHWNEoqup5PT1M16MGNzHw1Q0SsbXAg0D-9ty8lIKx4Tlfk/s1600/21BB447E-7EA2-463C-BE7B-4CB66B376618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplyo-Uy1iKWZ8t1M24Ku9hepykL1XWDmKaN8zdFbkpJSAf4P7A4_gVvNpfDXY7Ubx4IJyy63SIpa0ehmrRYjE-cLKHSXNeHWNEoqup5PT1M16MGNzHw1Q0SsbXAg0D-9ty8lIKx4Tlfk/s320/21BB447E-7EA2-463C-BE7B-4CB66B376618.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;">Would you like to give something around science but presented in story format? </span>Dhooli’s<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"> Story might be the answer for you. It’s about Dhooli, a tiny speck of dust, that flits and floats in the air with her friends, who flies past clouds and aeroplanes</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"> and ends up watching rainbows in the sky. This book focusses on air and at the end of the storybook, there are some interesting scientific facts about air and the layers of the atmosphere above us. This book by <b>Tulika Publishers</b> is one of the five books in the series, <b>First Look Science</b>, that was visualized by design students in a classroom project with <b>Srishti, Bengaluru</b>, other four are on - Space, Water, Earth and Earth’s Surface. It’s a good book for read-aloud for below 5-year</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica"; text-align: justify;"> old and self-reading for 5 to 8-year ones. The information on the last two pages of books can be actually useful for above 8 too.</span><br />
<div>
<br />
<div class="gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span class="gmail-s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Do give these books a try but as I always say, these are some of the books that the mommy me enjoyed reading with her little one. It may happen that your junior won’t like some or all the books from this list and that’s perfectly fine. Every child has his/her own preferences, let’s just respect their choices and read them what they want.</span></div>
<div class="gmail-p3" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;">
<span class="gmail-s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left;">
<span class="gmail-s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Before I go, one fun fact about me :-) - <b>I just love painting bookmarks</b>, you can see some of my hand-painted bookmarks <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kanupriyasindhu/" target="_blank">here</a>. When I gift someone books, I try to include these little hand-painted love along with those. I have been trying to encourage my little one also to do the same. So, this Christmas vacation me and my 6 year old created some Christmas-theme bookmarks for his friends. After making one or two, he got hooked on to these and made many on his own. Have a look at these easy and quick hand-painted bookmarks ideas, perhaps the junior at your end might enjoy doing these too. In case you liked <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/underthatguavatree/videos/1242393319195310/" target="_blank">this video</a></b>, feel free to share it with the mommies who are looking to creatively engage their little ones during vacation time.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
<div class="gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span class="gmail-s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span class="gmail-s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica";"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="476" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Funderthatguavatree%2Fvideos%2F1242393319195310%2F&show_text=0&width=476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="476"></iframe></span></span></span></div>
<div class="gmail-p3" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span class="gmail-s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></i></b></div>
<div class="gmail-p2" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span class="gmail-s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><b><i>Thank you for reading this post. Have a great holiday season and very happy 2018!<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-82793189422332753152017-11-12T19:20:00.003+05:302017-11-12T19:20:39.714+05:30Some children books to try out this November <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>“I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book.”</b><br />
<b>― J.K. Rowling</b><br />
<br />
So true, isn’t it? A good book is indeed like a magic and stories work for me like wonders whenever I have to explain something new or difficult to my little one. Children’s Day is round the corner and when one of my friends who manages a reading club asked me to recommend some books that she can read out to kids during her upcoming <i>Children's Day</i> event, it left me thinking. While I don’t think reading needs any special occasion and a good book can be read any day of the year but its good to notice that many events these days are focussing on building reading habits amongst kids. After some quick thinking, I decided to recommend her some books that are not preachy yet communicate some key values to children in a fun story format. So here goes a list of few of those books that me and my 5.5 year have loved reading together:<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2i6a4HO" target="_blank"><u>1.</u><span style="text-decoration-line: underline; white-space: pre;"> </span><u>Moana by Disney: </u></a></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUAcgLshry8m57QgJT9RE10jhfAZLSOFWKw5crXHXaiIVHGxzFMeSLsZvIibceB8asQNq0dThNN3oB513i8xTuFSoTixmIuT96yyAo71AkCHWBWYTeSLvsLluzcpL1Ds3_DsU9E0Oj8c/s1600/1A4943A7-FCAB-46E1-BCDE-09F0074FB949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUAcgLshry8m57QgJT9RE10jhfAZLSOFWKw5crXHXaiIVHGxzFMeSLsZvIibceB8asQNq0dThNN3oB513i8xTuFSoTixmIuT96yyAo71AkCHWBWYTeSLvsLluzcpL1Ds3_DsU9E0Oj8c/s320/1A4943A7-FCAB-46E1-BCDE-09F0074FB949.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
A wonderful <b>tale of courage and grit</b>, this is one book that’s surely going to attract the attention of little adventurers at our home. Its an ancient folklore about Princess Moana, a born navigator who sets sail in search of a fabled island. During her journey, she encounters lots of trouble but with her perseverance and courage, she finally ends up finding her destiny. Packed with beautiful graphics and a very entertaining story, this book is good for a read aloud session for below 6 years old as well as self reading by above 6 year ones.<br />
<b>Written by: Samantha Crockford</b><br />
<b>Illustrated by: Disney Storybook Artists</b><br />
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from <a href="http://amzn.to/2i6a4HO" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><u><a href="http://amzn.to/2i8wGYe" target="_blank">2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Brown Like Dosas, Samosas And Sticky Chikki by Fun Ok Please: </a></u></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDR0o4cUXlj6FKzEJ6VijI3BqBptL8cN8tuINdyzVRTafLNuSaJlyfvU5_JUCSdACErv_937U6NbtrVymk6L8dQoJroWkA3gSHuGhjym_i_KmfMj8wG6KEV6KO7LUHSymHSN7uGRP4ro/s1600/BrownLikeDosa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="550" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDR0o4cUXlj6FKzEJ6VijI3BqBptL8cN8tuINdyzVRTafLNuSaJlyfvU5_JUCSdACErv_937U6NbtrVymk6L8dQoJroWkA3gSHuGhjym_i_KmfMj8wG6KEV6KO7LUHSymHSN7uGRP4ro/s320/BrownLikeDosa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
A much needed book especially for a country like India where bias towards certain skin and complexion type has existed since ages. It’s a beautiful book that talks about <b>diversity and to be always proud of you, the way you are</b>. This book is about young Samaira who in a world biased towards the lighter skin tone, is happy and content with her brown skin and would not exchange it with whiter shade for anything. When I read it for the first time, I was amazed at the way such a sensitive topic has been communicated in such simple and fun story format.<br />
<b>Written by: Rebecca Manari</b><br />
<b>Illustrated by: Hetal Dattani Joshi</b><br />
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from <a href="http://amzn.to/2i8wGYe" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2hsTzIP" target="_blank"><b><u>3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Dot by RHUK</u></b>: </a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1XDzHD9PP8ofNiryHvSPiAoxGPOZvxrTCYWBiOQcSj-bhxwTYQepCAC4GH6ZwAZYtpQ8pAfUej1_IMwsd_9rqQnxcvANiTrYoU2uLhLS9noK9lbgHoC73-iKxPEZTefssmM0Yovw3LI/s1600/45F2EEDE-ED25-44FC-B483-78E56F5AA321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1XDzHD9PP8ofNiryHvSPiAoxGPOZvxrTCYWBiOQcSj-bhxwTYQepCAC4GH6ZwAZYtpQ8pAfUej1_IMwsd_9rqQnxcvANiTrYoU2uLhLS9noK9lbgHoC73-iKxPEZTefssmM0Yovw3LI/s320/45F2EEDE-ED25-44FC-B483-78E56F5AA321.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Simple and easy to read, this book is about <b>digital vs real life</b>, about playing outside, observing our environment instead of just being glued on to screens. Dot is a smart and intelligent girl who knows everything about swipe and virtual share but is so stuck with her electronic devices that she forgets what it is like being outdoors. Good for 3-6 years old, this book is full of gorgeous illustrations and revolves around a theme that’s very relevant for today’s time.<br />
<b>Written by: Randi Zuckerberg</b><br />
<b>Illustrated by: Joe Berger</b><br />
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from <a href="http://here./">here.</a><br />
<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b><u><a href="http://amzn.to/2jkRqiw" target="_blank">4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Hanuman’s Ramyana by Tulika Publishers: </a></u></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABDfh4uRJIlVGbq_ecpyVFzMc5kvb-JCZ5U2yIP1myJprJ9Rr8cDwR9GyUt1-8_cGQcih3Q9b_eqJ-daBjwOpkJC3Nt8RyCJ7UrHH11mqabHJHEjmkOJlRRHoW-5UgFsIzAlNG5YfhzQ/s1600/7645F739-102B-4A43-9B92-7E7233574A5C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABDfh4uRJIlVGbq_ecpyVFzMc5kvb-JCZ5U2yIP1myJprJ9Rr8cDwR9GyUt1-8_cGQcih3Q9b_eqJ-daBjwOpkJC3Nt8RyCJ7UrHH11mqabHJHEjmkOJlRRHoW-5UgFsIzAlNG5YfhzQ/s320/7645F739-102B-4A43-9B92-7E7233574A5C.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
In a world that’s obsessed with self, it’s a book that tells you to <b>listen and respect others perspectives too</b>. Same story can be communicated by different people in different ways but what’s more important is that a good story should be told to everyone irrespective of who has written it or how has it been written - that’s what Hanuman’s Ramayana focusses on. Full of gorgeous Madhubani style of illustrations, this is a great read for 5 - 8 year old.<br />
<b>Written by: Devdutt Pattanik </b><br />
<b>Illustrated by: Nancy Raj </b><br />
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from <a href="http://amzn.to/2jkRqiw" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2jkRqiw" target="_blank"><b><u>5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Penguin:</u></b> </a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7pRh5S4PwShDHuKlvxZbP7XpLspuRwfr7ZlSnyDLzxZBOkTpIDQFtwmMJkXh7SxI3SodY-xNqZHgmSsvojlg51HERdCtq4fCSXvjLf0lFGHFH03W_WWe57xQ94QACQgjah5t_-F-eEM/s1600/824B5183-C2BE-4EE1-ADEF-BA917ED74FE1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1600" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7pRh5S4PwShDHuKlvxZbP7XpLspuRwfr7ZlSnyDLzxZBOkTpIDQFtwmMJkXh7SxI3SodY-xNqZHgmSsvojlg51HERdCtq4fCSXvjLf0lFGHFH03W_WWe57xQ94QACQgjah5t_-F-eEM/s320/824B5183-C2BE-4EE1-ADEF-BA917ED74FE1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
A book loved by generations of kids and adults for its fun yet informative values. For me, when my son was younger all I had to do was remind him of the stomach ache that the caterpillar had after eating junk food :-). A picture book with holes (now who hasn’t poked his/her finger in those holes ;)), it’s a book that can be used for multiple purposes - from an entertaining story, to information about stages of a butterfly, from explaining weekdays and numbers to <b>healthy eating habits</b>, I am yet to meet a child who hasn’t liked this book.<br />
<b>Written by: Eric Carle</b><br />
<b>Illustrated by: Eric Carle</b><br />
Rent it out from your nearest library or buy it online from <a href="http://amzn.to/2jkRqiw" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
So, what are your all time favorite reads that are entertaining and enlightening at the same time? This is such a vast topic that any post with 5 to 10 book recommendations can’t do justice to it. There are hundreds of good books out there and I just wish, may our generation of kids continue the habit of reading regularly.<br />
<br />
As I always say, these are some of the books that the mommy me enjoyed reading with her little one. It may happen that your junior won’t like some or all the books from this list and that’s perfectly fine. Every child has his/her own preferences, let’s just respect their choices and read them what they want.<br />
<br />
Thank you for reading :-)</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-22264703854645792922017-10-16T23:34:00.002+05:302017-10-16T23:45:30.022+05:30Children Books to read this Diwali<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuJ6jamBUsDo0qxa0HvtagQHlWBMkBDKeXKaRftbYymnvJhks0js119iH_rTt-KPfvxN7v02prTKu3RegzP8dh9klKdq2QX47c3O4gVHys8VZcxbH6s9VeCroo0gW96hU2ec4ZA2pu0Q/s1600/E0CCA131-9A6C-4157-8D2F-705E6FA1E364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuJ6jamBUsDo0qxa0HvtagQHlWBMkBDKeXKaRftbYymnvJhks0js119iH_rTt-KPfvxN7v02prTKu3RegzP8dh9klKdq2QX47c3O4gVHys8VZcxbH6s9VeCroo0gW96hU2ec4ZA2pu0Q/s400/E0CCA131-9A6C-4157-8D2F-705E6FA1E364.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Holiday time means story time, isn’t it? While any book that your little one enjoys reading is good for holidays but it’s occasion like Diwali or Dusshera that add a special charm towards reading mythology and folklore. It’s always good to let our children know the ‘whys’ & ‘hows’ of our festivals and thankfully we have many good books now that focus on festivals centric theme and content.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Recently I got to explore some very interesting books around Diwali and Ramayana. Some of these I loved, whereas some I thought were too verbose or heavy for kids. Listing down few of my favorites here that you can try reading to your title one this holiday season. These are not necessarily the best children books explaining the concept of Diwali, I am sure there are many more interesting books to explore but these books definitely attracted mine and my little one’s attention both in terms of story as well as visual content.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://amzn.to/2xJsCr7" target="_blank"><br /></a></b></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>1. <a href="http://amzn.to/2xJsSpZ" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Amma, Tell Me About Diwali by Bhakti Mathur:</span></a></b></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwqlJH6rrNnP23xMb12GiHrz6kDhSf0zLhVGAL7nqzGPRM2bz2u0qjUExiPXhUoTbNkyRhSdl8koNdfymy-hGn6sMS8f8-k8A8A5US3ZwyzTWYHArUtq0liT6WX180YHvWG6SUB-ngSLg/s1600/7DA4EAC1-B3B8-4CEC-838A-BB4D4A43CC97.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwqlJH6rrNnP23xMb12GiHrz6kDhSf0zLhVGAL7nqzGPRM2bz2u0qjUExiPXhUoTbNkyRhSdl8koNdfymy-hGn6sMS8f8-k8A8A5US3ZwyzTWYHArUtq0liT6WX180YHvWG6SUB-ngSLg/s320/7DA4EAC1-B3B8-4CEC-838A-BB4D4A43CC97.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I love this Amma series by Bhakti Mathur, very informative and entertaining at the same time. Like other books in this series, even in this one Amma is telling the story behind the festival to her son Klaka. The book as the name suggests focusses on how we celebrate Diwali, the history behind it, Raavana’s killing, Rama’s return to Ayodhya and how people welcome their beloved king by lighting up the whole city with diyas. Not just mythology, this book also tells a new story about a seamstress and how it’s not just the flashy lights or rituals that matter on Diwali but the real blessings come to who do their work honestly and sincerely. Packed with super cute illustrations by Maulshree Somani, this book is a sure shot hit with children of younger age group.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>2. <a href="http://amzn.to/2gIz2w2" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Hanuman’s Ramayan by Devdutt Pattanaik:</span></a></u></b><span style="color: red;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOKSMF8pyRmxFFos3yA_7CftwACJ6LmuhBN-UB8N0REDXSLo-vxgr_yXvv71RZSVyX2JkxOPUn3LRNZWpJCFtNpXboswSx01hFzrg88_7j-bLmx2Yb7h5t3buWtwv-x02deI83PCCPT8/s1600/AF2A692D-FDC2-4AC6-B5DB-5DA10F37004D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOKSMF8pyRmxFFos3yA_7CftwACJ6LmuhBN-UB8N0REDXSLo-vxgr_yXvv71RZSVyX2JkxOPUn3LRNZWpJCFtNpXboswSx01hFzrg88_7j-bLmx2Yb7h5t3buWtwv-x02deI83PCCPT8/s320/AF2A692D-FDC2-4AC6-B5DB-5DA10F37004D.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">We all have heard of Valmiki’s Ramyana, has anyone heard of Hanuman’s Ramayana? No? You may like to check this one out. A story that highlights the selfless love of Hanuman for Rama and communicates a beautiful message at the end about importance of a good story reaching to all irrespective of who is telling it. Easy to read along with gorgeous illustrations by Nancy Raj, this book is definitely a must read for all. My 5 year old loves the character of Hanuman and he loved this book too.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">3. <a href="http://amzn.to/2ggxDMK" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: red;">Ramayana for Children by Arshia Sattar: </span></b></a></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SF-CLz2Sn2mgKIVYvbcldUWnD_Kc95PePQ2EO3atiCFNNap8BvDy6aDopJGTaAWZdCZkVOg6Aqbej1ZEl2uvBpz0wUuBoAe1ZuUpxlax6AYy2ZYEraPSi1f6gn5PNtVsmycPCdKV1ew/s1600/664B3018-C1E7-40E3-A150-F45FC2C1795E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SF-CLz2Sn2mgKIVYvbcldUWnD_Kc95PePQ2EO3atiCFNNap8BvDy6aDopJGTaAWZdCZkVOg6Aqbej1ZEl2uvBpz0wUuBoAe1ZuUpxlax6AYy2ZYEraPSi1f6gn5PNtVsmycPCdKV1ew/s320/664B3018-C1E7-40E3-A150-F45FC2C1795E.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">While there are many comic books and stories for younger kids, this one might suit the interest of elder ones too. Based on the original Sanskrit text by Valmiki, this book by Arshia Sattar is an excellent read for children and grown ups looking to go through Ramayan in detail. Someone asked me recently if it has only texts? No, while it’s a text rich book, it also has some eye catchy images in between.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">4.</span><span style="color: red; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> <b><u><a href="http://amzn.to/2goajQO" target="_blank">Tell Me About Festivals of India by Anurag Mehta:</a></u></b> </span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqaxG2kjQU9MjXmJiDnQ2VljGLyQZEIQLWx0GLktxrA6AA4i2N2VFxwqHAXayBuYVcr6IW661G5BJWtSvfbgZBZABfag4vXGvZd2p6aDasLR9fefVB_ZkV7qNh7wbNiQ62wgs3Dvl368/s1600/1F2192AB-B27A-4FFD-A81E-466B6155C10A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqaxG2kjQU9MjXmJiDnQ2VljGLyQZEIQLWx0GLktxrA6AA4i2N2VFxwqHAXayBuYVcr6IW661G5BJWtSvfbgZBZABfag4vXGvZd2p6aDasLR9fefVB_ZkV7qNh7wbNiQ62wgs3Dvl368/s320/1F2192AB-B27A-4FFD-A81E-466B6155C10A.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If there is one book that covers the importance of different festivals in India in detailed way, it’s this book. From Lohri to Christmas to Eid to Diwali, it has it all. Even for Diwali, while most of the books focus on the story of Rama and Raavana, this one also explains the concept of Dhanteras, Narak Chaturdashi, Diwali, Bhai Dooj and Govardhan Puja. Written in simple language, it’s a book that grown up kids can read on their own while little ones can enjoy it in a read aloud session.</span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>5. <a href="http://amzn.to/2xJsCr7" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Rama by Anant Pai</span></a></u></b><span style="color: red;">: </span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTPuBgWVG0U64l2wxgH493PX4TfQuWGPSOaKKQeVLhUu1A-D625RBAIZuOOlVo5McNlEKGvKIrj8ZcZoUzM2bWF3Uc9Jpo9cu83si2rF8FWJbW7sOh6GGYHApr2fn6uy01gQKNbIKO0E/s1600/5175F2B8-3AEC-403D-A94E-1A12B363BC50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTPuBgWVG0U64l2wxgH493PX4TfQuWGPSOaKKQeVLhUu1A-D625RBAIZuOOlVo5McNlEKGvKIrj8ZcZoUzM2bWF3Uc9Jpo9cu83si2rF8FWJbW7sOh6GGYHApr2fn6uy01gQKNbIKO0E/s320/5175F2B8-3AEC-403D-A94E-1A12B363BC50.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">How can a book list that revolves around mythology and Ramayana end without a mention of Amar Chitra Katha? The publication that has enriched generations with amazing content and engaging stories, stories that I have grown up reading and love to retell to my son. Yet another interesting book from ACK house, this one covers Rama’s exile, Sita’s kidnapping and finally victory of Rama over Raavana.</span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">While I found these Diwali / Ramayana theme books to be interesting, it may happen that your child won’t like some or all books from this list at all. Every child’s preferences are different and when it comes to reading, I personally believe in respecting the child’s preferences so that his/her interesting towards reading remains intact.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So what are you reading to your little ones this holiday season? Any other interesting book that you would like to share with us? Do let us know in the comments section below.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><span class="s1"></span><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}
p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 13.0px}
span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
</style>
</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Wish you all a very happy Diwali! May the festival bring joy and prosperity to your lives :-)</b></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>*For more updates on children books, you may follow my Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/underthatguavatree" target="_blank">Under That Guava Tree. </a> All pictures copyright by <complete id="goog_1864860227">@UnderThatGuavaTree</complete></i></span></span></div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-45533441188035024242017-06-08T12:04:00.000+05:302017-06-08T12:05:03.186+05:30Fiction or Non Fiction?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboANlO3BNywErbhdLFoOiIOcP9bS2p_wj80BD6gyx4o-zqWtznawKW7XqDfE4DqMJAkcU90xHJYhDangyAoCEH98wu9jGMvrPlzYVdCKC3j19fvWMH9ph-AQiQBHh6u4RYJhOkS0e3NY/s1600/KanupriyaSindhu_Books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgboANlO3BNywErbhdLFoOiIOcP9bS2p_wj80BD6gyx4o-zqWtznawKW7XqDfE4DqMJAkcU90xHJYhDangyAoCEH98wu9jGMvrPlzYVdCKC3j19fvWMH9ph-AQiQBHh6u4RYJhOkS0e3NY/s640/KanupriyaSindhu_Books.png" width="256" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Speaking of books or reading, one question that I often get
asked is - do you still read fiction? On replying yes, the next question
generally would be - how do you find time to read fiction or why do you read
fiction? The answer is pretty simple - I read fiction because I like it. I read
fiction because there is nothing more enriching than a good story. I read
fiction because:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Fiction reveals truth
that reality obscures - Ralph Waldo Emerson<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But isn't non-fiction a wiser choice? Isn't non-fiction
better for knowledge? When we have such limited time available now, shouldn't
we give priority to learning? Oh yes absolutely, non fictions are great, I love
them too. I generally alternate between reading a fiction and non-fiction book,
I totally agree that non-fictions are powerhouses for knowledge but are they
better? Are non-fictions the only source of learning? I am not so sure. Seriously,
neither the reader-me nor the working-professional-me can decide which one is
better? It's like asking whether:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Imagination is better than Knowledge?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Empathy is better than Experience?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Creativity is better than Structure?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Cognition is better than Intelligence?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Storytelling is better than Research?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Can you decide which one is better for you? I definitely can
not. <b>Be it empathy or intelligence - at least I need both to survive in my
professional as well as personal life.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As per me, all these skills are important, the degree of
importance may vary depending upon your profession or your life stage but there
is no science or arts that can prove that one genre of book is better than the other
for mental growth or which type of book one should prioritize to utilize the
reading time more prudently. <b>A good book is a good book, it doesn't matter
whether fiction or non-fiction.</b> <i>I have at times learnt a great deal about
empathy by being able to relate to a fictional character and at times have been
amazed by the insights that I could gain by going through a good biography</i>. So,
instead of worrying too much on what kind of books to read, I would say - just
read a good, of any genre that you enjoy reading. It's much better than the
skimp reading we do on internet mindlessly throughout the day :-). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Still need
some logical proof? Check out this post on how a <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201401/reading-fiction-improves-brain-connectivity-and-function">fiction
can improve your brain connectivity</a> or this video on how <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqMozc4K4pg&t=121s">a good biography
can influence your personality</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
What did I read recently? Quite many interesting books but
the two books from my recent reading list that I liked a lot are:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Non-fiction</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.in/Start-Why-Leaders-Inspire-Everyone/dp/0241958229/" target="_blank">Start With Why by Simon Sinek</a>. I have been a
great fan of Simon Sinek's TED Talks and hence I picked up this book on impulse.
I am glad I picked it up. While you may think its a leadership book but it's a
great read for almost any professional at any career stage, be it marketing,
product, design or business development. It encourages you to put
"why" before "how" and "what" - something that
many of us lack in our regular approach. If we know the "why", many things
start falling in place automatically.</li>
<li><b>Fiction</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.in/Rise-Kali-Duryodhanas-Mahabharata-Ajaya/dp/9381576041/" target="_blank">Rise of Kali by Anand Neelakantan</a>: Very
interestingly even this one answers and addresses many "why"s of
Mahabharata. This book narrates the story from Duryodhan's point of view and
gives you amazing insights on the reasons behind actions of the vanquished. In
case you liked Asura by this author, I think you are going to love this one
too. Oh by the way, on my last <a href="https://medium.com/@kanupriyasindhu/bringing-old-ways-of-reading-back-to-life-8d27c4f97d51" target="_blank">fiction reco for "Remains of the day byKazuo Ishiguro"</a>, I was being asked by a friend if he can read it or is too
"womanish". Lol, I seriously don't know what would be the parameter
to define a too womanish read but Kazuo Ishiguro books are readers' delight, be
it a man or a woman reader. If this helps, Rise of Kali is all about
Duryodhana's side of story and presents insights like "manipulation"
and "influence" in a story format. Hope this helps :-)</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwhWAWYjNx2DE1bZoHh8csRdfpR-m_NMxsuBaq1wf_MCi856AaJtm97Wjeuq4GmSn8fBVvZqCXy8xccF7H3tqli3xw87zj-pGxjnPbIzxHhsUoZzyJkRvxIX-I1YjzlfhAl5wwGpUaBs/s1600/SimonSinek_AnandNeelkantan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwhWAWYjNx2DE1bZoHh8csRdfpR-m_NMxsuBaq1wf_MCi856AaJtm97Wjeuq4GmSn8fBVvZqCXy8xccF7H3tqli3xw87zj-pGxjnPbIzxHhsUoZzyJkRvxIX-I1YjzlfhAl5wwGpUaBs/s400/SimonSinek_AnandNeelkantan.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
These days, I am trying to read on user psychology. So, if
you have any great recommendation for me, please drop it in the comment section
below.</div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-57819852601108341012017-05-24T13:25:00.000+05:302017-05-24T13:51:20.451+05:30Bringing old ways of reading back to life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
From being a voracious reader to a reading enthusiast - that's how my reading habit got changed when I started working and entered into other phases of personal life. For last two years, despite all my sincere intent to read more, at best I could manage to read only 12-14 books an year. This was lot less than what I used to read earlier. So, when I ended up reading 19 books in last one month, I was quite pleasantly surprised with myself. At least there is something good out of this hospitalization and being-on-bed phase of life, I am getting time to read and paint more. See, I am trying to look at the positive side of any situation :). No, I mean it in all seriousness; first month on bed was too painful with surgery, stitches, fractures and what-nots. To add to that, weird thoughts kept on floating in my mind throughout. So, after few weeks when my hands got freed from stitches, the first thing I did was, picked up a book. One book after another and soon enough I was engrossed in reading like earlier. It only added to the reading charm that not only I was getting to read the books that I wanted to read but I also got some amazing books as gifts from friends. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But I am all free these days, so what's the big deal about reading 19 or any number of books? Well, it's not the number or the titles of the books but the way I am reading that makes me think more on my current reading habits. You know the kind of reading that we used to do earlier, engrossed in words, lost amidst the pages, the kind of reading that brings you calm and cognitive stimulation, the kind of reading that you do mindfully. My recent readings have been all of that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So, what did change this time?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>If I have to say it in one word<b>, it's the internet</b> - <b>I had very limited access to internet most of these days. When I was reading I was ONLY reading.</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Few other things that worked for me in bringing back the good old habit of mindful reading were:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Reading books only, no other format of reading at all</b> - no ipad, no mobile and no laptop, only physical books and kindle. This works like anything, with no on-screen distractions or notifications that you get on other devices, not only you get to read substantially, your retention power also gets much better. I am not against ebooks or audio books but you know reading a physical book has many virtues of its own - the most important one being attentiveness - a skill that's a rarity in today's age of non-stop distractions.</li>
<li><b>Reading more than one book at a time</b>. I am generally one of those who finish whatever I pick up, even if I hate it and I am also one of those who like to be lost in the world of only one story, one plot at a time. But then in today's world where you have many digital impulses available on your fingertip to distract you the moment you get bored of any book, it makes sense to keep another book handy. I was switching between one fiction and one non-fiction at a time and it worked. I also left 2 books mid way as I thought it was not worth spending time on something that I was not enjoying at all. Also, stacking up some good books to be read next acts as lucrative incentive to finish your current read and be glued on to reading. I for sure had a good stack lined up, thanks to the friends who sent me books to keep me occupied in this bed ridden phase.</li>
<li><b>Cutting down on junk reads</b>: So, whenever people speak of diminishing reading habits, I actually wonder if we are really reading less these days. On the contrary, with 24x7 connectivity, I think most of us are reading a lot more now, consuming anything and everything that flashes on our screen - from tweets to blogs to news in shorts, there is just excess of content available to us all the time. You open Facebook and you realize your 20 mins are gone watching those DIY videos or reading others' posts. With time, I have become cognitive of my online reading behavior and it has helped me quite a lot in cutting down junk content consumption.</li>
<li><b>Dedicated reading time</b>. What I have lot more right now is time but what I mean here is "dedicated reading time" - the time that I use for reading only. This I used to practice earlier too, in between work and child I used to find it very difficult to find uninterrupted reading time in my day to day life. As a habit I used to get up half an hour earlier than my family and spend that time reading in total peace. Currently I have many more such dedicated 30-minute slots with me that I am using for books only. I am aware that I will not have this much time after few months, but even if I can increase my dedicated slot to twice a day instead of once a day, or maybe for 60 mins instead of 30 mins on weekends, I will be happy that I got to form a habit that will be bringing me closer to books. Do think about your dedicated reading slot - the time that you choose to give priority to books over that office email or that whatsapp notification, both in most of the cases can actually wait for 30 minutes.</li>
<li>And last one, <b>reading all the time</b> - on bed, in hospital, while waiting for doctors, I carried books everywhere. But I used to carry books earlier too? Well, then I used to carry mobile too :). Currently with my mouth all wired up due to maxillofacial fractures, I could hardly talk and my mobile phone was mostly not with me. So even when there is 10 minutes of waiting time, the default behavior is to browse the book and not the mobile :). Will it work during my regular life too? No idea, but I am surely going to give it a try - to swap the impulse of hitting the home screen with flipping a book page as and when possible.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Books and mindful reading have many benefits and I am sure I don't need to tell you any of that. It's surely worth a try to bring back the old ways of reading in our lives. It's good for our overall wellbeing - emotional as well as intellectual.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In case you would like to watch some interesting talks on reading, do check out this TED talk by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ibCtsHgz3Y&t=7s" target="_blank">Lisa Bu.</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Wondering what to read next? Well, there are many recommendations and curated lists available online. Pick one as per your taste and preferences. Currently I am eyeing this 2017 Summer Reading list from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNfsLMDcGZ8" target="_blank">GatesNotes</a>. I read 3 from his last year list and loved them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
What did I read in last 1 month? Fiction, Non-Fiction and Biographies and if I have to name 2 of my favorites out of the recent 19 reads, it will be these two -</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Non-Fiction: Hooked by Nir Eyal</b></li>
<li><b>Fiction: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPvCX1tPJ83vzjg8gLmDx9yiikUyBOnXW4N1cNrtcLEJL20aLruHb4rHaoHNONHnsg3SqETocC-pF7-x9zg09sKqEvk6JBx7rr9Vfa4Zte1m-eCnwmtuH9ptRJcB37DO1vLETGL1kXis/s1600/KanupriyaSindhu.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPvCX1tPJ83vzjg8gLmDx9yiikUyBOnXW4N1cNrtcLEJL20aLruHb4rHaoHNONHnsg3SqETocC-pF7-x9zg09sKqEvk6JBx7rr9Vfa4Zte1m-eCnwmtuH9ptRJcB37DO1vLETGL1kXis/s400/KanupriyaSindhu.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
What are the things that help you to read more? Would love to hear it from you. And in case you have a must-read recommendation for me, do drop it in the comment section below. </div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-83453973820383851142017-05-04T14:54:00.000+05:302017-05-04T14:55:16.626+05:30Raising little readers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTVH2dvOvd_g8zsLEhMfpP5aBEaZh5lqOmR2eswko29Y0UdZcsRqtHUoePQKrVLaA02XZuFoEorV6SvgN_R4As_6Uhzampq4EXvCImeqMmL4DakOJynoMgV5ivUiorrvPUc1tam_l05M/s1600/RaisingLittleReaders_May2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTVH2dvOvd_g8zsLEhMfpP5aBEaZh5lqOmR2eswko29Y0UdZcsRqtHUoePQKrVLaA02XZuFoEorV6SvgN_R4As_6Uhzampq4EXvCImeqMmL4DakOJynoMgV5ivUiorrvPUc1tam_l05M/s400/RaisingLittleReaders_May2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raising Little Readers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You love books, you have books all over your house, you
always wanted your little one to be fond of books, you have ensured to buy
sufficient books for her, you have even taken up a library membership as well
as the monthly book box subscription for him but still your little one is not
as passionate for reading as you would want him to be? You have to remind her
to read and it doesn't come naturally to her. He was actually very fond of
books when younger but as he grew up, he lost interest in books?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In this gadget filled world where your little one has option
to hop from one screen to another throughout the day, it's difficult to keep
their interest alive in printed books. As against earlier, they have multiple
options now to entertain themselves and unless reading as a habit has been
inculcated in them since very early years, it might get challenging with time
to keep their reading interest intact.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mine is just 5 as of now and even though I have been reading
to him since very early days, I can tell you with my practical experience that
it's not easy to keep up with this habit always. He loves books but of course
there are days when he will insist to watch videos during bedtime as against
story books and you have to keep telling him no or make the story time so
interesting that he forgets the videos. Like many aspects of parenting,
patience and persistence works when it comes to raising little readers too. Sharing
few tips here that has worked for me so far as far as junior's reading interest
is concerned, not sure if these will continue to work when he grows up, but the
mommy-me sincerely hopes that this habit becomes a life long habit for him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Start
Early</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">: I mean really early. There is no lower age limit as to when a child
can get acquainted with books. You know we all give in to the temptation of showing
the child videos on mobile or tab while feeding. Instead try colorful board
books, give it to the child to play and see. Starting early works, for sure!</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Read
Aloud</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">: Grab their attention, help them with their language skills, make
them a good listener - reading aloud has many benefits to kids but one of the
biggest benefits as per me is it helps them concentrate and focus, skills that
are rarity in this screen dominated age. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Make It
Fun:</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Get into the character, add a bit of drama, enact the story (come on, we
all moms and dads have an actor hidden inside us :)) or plan some fun
activities around the books that you are reading. The more fun you will make
your reading sessions, the more engaged the child will be.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Read It Together</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">: Cuddle & snuggle and bond over books. This I tell to many
who assume that buying good books will naturally lead to interest generation
for reading in their kids. Definitely not possible in today's time when kids
have so many other multimedia richer choices available at a click. Make it a
habit to read it together and you never know what beautiful reading memories you will be creating for your child.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Read
regularly</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">: Even if it's just for 20 minutes but read daily. Set aside a
time for reading to your kids, it could be evening or bedtime but do ensure to
follow this regularly. Once you will be regular, you will yourself observe that
with time your little one will pick it up as a habit too. Remember, reading is
not just a weekend or holiday activity.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Don't
bribe: </b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">If you will offer bribes like pizza-if-you-finish-that-book, reading
will always end up to be an activity done only for rewards. We all end up doing
it for some or other activities (in my case, it's his eating where I had done
this mistake of rewarding), just refrain it for reading in case you want it to
be a life long habit. Instead try to make it fun and yes, patience pays. Keep
at it.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Read what
he /she loves</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">: I know we all avid reader moms & dads have some choices
of their own, the books that we think will be good for our kids. But let's not
force our choices on them as times have changed and so have preferences of our
kids. For almost a month, my son insisted me to read him "Wolverine Vs
Sabretooth" story book during bedtime daily. I mean daily! The mommy in me
used to wonder why such action packed story at bedtime. But then that's the
only book my son was very fond of at that particular time. I gave in to his
choices and kept reading him whatever he wanted. Thanks to Wolverine and
Avengers, I must say that reading got established as a bedtime ritual on its
own quite easily. Do I remember reading anything like Wolverine while I was growing
up? Of course nah :D</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hope these suggestions work for you. In case you have any other interesting tip, do drop it in the comment section below.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you liked this post from a book-loving mommy, feel free to share it and for more succh posts follow my children books page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/underthatguavatree/" target="_blank">@undertheguavatree</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">- The Mommy who got all her reading skills by spending her childhood under a guava tree with books :)</span></div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-57896551560978799922017-04-28T15:29:00.000+05:302017-04-28T15:29:39.693+05:30Bawra Mann<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bawra Mann Dekhne
Chala Ek Sapna</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bawre Se Mann Ke
Dekho Bawri Hai Baatein</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I can listen to this song in loop
forever and still not get bored of it. I am so much in love with it. Beautiful
words sung so beautifully by <i>Swanand Kirkire</i> and something that I totally
relate to.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The <a href="https://medium.com/@kanupriyasindhu/fear-7e7144b3c5c6" target="_blank"><b>current phase of my life</b></a>
is...ummm let's just simply say - confusing. I don't know of anything that lies
ahead. Planning anyways has never worked for me, but this phase is uncertain
beyond comprehension.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I try to seek answers or tame my
wandering mind but all in vain. After multiple such trials, I have decided to
give up and let the mind wander wherever it wants. <b>After all human minds are
supposed to be wanderers, dreamers, crazy and bawra :).</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Where is my mind wandering right
now? I don't know :)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What does my wandering mind want to
do? I don't know :)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Can I express the random musings of
my wandering mind in words? I don't know :)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For now, I only know that it's in a
restless state, trying to seek answers and figuring out what next.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For now, I
only know that it has random musings and abstract expressions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Shall I try to give some shape to those
expressions? I don't know :)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When it comes to expressing, ever
since my childhood, I have found a notebook-pen or canvas-brush to be an easier
tool of expression than anything else.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Considering the same, <b>"Bawra
Mann" is just another random beginning to capture the randomness of a
wandering mind either textually or visually.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But it's been 15+ years that I have been blogging, then why a facebook page now? I don't know :)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">How long will I continue it? I don't
know :)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For now, all I know is<b> - Bawra Mann Dekhne Chala
Ek Sapna :)</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To be updated on Baawri Baatein of a
Bawra Mann, please like my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bawraamann/" target="_blank">facebook page here</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speaking of my fascination for visuals and my current state of life where I am all vella lying on bed for months now (why? read it <b><a href="https://medium.com/@kanupriyasindhu/fear-7e7144b3c5c6" target="_blank">here</a>)</b>, I am quite liking instagram and pinterest. I have been using both these apps for long now but its only recently that I have become actively engaged at both these places. In case anything beautiful attracts your eyes too, connect with me on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kanupriyasindhu/" target="_blank"><b>Instagram</b></a> and <b><a href="https://in.pinterest.com/kanupriyasindhu/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></b> <b>@kanupriyasindhu</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-4342086837148996452017-01-01T20:33:00.001+05:302017-01-01T21:44:00.860+05:30New Year Reflections<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvUr-K2vtc5asPVF8SJC3ynmdPfmMSnnjhbMcO-rwSd9eGOeGnPxsOCuyPW66vMI_OYzVWd52zFP-NvcIMws6VjFfasP-kh0iK-RWQZz4l5m7IkIkFAmhFzGHdqXQ0ecSQLRDSr744AQ/s1600/IMG_0242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvUr-K2vtc5asPVF8SJC3ynmdPfmMSnnjhbMcO-rwSd9eGOeGnPxsOCuyPW66vMI_OYzVWd52zFP-NvcIMws6VjFfasP-kh0iK-RWQZz4l5m7IkIkFAmhFzGHdqXQ0ecSQLRDSr744AQ/s400/IMG_0242.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
End of previous year & beginning of a new year... this joy & celebration & enthusiasm to
welcome the year. While I join the celebration and enjoy the fun, I also end up
wondering why? Why this zeal to welcome a new date? Why this eagerness to greet
this day? After all, isn't it just another calendar date? Why to make new
resolutions only on first of January? Would it make any difference if new
resolutions were to be made on first of March? Why this keenness to start
things today and not on any other day of the year? Is a calendar date really
that important to start something afresh? A beginning can be anytime, anyday,
any moment, why this strong urge for the beginning today?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
While I sit back and reflect, I
realize once again that it's not the rational or logic that can give answers to
every why of ours. Perhaps for certain things, it's just good to rely on our
belief and have that faith - faith on new beginnings, faith on magic of those
beginnings. Somehow the magic of beginnings always remind me of these beautiful
lines by Meister Eckhart:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 24pt; letter-spacing: -0.75pt;"><b>“And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust in the magic of
beginnings.” <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: justify;">
So, cheers to yet
another beautiful beginning, yet another new year and let's hope this new year
proves to be as magical for all of us as we are hoping it to be today.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: justify;">
Happy New Year to You
& Yours from Me & Mine :)<span style="letter-spacing: -0.75pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-84964653006859566612016-12-28T12:30:00.001+05:302016-12-31T08:45:15.802+05:30MOANA - Books to read to your children this winter vacation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Winters, Christmas, New Year & Holidays - now can there
be any better time to laze around in sun curled up with a good book? And since
this is a vacation time where many are traveling outside, how about a book for
children that's around travel and adventure?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So the first book that me and little one are reading this
winter vacation is -<b> MOANA by Disney</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpp2R1cEhF3E_I7GZiPOQW_nPNLo2aaTiTXEP5ICRj9rSjxBrliY8VGeK9oFZs0aaZ_vhXMXV6_XiEXCq6vYFkGjQSxSxxGq4MXSuoo0Oqxubpq45NrvLyKnIMQMICctdKoVlnu2NuLk/s1600/IMG_20161227_190934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpp2R1cEhF3E_I7GZiPOQW_nPNLo2aaTiTXEP5ICRj9rSjxBrliY8VGeK9oFZs0aaZ_vhXMXV6_XiEXCq6vYFkGjQSxSxxGq4MXSuoo0Oqxubpq45NrvLyKnIMQMICctdKoVlnu2NuLk/s320/IMG_20161227_190934.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Moana is destined to take over as chief of Motunui one day.
But when danger threatens her island, she sets on a mission to save her people.
Will Moana be able to unlock the mystery of the sea and discover her life's
true destiny? Well, that's for you and your little one to find out through this
interesting book by Disney. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XKpI3maTgAWmglzq7nzUvqLbDyK5WfNoy7DdceuZCdewryZKZFQ_MMGrts6Pkqi7-jfOtfp9XE8dCa-xTxjHwkP4GEv0xXdOtQDIqINUrrklnomVJ7Woe7SZjJSL6OpybSekSe7rjzA/s1600/IMAG9912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XKpI3maTgAWmglzq7nzUvqLbDyK5WfNoy7DdceuZCdewryZKZFQ_MMGrts6Pkqi7-jfOtfp9XE8dCa-xTxjHwkP4GEv0xXdOtQDIqINUrrklnomVJ7Woe7SZjJSL6OpybSekSe7rjzA/s320/IMAG9912.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
<br />
So, here's my quick take on this book:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>The story is quite fascinating, I am sure younger
kids would love this adventurous tale of princess Moana.</li>
<li>Its not gender specific and suitable for both
boys and girls. My son who is in general a big fan of superheroes quite liked
it.</li>
<li>Visually very, very rich. I mean the pages are
literally treat to the eyes, something that totally helps in keeping the
attention of kids intact to the pages.</li>
<li>It has a very good message for kids around
traveling, exploring and finding your destiny on your own. It's dreamy but at the same time not very old
generation fairy tale type of book.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_xpPtuTOhA7rMcMAAlE64D8DE_SWRp3fyrOVC0EST1BfT-_NNR48xQTt351JVMaiMqJuG4U4W3ImqcRZP_j4d_Q-dStwLSscemkc2KR_fwqXzUsxFP_8_7KonAx5-7K3fSxus9ZWiaE/s1600/IMAG9913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_xpPtuTOhA7rMcMAAlE64D8DE_SWRp3fyrOVC0EST1BfT-_NNR48xQTt351JVMaiMqJuG4U4W3ImqcRZP_j4d_Q-dStwLSscemkc2KR_fwqXzUsxFP_8_7KonAx5-7K3fSxus9ZWiaE/s320/IMAG9913.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I strongly recommend this book for kids below 10 year age
group. And in case your child loved reading this book, you can make him / her
watch the movie too that got released earlier this year or vice versa. After all what's a vacation without some
good movies :)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The book is available for purchase on both amazon and
flipkart and I am sure it will be available for rent in your nearby library
too. So, what are you and your little ones reading this winter break? Do let us
know in the comment section. </div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-57970904466363407902016-11-21T15:56:00.001+05:302016-11-21T15:56:37.920+05:30Before we visit the Goodess - Book<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-version="7" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;">
<div style="background: url(data:image/png; display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BGjaFBBNBJ0/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A photo posted by Kanupriya Sindhu (@kanupriyasindhu)</a> on <time datetime="2016-06-12T11:45:54+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 12, 2016 at 4:45am PDT</time></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b>
<b>There are books and then there books you wish would never end</b>. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Before We Visit The Goddess</b> is one such book. The kind of book that makes you sad once it ends, you know that feeling of emptiness when a good book ends, yes exactly that one! You wish the story could continue forever, you're so engrossed in the plot and so absorbed in the characters that you literally find them to be real and part of your daily life. <i>Sabitri, Bela & Tara</i> - how real were they! Hats off to <b>Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni</b> for giving us such gems one after another.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have been a great admirer of her writing ever since I read <b>Sister Of My Heart</b> and <b>Oleander Girl </b>few years back. I have read almost all of her books now and each book of hers is a masterpiece in itself. Varied plots with intricate story lines, but what I like most about her books is the protagonists. They are someone with whom you can relate to, someone real. Before We Visit The Goddess is also yet another literary treasure by the author that tells us the story of a family over three generations. It's a must read for those who love to read good story around human relationships and emotions.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here's my quick take on the book:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Poignant story line that touches your heart somewhere deep within.</li>
<li>Genuine plot that highlights the imperfect yet connected family ties. No unnecessary fictitious perfect-happy-family kind of drama at all.</li>
<li>Brilliant characterization, you can almost imagine a Sabitri or Tara living around you, inside you.</li>
<li>Powerful writing that actually presents the complexity of human emotions in a very beautiful way.</li>
<li>Captivating read, not even once I actually lost interest anywhere in the book. A story spread across three generations and two continents but towards the end, it was like all pieces of a scattered puzzle finally put together.</li>
</ul>
Overall a book that I strongly recommend, totally worth the time and money. And as always, I will be eagerly waiting for the next book by this author, she is just terrific and brilliant and.... well, for her I think I will actually run short of adjectives :).<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This book is available at both amazon and flipkart and I didn't buy a kindle version of this book. I actually bought a hard copy as books like these are meant to be a part of your home library collection :). </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-89674689331912132142016-11-19T20:26:00.000+05:302016-11-19T20:33:55.702+05:30Whatever happened to being real?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
How do you explain that expressing genuine views against some national movements is not equal to being anti-nationalist, but realistic?<br />
<br />
How do you explain that not being optimistic is not equal to being pessimistic, but realistic?<br />
<br />
How do you explain that not being happy always is not equal to being depressed, but realistic?<br />
<br />
How do you explain that not having opinions matching to yours is not equal to being crazy, but real me?<br />
<br />
How do you explain that not enjoying large crowds or social gatherings always is not equal to being unsocial, but real me?<br />
<br />
How do you explain that not being able to see silver lining in everything is not equal to being negative, but realistic?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Whatever happened to being real!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Whatever happened to being realistic!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Whatever happened to being imperfect! </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Whatever happened to being human!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Whatever happened to being original!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Whatever happened to being you!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-61795916392989934502016-10-20T18:09:00.001+05:302016-10-20T18:16:34.494+05:30Life of Angela: Book<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-version="7" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 49.9537037037% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;">
<div style="background: url(data:image/png; display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BHWWEMPDMYE/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A photo posted by Kanupriya Sindhu (@kanupriyasindhu)</a> on <time datetime="2016-07-02T06:32:06+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jul 1, 2016 at 11:32pm PDT</time></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Just finished reading this book with a smile on my face. If your roots are from any small Indian town or you have lived in one during your growing up years, then this book is surely going to bring a smile on your face.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was quite a pleasant surprise when my childhood friend Rakhi Anand pinged me about her debut novel - <b><i>Life of Angela</i></b> and when she mentioned it being based on school life, I was all the more keen to pick it up. And I am glad I grabbed a copy of it as the book reminded me of my growing years in many ways :). Here's my quick take on the book:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">It's simple & real, no wannabe portrayal of cool, hip student life.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Presents the inner turmoil of a fatherless middle class teenager girl beautifully, the pressure on her to do well in academics, get a well paying job so that she can support her family, her struggle and challenges due to her introvert personality - all of these have been presented quite genuinely.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Has an important message for students who try to give up life due to academic pressure. Life is much more than just scores in board exams and if you believe in yourself, there is always a beautiful destination waiting for you ahead.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Engaging plot presented in a very crisp and easy language.</li>
</ul>
Overall it's a book that's definitely worth a read. And for a change, it's an Indian fiction that's not on romance at IIT / IIM campus :) or about a girl who is dying to get married just because she has entered in her 30s!<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Do give it a try, it's available on <a href="http://www.amazon.in/Life-Angela-Journey-Girls-Dreams/dp/9352063007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476966968&sr=8-1&keywords=life+of+angela" target="_blank">Amazon</a> as well as on <a href="https://www.flipkart.com/life-angela-journey-into-girls-dreams/p/itmeb967yuhf8ssh?pid=9789352063000&srno=s_1_1&otracker=search&lid=LSTBOK9789352063000CWFDBG&qH=b30ac1dad138e8e3" target="_blank">Flipkart</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Rakhi: Kudos to you for your effort. Wish you good luck for your future books. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-33283637248833510242016-10-08T00:55:00.001+05:302016-10-08T07:17:08.095+05:309 books you may like to read to your kids this Dusshera break <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>9 different books on 9 different days! Can there be any better way to celebrate Navratri with kids :)? </i>At least that's how me and my little one are spending his Dusshera vacations. Of course there are lots and lots of unplanned masti, festival special cooking, some TV time and maybe some traveling too but then what's a vacation without some new stories :)?<br />
<br />
And stories definitely work for me when it comes to explaining something new to him, be it about our culture or festivals or general day to day things like values or habits. To add to that, with time we have reached a stage now where he himself asks us - which story will you tell me today? This makes my task of curating a list of books that we plan to read during vacations or travel all the more exciting and fun.<br />
<br />
So here goes the list of 9 books that I am reading to him this Dusshera break. He loves to know more about Indian Gods and mythology (thanks to his fascination for action & adventure and animated television series like Bal Hanuman or movies like Oh My Friend Ganesha), he somehow is hooked on to them as much as Superheroes or Avengers. I have already read these books myself, from his initial excitement and curious eyes I think my four year old is going to enjoy it all. This list is not only specifically on Goddess Durga or Dusshera but also on other characters from Ramayans (after all little readers like variety, isn't it :)?)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Tales of Durga by Amar Chitra Katha</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRETQ3rRTnLxD2-E1EtgD6KWXeUGcVPUHDxwDrIc4zZzh-_uh5OzibJ4ZpRJZmk6m8CbbBTH70wCfHhXTA4Ex_RbX_l8iQVqh5XcjWorgSlcjlO_gLYsSLf4Jknk2BLxvi_dG0Z8IazE/s1600/TalesOfDurga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRETQ3rRTnLxD2-E1EtgD6KWXeUGcVPUHDxwDrIc4zZzh-_uh5OzibJ4ZpRJZmk6m8CbbBTH70wCfHhXTA4Ex_RbX_l8iQVqh5XcjWorgSlcjlO_gLYsSLf4Jknk2BLxvi_dG0Z8IazE/s320/TalesOfDurga.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When it comes to reading something on mythology, Amar Chitra Katha has to be our default choice, after all it's the publication that fed our generation with lots of interesting content. While the visual taste or preferences of the new generation might have changed but I think when it comes to the vastness of content available with ACK, there is just no comparison. Tales of Durga is yet another interesting offering from ACK that tells the story of incarnation of Durga and her victory on Mahishasur in a crisp and simple way. My son is anyways fond of action stories a lot, so he loved all the fight sequence of Goddess Durga & Mahishasur and her final victory over the demon.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Amma, Tell me about Durga Puja by Bhakti Mathur</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwmP2aym4tUqhug8AweskRF7P7XgYqrVBRH1HeRP8Xtf7q07EohNQHxxrW8pUkozk4Ml6oTNjXZh1HwrxMHOKorW16zDascRHM-bEJ3Kv2AM3TH5T_7tMgaHfT_2vRPhwk0PmQhkrL1M/s1600/IMAG8932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwmP2aym4tUqhug8AweskRF7P7XgYqrVBRH1HeRP8Xtf7q07EohNQHxxrW8pUkozk4Ml6oTNjXZh1HwrxMHOKorW16zDascRHM-bEJ3Kv2AM3TH5T_7tMgaHfT_2vRPhwk0PmQhkrL1M/s320/IMAG8932.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Just spotted this book on Amazon and somehow loved the cover and the title. Ordered it on impulse and I'm glad I ordered it. Quite a nice book on story of Goddess Durga presented through lively visuals. I especially loved the storytelling style of this book, it highlights the whole concept of Mahalaya to Viajaydashmi in a very interesting way. Look at one of the pictures from the inner pages, the illustrations are nothing less than visual treat for the little ones! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFb5TeASBt-QrokWoG4dQRUfAMeNn-stXGSYoJKZXvtkhtYtbtMP6bDswxe7P6PHeW6M2-YCPFtr89tx3gNOWJqM_DasXvfJTkN_iE-LflWWJ2HooHTAhh6FxwXlS-E9cnaYhVG3Os0w/s1600/IMAG8934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFb5TeASBt-QrokWoG4dQRUfAMeNn-stXGSYoJKZXvtkhtYtbtMP6bDswxe7P6PHeW6M2-YCPFtr89tx3gNOWJqM_DasXvfJTkN_iE-LflWWJ2HooHTAhh6FxwXlS-E9cnaYhVG3Os0w/s320/IMAG8934.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We totally loved this book and I am planning to surely try more books in "Amma, Tell me about..." series.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Festivals of India by Om Books International</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn917m7Xg1yTbd4fmpQiFMWxM9VCM-1KO-wk-3TG8rU0JYkr7j0lhsZJPSv6pfH3w3rmCqkCO5Hyz_vdUjX5P8-koAajKiJpGws8W_EY7-OavlPDAkPxY7LVwJxua42hNb-bH7Ozi7l9A/s1600/FestivalsOfIndia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn917m7Xg1yTbd4fmpQiFMWxM9VCM-1KO-wk-3TG8rU0JYkr7j0lhsZJPSv6pfH3w3rmCqkCO5Hyz_vdUjX5P8-koAajKiJpGws8W_EY7-OavlPDAkPxY7LVwJxua42hNb-bH7Ozi7l9A/s320/FestivalsOfIndia.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Amazing book! It covers the different festivals of India in a very comprehensive way. The descriptions are apt in length to hold the attention of younger kids along with colorful visuals. For Dusshera / Durga Puja, it has three separate chapters - one covering Navratri, second covers Durga Puja & third one is on Dusshera. the Dusshera chapter also interlinks the significance of Goddess Durga in Rama's vitcory over evil. I just read all three of these to my little one :)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Rama by Amar Chitra Katha</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8b9suERDDXXlPsbFFbH9z9omUGcVWn-VgHCSJFOnDoW1aqPmw_IToYmYir986it_zuUbkiI9vSpEtLU2NY4e3og64t5CZexeKteAGjWJZZ04jmazuQz6CU3FgPJ-FCfHZlGN-PYUOVKQ/s1600/Rama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8b9suERDDXXlPsbFFbH9z9omUGcVWn-VgHCSJFOnDoW1aqPmw_IToYmYir986it_zuUbkiI9vSpEtLU2NY4e3og64t5CZexeKteAGjWJZZ04jmazuQz6CU3FgPJ-FCfHZlGN-PYUOVKQ/s320/Rama.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another content rich book by Amar Chitra Katha. Presents all aspects of Rama's fourteen years exile, his fight with Ravana and his relationship with different other characters from Ramayana in the form of a visual story. As I said earlier, when it comes to mythology, there is no parallel of Amar Chitra Katha's length and depth of content.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Chota Kumbhakarna by Arundhati Venkatesh</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlqWSnwbxH9NqgiE26UtjMV0shkgXhgmH-MfHgvQNcpnBBzhZBVQMVYqu27Okht25juCVxWA-RRPFU_Dd00_DOlOthxYaH2MKfIGGnqIM8LZmYj2Jr7kCARco9K7P9VzbL0K9iJuIX3Y/s1600/IMAG8926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlqWSnwbxH9NqgiE26UtjMV0shkgXhgmH-MfHgvQNcpnBBzhZBVQMVYqu27Okht25juCVxWA-RRPFU_Dd00_DOlOthxYaH2MKfIGGnqIM8LZmYj2Jr7kCARco9K7P9VzbL0K9iJuIX3Y/s320/IMAG8926.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's actually a cute book. Yes cute is the word that will aptly define the visual and the story of Kumbhakarna narrated to the main character in this story Kukku by his father. Now, how can Kumbhakaran be cute! Don't believe it? Check the visuals below. My son just loves this book, we have gone through the pages many times and he doesn't seem to get bored of it. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtXNoqz4jIiRMoHk9ThMqFkA0Q1aGIs-j53yVUmS0qJN6IWMdR57Hm4Ml-2nQvS7_FYvofWFHgcrA_7vpZWoT-bJ0nWcG8wMYwsyBr9FFFyDkQSQ79hRLV7H8bZo0USdCMnIGpjpI150/s1600/IMAG8927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtXNoqz4jIiRMoHk9ThMqFkA0Q1aGIs-j53yVUmS0qJN6IWMdR57Hm4Ml-2nQvS7_FYvofWFHgcrA_7vpZWoT-bJ0nWcG8wMYwsyBr9FFFyDkQSQ79hRLV7H8bZo0USdCMnIGpjpI150/s320/IMAG8927.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This book is available in English too but I picked up a Hindi version as it was the only book left at a book reading session by the author that me & my son had attended earlier this year. And I also consciously wanted to start reading him some Hindi books too.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Shiva by Om Books International</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazpqurJdxsaANEWzc62eZvc-YdcopQ-_tyqA8I7chHzNb0bdUXJ3wDiXX4med7AUfZR74y6hWBl3bMgC3l9-a3p5ya6HpSHn_qSVfOugGUg6xTjF5iNhyphenhyphen4lUAG_cLu3pjXkr20NXTp3w/s1600/IMAG8930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazpqurJdxsaANEWzc62eZvc-YdcopQ-_tyqA8I7chHzNb0bdUXJ3wDiXX4med7AUfZR74y6hWBl3bMgC3l9-a3p5ya6HpSHn_qSVfOugGUg6xTjF5iNhyphenhyphen4lUAG_cLu3pjXkr20NXTp3w/s320/IMAG8930.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While the title reads Shiva but it's actually more of a story around Goddess Shakti and her fight with demon brothers Chanda & Munda. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RQD213gBUggYSxLt3Cm0DzK7juWqc0EvmM4McsidMaLx-W83_bMEUDygQVqnP5rVpuKA2JjpCcA52oCpcCW0CY-ou31fnFsyyWZdSgjVyo2aB8wU5E-1yO0RMUvEnMSwWPPkVHrnQJg/s1600/IMAG8929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RQD213gBUggYSxLt3Cm0DzK7juWqc0EvmM4McsidMaLx-W83_bMEUDygQVqnP5rVpuKA2JjpCcA52oCpcCW0CY-ou31fnFsyyWZdSgjVyo2aB8wU5E-1yO0RMUvEnMSwWPPkVHrnQJg/s320/IMAG8929.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This book comes in an interesting shape with rich visuals that easily attracts the attention of younger audience. To add to that, length of the book is such that even my four year old can easily recall the stories page by page.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Kumbhakarna by Amar Chitra Katha</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEive-qO5p7SVzmNPKz9E_hY-mTB3QGDTqyIdOwtLs5IdwnG8Ub0cYACus7gzSrqi4BO17ntqv2fDugKb4RrUHgf58gyxJQz4Orv2eZBsLrmZmRWOYABOygmA74HlSnT4fQKOgHrPYa_UhM/s1600/IMAG8928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEive-qO5p7SVzmNPKz9E_hY-mTB3QGDTqyIdOwtLs5IdwnG8Ub0cYACus7gzSrqi4BO17ntqv2fDugKb4RrUHgf58gyxJQz4Orv2eZBsLrmZmRWOYABOygmA74HlSnT4fQKOgHrPYa_UhM/s320/IMAG8928.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Oh yes, another book on Kumbhakarna :). As I said my son loves this character for the luxury of long sleep that Kumbhakaran could afford :). Of course, he knows the connection with Ravan, Lanka etc. This book apart from the sleeping story of the character also focusses on the whole Lanka fight with Rama & his army. Action yet again and here we go, he loved to listen to it. I think the mommy in me thinks my son loves to read these mythology stories because of all these fights and actions scenes in them :).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Hanuman by Om Books</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnwlg7OJU7X7FCCaxuqCxNZJRjbaNxdo8EkQzIc6Gi3F3CTZhCtbngM5HIel3BWtHXjBs2xahwtzh0tCMHx5PWtA3fcpemayPMxrGK18EfoLiMmer-nSEnvZns4YPFZGs9Y7jzCMSva4/s1600/Hanuman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnwlg7OJU7X7FCCaxuqCxNZJRjbaNxdo8EkQzIc6Gi3F3CTZhCtbngM5HIel3BWtHXjBs2xahwtzh0tCMHx5PWtA3fcpemayPMxrGK18EfoLiMmer-nSEnvZns4YPFZGs9Y7jzCMSva4/s320/Hanuman.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another lovely book for bal hanuman fans like my son. He is fascinated with Hanuman since his toddler days. In fact there was a pahse when his favorite gift used to be only & only "gada". So considering his craze for Hanuman, I knew this book would be totally loved by him. And I was just so right, he loved it. And to add to the charm of the character were those sweet pictures that told us the story from his birth to his part in Ramayana. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Dusshera by Diamond Comics</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBC1kgDmgxbLe20okEJmshQJZDL-5CZQ8IA_abIqeaoorR-OomMZpDjNiEJt5zeDE-_sepYkf29Qfo0q4WRsHH6DXFIWXjesbbzCfJzZ9t6zuSS5IwFRJrfCq2m7-HEcv4U6huHYvmSHo/s1600/Dusshera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBC1kgDmgxbLe20okEJmshQJZDL-5CZQ8IA_abIqeaoorR-OomMZpDjNiEJt5zeDE-_sepYkf29Qfo0q4WRsHH6DXFIWXjesbbzCfJzZ9t6zuSS5IwFRJrfCq2m7-HEcv4U6huHYvmSHo/s320/Dusshera.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Yet another book that focuses on victory of good over evil through Ramayana story, Rama's vanvaas, the main fight in Lanka and then Vijayadashami. While the story remains the same but it's amazing to observe kid's excitement when it comes to varied visual representation. Definitely works for me when it comes to reinforcing same story in different ways to my son.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>So, what are you or your little ones reading this festive season? Do share your recommendations with us in the comment section. And in case you liked this list and would like me to curate some more, drop me a comment or mail and I would love to share what I am reading with my curious little reader :).</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Wish you all a great Navratri / Durga Puja & Dusshera! May the Goddess bless you with health and happiness always.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-88649507312725811332016-10-08T00:55:00.000+05:302016-10-10T15:01:12.021+05:309 books you may like to read to your kids this Dusshera break <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>9 different books on 9 different days! Can there be any better way to celebrate Navratri with kids :)? </i>At least that's how me and my little one are spending his Dusshera vacations. Of course there are lots and lots of unplanned masti, festival special cooking, some TV time and maybe some traveling too but then what's a vacation without some new stories :)?<br />
<br />
And stories definitely work for me when it comes to explaining something new to him, be it about our culture or festivals or general day to day things like values or habits. To add to that, with time we have reached a stage now where he himself asks us - which story will you tell me today? This makes my task of curating a list of books that we plan to read during vacations or travel all the more exciting and fun.<br />
<br />
So here goes the list of 9 books that I am reading to him this Dusshera break. He loves to know more about Indian Gods and mythology (thanks to his fascination for action & adventure and animated television series like Bal Hanuman or movies like Oh My Friend Ganesha), he somehow is hooked on to them as much as Superheroes or Avengers. I have already read these books myself, from his initial excitement and curious eyes I think my four year old is going to enjoy it all. This list is not only specifically on Goddess Durga or Dusshera but also on other characters from Ramayans (after all little readers like variety, isn't it :)?)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Tales of Durga by Amar Chitra Katha</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRETQ3rRTnLxD2-E1EtgD6KWXeUGcVPUHDxwDrIc4zZzh-_uh5OzibJ4ZpRJZmk6m8CbbBTH70wCfHhXTA4Ex_RbX_l8iQVqh5XcjWorgSlcjlO_gLYsSLf4Jknk2BLxvi_dG0Z8IazE/s1600/TalesOfDurga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifRETQ3rRTnLxD2-E1EtgD6KWXeUGcVPUHDxwDrIc4zZzh-_uh5OzibJ4ZpRJZmk6m8CbbBTH70wCfHhXTA4Ex_RbX_l8iQVqh5XcjWorgSlcjlO_gLYsSLf4Jknk2BLxvi_dG0Z8IazE/s320/TalesOfDurga.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When it comes to reading something on mythology, Amar Chitra Katha has to be our default choice, after all it's the publication that fed our generation with lots of interesting content. While the visual taste or preferences of the new generation might have changed but I think when it comes to the vastness of content available with ACK, there is just no comparison. Tales of Durga is yet another interesting offering from ACK that tells the story of incarnation of Durga and her victory on Mahishasur in a crisp and simple way. My son is anyways fond of action stories a lot, so he loved all the fight sequence of Goddess Durga & Mahishasur and her final victory over the demon.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Amma, Tell me about Durga Puja by Bhakti Mathur</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwmP2aym4tUqhug8AweskRF7P7XgYqrVBRH1HeRP8Xtf7q07EohNQHxxrW8pUkozk4Ml6oTNjXZh1HwrxMHOKorW16zDascRHM-bEJ3Kv2AM3TH5T_7tMgaHfT_2vRPhwk0PmQhkrL1M/s1600/IMAG8932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwmP2aym4tUqhug8AweskRF7P7XgYqrVBRH1HeRP8Xtf7q07EohNQHxxrW8pUkozk4Ml6oTNjXZh1HwrxMHOKorW16zDascRHM-bEJ3Kv2AM3TH5T_7tMgaHfT_2vRPhwk0PmQhkrL1M/s320/IMAG8932.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Just spotted this book on Amazon and somehow loved the cover and the title. Ordered it on impulse and I'm glad I ordered it. Quite a nice book on story of Goddess Durga presented through lively visuals. I especially loved the storytelling style of this book, it highlights the whole concept of Mahalaya to Viajaydashmi in a very interesting way. Look at one of the pictures from the inner pages, the illustrations are nothing less than visual treat for the little ones! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFb5TeASBt-QrokWoG4dQRUfAMeNn-stXGSYoJKZXvtkhtYtbtMP6bDswxe7P6PHeW6M2-YCPFtr89tx3gNOWJqM_DasXvfJTkN_iE-LflWWJ2HooHTAhh6FxwXlS-E9cnaYhVG3Os0w/s1600/IMAG8934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFb5TeASBt-QrokWoG4dQRUfAMeNn-stXGSYoJKZXvtkhtYtbtMP6bDswxe7P6PHeW6M2-YCPFtr89tx3gNOWJqM_DasXvfJTkN_iE-LflWWJ2HooHTAhh6FxwXlS-E9cnaYhVG3Os0w/s320/IMAG8934.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We totally loved this book and I am planning to surely try more books in "Amma, Tell me about..." series.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Festivals of India by Om Books International</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn917m7Xg1yTbd4fmpQiFMWxM9VCM-1KO-wk-3TG8rU0JYkr7j0lhsZJPSv6pfH3w3rmCqkCO5Hyz_vdUjX5P8-koAajKiJpGws8W_EY7-OavlPDAkPxY7LVwJxua42hNb-bH7Ozi7l9A/s1600/FestivalsOfIndia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn917m7Xg1yTbd4fmpQiFMWxM9VCM-1KO-wk-3TG8rU0JYkr7j0lhsZJPSv6pfH3w3rmCqkCO5Hyz_vdUjX5P8-koAajKiJpGws8W_EY7-OavlPDAkPxY7LVwJxua42hNb-bH7Ozi7l9A/s320/FestivalsOfIndia.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Amazing book! It covers the different festivals of India in a very comprehensive way. The descriptions are apt in length to hold the attention of younger kids along with colorful visuals. For Dusshera / Durga Puja, it has three separate chapters - one covering Navratri, second covers Durga Puja & third one is on Dusshera. the Dusshera chapter also interlinks the significance of Goddess Durga in Rama's vitcory over evil. I just read all three of these to my little one :)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Rama by Amar Chitra Katha</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8b9suERDDXXlPsbFFbH9z9omUGcVWn-VgHCSJFOnDoW1aqPmw_IToYmYir986it_zuUbkiI9vSpEtLU2NY4e3og64t5CZexeKteAGjWJZZ04jmazuQz6CU3FgPJ-FCfHZlGN-PYUOVKQ/s1600/Rama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8b9suERDDXXlPsbFFbH9z9omUGcVWn-VgHCSJFOnDoW1aqPmw_IToYmYir986it_zuUbkiI9vSpEtLU2NY4e3og64t5CZexeKteAGjWJZZ04jmazuQz6CU3FgPJ-FCfHZlGN-PYUOVKQ/s320/Rama.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another content rich book by Amar Chitra Katha. Presents all aspects of Rama's fourteen years exile, his fight with Ravana and his relationship with different other characters from Ramayana in the form of a visual story. As I said earlier, when it comes to mythology, there is no parallel of Amar Chitra Katha's length and depth of content.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Chota Kumbhakarna by Arundhati Venkatesh</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlqWSnwbxH9NqgiE26UtjMV0shkgXhgmH-MfHgvQNcpnBBzhZBVQMVYqu27Okht25juCVxWA-RRPFU_Dd00_DOlOthxYaH2MKfIGGnqIM8LZmYj2Jr7kCARco9K7P9VzbL0K9iJuIX3Y/s1600/IMAG8926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlqWSnwbxH9NqgiE26UtjMV0shkgXhgmH-MfHgvQNcpnBBzhZBVQMVYqu27Okht25juCVxWA-RRPFU_Dd00_DOlOthxYaH2MKfIGGnqIM8LZmYj2Jr7kCARco9K7P9VzbL0K9iJuIX3Y/s320/IMAG8926.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's actually a cute book. Yes cute is the word that will aptly define the visual and the story of Kumbhakarna narrated to the main character in this story Kukku by his father. Now, how can Kumbhakaran be cute! Don't believe it? Check the visuals below. My son just loves this book, we have gone through the pages many times and he doesn't seem to get bored of it. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtXNoqz4jIiRMoHk9ThMqFkA0Q1aGIs-j53yVUmS0qJN6IWMdR57Hm4Ml-2nQvS7_FYvofWFHgcrA_7vpZWoT-bJ0nWcG8wMYwsyBr9FFFyDkQSQ79hRLV7H8bZo0USdCMnIGpjpI150/s1600/IMAG8927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtXNoqz4jIiRMoHk9ThMqFkA0Q1aGIs-j53yVUmS0qJN6IWMdR57Hm4Ml-2nQvS7_FYvofWFHgcrA_7vpZWoT-bJ0nWcG8wMYwsyBr9FFFyDkQSQ79hRLV7H8bZo0USdCMnIGpjpI150/s320/IMAG8927.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This book is available in English too but I picked up a Hindi version as it was the only book left at a book reading session by the author that me & my son had attended earlier this year. And I also consciously wanted to start reading him some Hindi books too.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Shiva by Om Books International</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazpqurJdxsaANEWzc62eZvc-YdcopQ-_tyqA8I7chHzNb0bdUXJ3wDiXX4med7AUfZR74y6hWBl3bMgC3l9-a3p5ya6HpSHn_qSVfOugGUg6xTjF5iNhyphenhyphen4lUAG_cLu3pjXkr20NXTp3w/s1600/IMAG8930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazpqurJdxsaANEWzc62eZvc-YdcopQ-_tyqA8I7chHzNb0bdUXJ3wDiXX4med7AUfZR74y6hWBl3bMgC3l9-a3p5ya6HpSHn_qSVfOugGUg6xTjF5iNhyphenhyphen4lUAG_cLu3pjXkr20NXTp3w/s320/IMAG8930.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While the title reads Shiva but it's actually more of a story around Goddess Shakti and her fight with demon brothers Chanda & Munda. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RQD213gBUggYSxLt3Cm0DzK7juWqc0EvmM4McsidMaLx-W83_bMEUDygQVqnP5rVpuKA2JjpCcA52oCpcCW0CY-ou31fnFsyyWZdSgjVyo2aB8wU5E-1yO0RMUvEnMSwWPPkVHrnQJg/s1600/IMAG8929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RQD213gBUggYSxLt3Cm0DzK7juWqc0EvmM4McsidMaLx-W83_bMEUDygQVqnP5rVpuKA2JjpCcA52oCpcCW0CY-ou31fnFsyyWZdSgjVyo2aB8wU5E-1yO0RMUvEnMSwWPPkVHrnQJg/s320/IMAG8929.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This book comes in an interesting shape with rich visuals that easily attracts the attention of younger audience. To add to that, length of the book is such that even my four year old can easily recall the stories page by page.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Kumbhakarna by Amar Chitra Katha</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEive-qO5p7SVzmNPKz9E_hY-mTB3QGDTqyIdOwtLs5IdwnG8Ub0cYACus7gzSrqi4BO17ntqv2fDugKb4RrUHgf58gyxJQz4Orv2eZBsLrmZmRWOYABOygmA74HlSnT4fQKOgHrPYa_UhM/s1600/IMAG8928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEive-qO5p7SVzmNPKz9E_hY-mTB3QGDTqyIdOwtLs5IdwnG8Ub0cYACus7gzSrqi4BO17ntqv2fDugKb4RrUHgf58gyxJQz4Orv2eZBsLrmZmRWOYABOygmA74HlSnT4fQKOgHrPYa_UhM/s320/IMAG8928.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Oh yes, another book on Kumbhakarna :). As I said my son loves this character for the luxury of long sleep that Kumbhakaran could afford :). Of course, he knows the connection with Ravan, Lanka etc. This book apart from the sleeping story of the character also focusses on the whole Lanka fight with Rama & his army. Action yet again and here we go, he loved to listen to it. I think the mommy in me thinks my son loves to read these mythology stories because of all these fights and actions scenes in them :).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Hanuman by Om Books</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnwlg7OJU7X7FCCaxuqCxNZJRjbaNxdo8EkQzIc6Gi3F3CTZhCtbngM5HIel3BWtHXjBs2xahwtzh0tCMHx5PWtA3fcpemayPMxrGK18EfoLiMmer-nSEnvZns4YPFZGs9Y7jzCMSva4/s1600/Hanuman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnwlg7OJU7X7FCCaxuqCxNZJRjbaNxdo8EkQzIc6Gi3F3CTZhCtbngM5HIel3BWtHXjBs2xahwtzh0tCMHx5PWtA3fcpemayPMxrGK18EfoLiMmer-nSEnvZns4YPFZGs9Y7jzCMSva4/s320/Hanuman.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another lovely book for bal hanuman fans like my son. He is fascinated with Hanuman since his toddler days. In fact there was a pahse when his favorite gift used to be only & only "gada". So considering his craze for Hanuman, I knew this book would be totally loved by him. And I was just so right, he loved it. And to add to the charm of the character were those sweet pictures that told us the story from his birth to his part in Ramayana. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Dusshera by Diamond Comics</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBC1kgDmgxbLe20okEJmshQJZDL-5CZQ8IA_abIqeaoorR-OomMZpDjNiEJt5zeDE-_sepYkf29Qfo0q4WRsHH6DXFIWXjesbbzCfJzZ9t6zuSS5IwFRJrfCq2m7-HEcv4U6huHYvmSHo/s1600/Dusshera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBC1kgDmgxbLe20okEJmshQJZDL-5CZQ8IA_abIqeaoorR-OomMZpDjNiEJt5zeDE-_sepYkf29Qfo0q4WRsHH6DXFIWXjesbbzCfJzZ9t6zuSS5IwFRJrfCq2m7-HEcv4U6huHYvmSHo/s320/Dusshera.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Yet another book that focuses on victory of good over evil through Ramayana story, Rama's vanvaas, the main fight in Lanka and then Vijayadashami. While the story remains the same but it's amazing to observe kid's excitement when it comes to varied visual representation. Definitely works for me when it comes to reinforcing same story in different ways to my son.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>So, what are you or your little ones reading this festive season? Do share your recommendations with us in the comment section. And in case you liked this list and would like me to curate some more, drop me a comment or mail and I would love to share what I am reading my curious little reader :).</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Wish you all a great Navratri / Durga Puja & Dusshera! May the Goddess bless you with health and happiness always.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-86821103328379565682016-08-28T12:10:00.000+05:302016-08-28T13:40:25.701+05:30Just Keep Moving Ahead<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhww-kTuz0axOrsk8u2iBsTUFzI0AKZ9bpxpnv2XXinfgYbNBdIMkK3Teow88Ik9vQLLDiP3pZn1HNOgUyH6iv_BKzg9MI8SquZARmg7BM9FX9hp0ZfeSzxPP3ebzlpRE4jUJXDtaf60pM/s1600/INSP153KeepMovingForward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhww-kTuz0axOrsk8u2iBsTUFzI0AKZ9bpxpnv2XXinfgYbNBdIMkK3Teow88Ik9vQLLDiP3pZn1HNOgUyH6iv_BKzg9MI8SquZARmg7BM9FX9hp0ZfeSzxPP3ebzlpRE4jUJXDtaf60pM/s320/INSP153KeepMovingForward.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I just so agree to this! Something that I have always believed in. Something that has always led me to some path, may not necessarily to the preferred destination but at least helped me move ahead.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And yet again I am at roads where I am not getting answers to what next in life but all I know from my past experience is that - <i>I must keep moving ahead</i>!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yet again I am at a phase where fate seems to be really cruel but all I know from my past experience is that - <i>I must keep moving ahead</i>!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yet again I am in a situation where negativity seems to be dominant all around but all I know from my past experience is that - <i>I must keep moving ahead</i>!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yet again I am in a plight where helplessness is overpowering me but all I know from my past experience is that - <i>I must keep moving ahead</i>!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yet again I am in a state where I want to quit fighting with adversities, stop moving ahead but all I know from my past experience is that - <i>I must keep moving ahead</i>!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Yes, sometimes acceptance is the only option you have and moving ahead is the best thing you can do - without thinking too much on what, why and how. </b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And I thought a lot about whether to make this post live or not. Does it communicate my weaker side? Does it communicate my emotional turbulence? Well, heck yes, even if it does, so what! For once I want to write posts that communicate the real state of me. After all, as I always say we are human beings who are supposed to have different shades of life, not sure why in today's environment we are expected to behave like hard coded programmed robots exhibiting only positivism and optimism and happiness (read projected happiness in virtual world) and blah and blah and some more blah.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yet again I have learned, any shade of life is ok as long as we work towards getting out of it and perhaps the only way to come out of any state is to move ahead!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-7119948431144965392016-04-18T19:44:00.000+05:302016-04-18T19:44:04.483+05:30Where to find good book recommendations?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Just finished yet another book by an Indian author and I am
wondering what it was actually! Calling it a book or story would be such a slur
as it was nothing but nonsense after nonsense printed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in black & white. And I also wonder why
do I even waste my time in completing such shit pieces of work, damn this very
irritating habit of mine that doesn't let me leave things half way. But what's
worse is to realize that this book came highly recommended in most of the reading
sites and I wonder how? Well, book marketing has surely picked up in India, isn't
it? Incentivize few reviewers, spend some marketing money and voila you have
words after words spread across media in favor of some crap piece of work. Being
a marketer as well as blogger, I am also aware of the dynamics of how it works.
There is no harm in marketing any good product, anything new needs a bit of
push but unfortunately I think in case of something as precious as books, going
this far is really irking me a lot now.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My words might be sounding rude but I am actually quite disappointed
with my last 5 reads. If you all remember, I have been a big supporter of
Indian fiction and have always proudly mentioned my preferences for Indian
stories and authors but I think it's time for me to change my preferences now.
Whether you believe it or not, last few of my reads have all been centered
around either of the two themes -<i> a 30 something career oriented girl
desperately trying to get hooked on to a man, takes all possible measures to
woo any / all kind of men and finally settles down with the one who has money
and all</i>. In the last book that I read, the main character slept with 7 men in a
period of 6 months, lost her job, but is perfectly fine to lose her job as long
as she finds a good catch (read man). Now in which city / culture in India,
unmarried women date & sleep with 7 men in 6 months? After few pages, I was
feeling sick of reading that book and being a woman felt pathetic to realize
that the book was written by a woman only! All of it look such desperate,
forced projection of so called "modern", "new-generation"
Indian women. And the second theme, wait... do I need to tell you about the second
theme? It's the same - <i>a boy at IIT meets a girl and it's love at first sight,
blah blah & some more blah. </i>Uffff, I know I am picking up wrong books but
then all these have been picked after recommendations on Twitter, Goodreads
etc. I definitely was looking for some light reads or romantic fiction but in
the name of comedy or romance, all I could get my hands on was racy sex, almost
porn content and comedies which were disgusting to the core.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
What happened to the good writers and stories? What happened
to healthy comedies? And what happened to pleasant love stories? With a heavy
heart I think I have decided to not read any Indian author book for next few
months except the mythology ones. I agree, mythological stories these days are
quite well written and engaging for sure. But for other genre, I am going to
stick to non-Indian writers for now . I am also thinking of trying my luck with
Hindi Classics. I have really not read much of Hindi literature and I think
it's time for me to delve into some old gems.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
If I find something really good, I will get back to you with
my review of the same. Until then, if you have any recommendation for good <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fiction, do let me know of the same. By the
way, which site do you refer to for book recommendations these days? Any
pointers please? Any site which is not heavily influenced by paid media yet? Look
forward to your suggestions please :)
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-81685842017016653122016-03-05T13:49:00.002+05:302016-03-05T13:49:23.225+05:30Hello World!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Hello World! I think it's an apt
title for a post that appears on this space after a gap of almost an year. Sigh!
Writing is one love that I don't want to give up on but somehow have been badly
struggling to get back to. Not that I haven't yearned or tried to get back to
my blogs, in fact the number of times I have tried to write a post but have not
been able to complete... (another sigh), innumerable! Though I could manage to
write <a href="https://medium.com/@kanupriyasindhu" target="_blank">couple of posts on medium</a> but then after initial few, a long block again. Blame it on my super crazy schedule now,
a demanding child, demanding job and hundreds of other demands in this or that
aspect of life. I at times wonder if I will ever get some quiet moments for
myself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I also wonder if it would be a
better idea to get back to a diary instead of word docs or online drafts. The
moment you get connected to a digital system, it's simply mind numbing. The
number of tabs opened on your laptop or the number of notifications that are
beeping on your phone - I at times wonder do I really need so many information
about anyone, everyone, anything and everything. Many a times I also take a
conscious effort to turn off internet and start writing few words but then damn
the real life distractions that are unavoidable now.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But I definitely want to get back
to writing again and this time I am trying really hard. Have also thought of
adopting some suggestions by others to find some me-time. I really, really need
to, if not for anything else but for my own peace of mind and for a better me.
Let's see if I am able to and if I can, I will surely get back to you with my
feedback on what worked for me. Until then if you have any suggestions for me,
do drop me a note in comment section below. (<i>Ha ha, high hopes of getting comments when not
even sure if anyone of you still come here :)</i>)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Look forward to more conversation
and interaction with you once again! </div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-87093478351437766622015-04-10T00:27:00.000+05:302015-04-10T20:46:32.498+05:305 reasons why your child should read Brown Like Dosas Samosa and Sticky Chikki<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-ansi-language:EN-IN;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHc7Jb8h28AdBebRGR9YfA1a3r0yHKTAn0qkW9aaac8cSNrzaM3qeZqV07SlXCFvwP4kxchRQyzcjD2z4M98cd6ZrLF7qC_LvP_Sv07p1nHrAvO7L2cFLQKx_RhevTFxyJBj77qwCr810/s1600/FunOkPlease.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHc7Jb8h28AdBebRGR9YfA1a3r0yHKTAn0qkW9aaac8cSNrzaM3qeZqV07SlXCFvwP4kxchRQyzcjD2z4M98cd6ZrLF7qC_LvP_Sv07p1nHrAvO7L2cFLQKx_RhevTFxyJBj77qwCr810/s1600/FunOkPlease.jpg" height="288" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Mentioned it
earlier, saying it again – one Indian publishing house that keeps on bettering
itself with every new release is <a href="http://funokplease.in/" target="_blank">FunOkPlease</a>. Not to follow the rut, this team
has surely managed to create its own niche in children's book industry. And I
get surprised at their choice of story lines - <b>distinct and pertinent always!</b>
Be it <a href="http://mixedexpressions.blogspot.in/2012/07/fun-ok-please-something-interesting-for.html" target="_blank">Toto the Auto</a> or <a href="http://mixedexpressions.blogspot.in/2013/11/alphabet-dress-up-childrens-book.html" target="_blank">Alphabet Dress-Up</a> or Brown Like Dosas Samosa and Sticky
Chikki, each one is truly a gem in itself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got this book few weeks back and the
gorgeous cover design actually brought a smile on my face. In a world that's
obsessed with '<b>fair & lovely</b>', it was good to see the main character of the
story '<b>brown & bold</b>'. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many, I mean really
many reasons why I loved this book but here are top 5 on why your child should
definitely read it:</span> </div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span lang="EN-IN">It's <i>very relevant to Indian
culture</i> where we have varied skin tones but somehow the epitome of beauty has always
been attributed to the fair ones. This obsession for fairness is so deeply
ingrained in our society that at times I get shocked to observe it in younger
girls too. In a world biased towards the lighter tone, here comes Samaira who
is happy and content with her brown skin tone and would not exchange it with
whiter shade for anything. So proud of you Samaira, may the youngsters
understand the deep message that you're trying to communicate!</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN">Like all other FunOkPlease
books, <i>its visually very rich</i> but must say that this has additional charm as
compared to the earlier ones. Maybe it's the fairy land or those yum food, the illustrations
in this books are sure to grab attention of your little ones.</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN"><i>Presentation is excellent, </i>I mean what better
way to communicate the beauty of brown skin to kids than associating it with
chocolate or milkshake :)? Such an important message but presented in such a
fun way.</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN">Its <i>dreamy yet different</i>, no
stereotyping of fairies coming to save your lives, rather Samaira fighting it
out, expressing her views in her own unique way.</span></li>
<li><span lang="EN-IN"><i>Simple and easy to
understand</i>. Whether you read it out to younger kids or let the elder ones read
on your own, the language is very kid friendly and engaging.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN">Still need more
reasons? Ok, so here goes the most important one - it's from the house of
FunOkPlease, an Indian publishing house that's trying to come out with quality
content for Indian kids. Lets support them by reading their books and spreading
the word if you like their content. I as a mother surely love their books. My 3
year old now knows the story of it page by page :). In fact, last weekend
during one of my story telling sessions in a neighburhood library, I actually
narrated this book to kids. Later, two moms came to me and asked who is the
author and where can they buy this book? One of them mentioned that her daughter
doesn't like to go out and play basket ball as she thinks it will
"tan" her skin. And that girl is not more than 10 years old, yes just
10 :(.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN">More power to
Samaira and her likes, may they remain as beautiful and unique always!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtR3LBAZxog0lp5C9iH4WmzxYq7vOnlrACfz65qtYfiyimlL8seY_RZZbPXf5UnlkHeJyEvPHFaWvtT5nVTOsmyClSnTGRiooVHtY-Vczr6wzk8ewr-2Op1kRgMUZh10cieUv7wUVnlKI/s1600/Pictures1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtR3LBAZxog0lp5C9iH4WmzxYq7vOnlrACfz65qtYfiyimlL8seY_RZZbPXf5UnlkHeJyEvPHFaWvtT5nVTOsmyClSnTGRiooVHtY-Vczr6wzk8ewr-2Op1kRgMUZh10cieUv7wUVnlKI/s1600/Pictures1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading out Brown Like Dosa in a story telling event in my neighborhood library<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: justify;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The book is available for online purchase at <a href="http://www.amazon.in/Brown-Dosas-Samosas-Sticky-Chikki/dp/9381593078/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428678399&sr=1-1&keywords=brown+like+dosas+samosas+and+sticky+chikki" target="_blank">amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.flipkart.com/brown-like-dosas-samosas-sticky-chikki-english/p/itme2rpmpzk7nxhw?pid=9789381593073&otracker=from-search&srno=t_1&query=brown+like+dosas+samosas+and+sticky+chikki&ref=246a43c7-be6e-4c41-bf99-53d1bf6163b7" target="_blank">flipkart</a></span></div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-42407484490051463312015-03-16T21:19:00.001+05:302015-03-17T10:31:47.707+05:30Have you watched this?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Just chanced upon this video by Horlicks and within few
minutes I ended up watching it multiple times. That’s the power of great
content I think, more on that on my marketing blog soon. But coming back to my
love for this video – it was actually relatable, totally relatable to me and
full of nostalgia. It reminded me of those childhood days, full of hardships,
struggles, adversities, yet full of optimism, dreams and aspirations to look
forward to. Thanks to our pillar of strength – my mom who was always there like
a shining star guiding us to move ahead even if it was pitch dark many a times.<br />
<br />
Moms are magical. Isn’t it? Not that I don’t have my share
of fights with her on many whats and whys and whatevers but still I think a
supportive mom is all you need to make it in life. As my close acquaintances
tell me – I was always ambitious, a girl from a very small town but with very big
dreams, used to put in honest & sincere effort in everything I did with a
hope that someday I will make it big. Many in my family used to scold my mom to
not support a daughter’s wish so much, to not let me have a thinking horizon of
my own, but she did. Even if she didn’t know how to support, she never stopped
me from dreaming big. Now if I think of
it, she actually didn’t have any resource to support me, nor had she got the
knowledge or background to provide right guidance to me. Yet she was always
there, pillaring whatever I wanted to do with just two lines – “<b>you can do it</b>”
and “<b>don’t worry, I am there</b>”. <b>Just two lines – one for faith and one for reassurance</b>
were sufficient for me to keep moving ahead. At times I wonder if any money or
luxuries in life can ever be as precious as those simple childhood days? I
still smile when I think of those days, sometimes a pleasant smile and
sometimes a teary-eyed smile :).<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In case you haven’t seen this video yet, do check it out:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oH6MYeIX-YY" width="560"></iframe></div>
<br />
BTW, which one was your favorite moment out of it? Mine – the scene where the
mom is dropping the bulb for her daughter’s studies. I still remember the way
mom used to save candles & kerosene for lamps so that I could finish my
studies at night. Oh yes, electricity was a rarity at that place and at that
time :)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>**Nope, this is not at all a plugged post by Horlicks guys,
I was genuinely moved by this #LoveYouMaa video so much that I decided to write
a post on it. Power of great content, you see!</i></div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-22026895046246123252014-11-27T13:06:00.000+05:302014-11-28T11:31:36.761+05:30Anything, Everything, All The Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hola people! Whatsup? I know I know, all of you are busy like crazy in your fast running lives. Hmmpphhh, well same here. Can’t believe it’s almost December now and this year is ending too! Hope everything is going great at your end.<br />
<br />
You know I just attended a great conference, something that I was excited about but it turned to be truly enriching to me in more ways than I had envisaged. While there were many highs about the sessions in that conference (more on those later :)) but there was this one comment by an international speaker that I thought I must share with you all and ask your views on it. As is the case with any conference these days, the speakers were hardly getting any chance to speak as almost everyone in the audience had to speak something after every few minutes, wait let me say after every few ‘seconds’. No I’m serious, <b>people these days have to speak anything on everything and that too all the time</b>. Gone are the days when speakers used to wait for questions, today thanks to internet and the connected smart phones in our hands, everybody in the audience is super smart. Intelligence is available just at the click of our fingers and everybody has profound observations to make on almost everything. People want to be noticed and broadcast their respective moments of fame on Twitter or Facebook or whatsoever social site that is work-in-progress right now. Same was going on in that conference too, mid way interruptions with “I think this” or “my opinion on this is that” kind of unnecessary comments along with “let me get a picture clicked with this celeb speaker” to “let me post this on twitter before anyone else”. Finally one of the international speakers commented – “You Indians are the chattier lot. No, I don’t mean any offence to you, it’s a good thing but among all present in this room from different countries, Indians have maximum opinions on most of the things.” Well, one look at her expression and you knew how ‘good’ she thought it was :D :P. Few of us laughed, few were embarrassed but after sometime, we were back to being the same.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While the session ended but I kept on thinking at her comment for long. <i>Why do we have opinions on almost everything and that too such strong ones? Why do we have such poor listening skills but strong verbal skills? Why do we have this urge to prove “I’m the best” or “I know the best” all the time? Why are we always in a hurry to speak first and prove our point? Why are we always so insecure but trying to project to be oh-so-intelligent and confident all the time?</i> While I personally like the warmth of our relationships and inter-personal equations in Indian culture but aren’t we also too judgmental of each other now? Partly you can say it’s in our culture but I think partly it’s also the age in which we are living in currently. We know too many things about each other now and of course we only know good things about others lives as that’s what we are busy broadcasting socially in our real as well as virtual world. Nobody updates the fight they had with their spouse last night but this one dinner on some rooftop restaurant must be broadcasted to all. And the ones who are having a fight today with their spouse heave a sigh of frustration at this update without realizing that the other one had already gone through similar fights yesterday :D.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Why are we always in this deep need of exhibiting our life to others and why is it increasing day by day? Some amount of competition is good in life but <i>why this competition and pressure for anything & everything and that too all the time</i>? This why and that why and many more whys...</div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-41794359998706470542014-09-10T23:05:00.000+05:302014-09-10T23:05:32.194+05:30Mary Kom: Must watch for every woman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Watched Mary Kom last weekend & to say that I was spellbound would be such an understatement! It was amazing and an absolute treat to watch for rare movie goers like me. Can’t believe I’m calling myself a rare movie watcher now but well that’s the reality of my life these days. This is the second movie that we have watched with the little one, first one being Humpty Sharma in July’14. Yes, you read it right, only two movies till now as I took him for a movie only when he turned 2.5 years old. Before that in last two and half years we got to watch only one movie in theater. On why and why not, a separate post later. In nutshell, didn't watch any movie in theater earlier with the little one in the interest of him as well as other movie goers :). And this reminds me I must write down a post on my experience and preparations of first movie with the little dude... hee hee, I’m sure most new parents would relate to it. And after all those preparations, junior actually slept after five mins :P. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But in Mary Kom, he was awake with eyes big wide open and I think I was not surprised. He gets so excited with any sports and esp. the one that involves ball or dhishum-dhisham. And this movie had both, a bit of football and loads, rather truck loads of dhishum dhisham. He was even trying to imitate the punches sitting on his seat. And I’m happy that he watched it. Yes, I know at such young age perhaps he does not even know what he was watching but this is one Bollywood movie which I think I will make my son watch once he grows up. It’s so inspirational and simply outstanding. And I strongly think that not just kids but perhaps every woman (India or outside, teenager or adult) must-must watch this movie. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Not only it highlights the odds that a girl has to face who dreams differently and dreams big, it also very beautifully brings out the realities of her life when she grows up to be a woman. That passion for her profession, that love for her family; those dreams and ambition, those realities and priorities; that craving for self identity, that devotion for relationships...</b> well, I think I can keep on writing on & on ... Even though I have got nothing to do with sports profession but still I could relate to it so much as its not the reality of one woman or one profession. I think many, rather any woman can relate to it a lot. I only got back to my career full-fledgedly (wait, is it full fledged yet? Can it actually be full fledged ever? In a separate post later maybe :D) earlier this year and there have been so many moments where I just don’t know how to cope up with it any more but I'm still trying to adjust, balance it out and move on. I’m glad my husband insisted me to watch this movie. Definitely gives me more inspiration and courage to keep on following the path that I am on right now. And if I may add further, stories like that of Mary Kom should be actually included in course books, aren't these biographies more relevant for kids of today’s generation than what they get to read otherwise?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Let cynics be busy with their cynicism but I would surely like to say - thank you Sanjay Leela Bhansali for a biopic like Mary Kom, kudos to you Priyanka Chopra for presenting it to us so beautifully. You and the whole team totally rocked it! I was actually teary eyed in some parts of second half of the movie.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>And Salute to Mary Kom for living such an ordinary yet extra ordinary life</i>. After watching this movie, now I plan to know more about you by reading your autobiography too. May you keep on inspiring us like this forever! Some might find these words to be exaggeration but still I will say that women like you deserve standing ovation from the whole nation for not only what you have achieved but for your grit, determination & perseverance. Respect and some more respect.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-68914699495022492462014-08-25T22:48:00.000+05:302014-08-25T22:50:16.994+05:30Talking Parrot - 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Crazy days, crazier nights! No wonder I have not come back to this space for almost 3 months now. 3 months and I must have got at least 13 posts saved in my <i>drafts</i> folder and another 30 in my <i>must-blog-on-this</i> list but damn... this daily madness of my life. A detailed post on what’s keeping me on my toes these days in another post later. For now, let me come back to yet another anecdote in my <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://mixedexpressions.blogspot.in/2014/01/motherhood-guilt-talking-parrot-2.html" target="_blank">Talking Parrot</a></span> <span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="http://mixedexpressions.blogspot.in/2013/10/the-talking-parrot-series-1.html" target="_blank">series</a></span>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Yesterday it was one of those very tiring days; by night I was literally dragging myself to finish the daily chores. It was almost midnight and little one wanted to play basketball at that hour! Oh yes, craziness like these are normal affair in my household now. I have no idea from where does he gets all this energy, I have concluded that he runs on a battery and that too something more powerful than Duracell... <i>chalta hi jaye, chalta hi jaye</i> types. Anyways coming down to the talking parrot series, here’s a replication of the late night conversation between Mumma & Ni:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<i>Ni: Mumma, tya hua? Abhi thelo na piliizzzz. Pilizz, pliiiiiizzzz (He uses “T” for “K” in hindi, so thelo is actually khelo in his language as of now :))<br />Me: (With a very tired expression), Not now Ni. Kal subah khelte hai<br />Ni: (Upset & silent with a pout, looks at me intently)<br />Ni again: Mumma tya hua? Tum thatt dayi ho (Tum thak gayi ho)?<br />Me: (with a sad face) Haan beta, bahot thak gaye hai. Sach mein </i><br />
Ni runs to the fridge, comes back with something in his fist & asks me to sit down.<br />
<i>Ni: Mumma idhal aao, neeche baitho ne et (ek) min mere paas<br />Me: Haan baith gaye, bolo kya hua?</i><br />
Ni immediately opens his fist, shows me some grapes and brings one to my mouth saying: <i>Mumma ye grapes tha lo, tumhara sab thatt theet ho jayega, fruit thane se hum strong bante hai na (Mumma, ye grapes kha lo, tumhara sab thak theek ho jayega, fruit khane se hum log strong bante hai na. Of course it was me who was giving me this gyaan on eating fruits the same evening).</i> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
And lo, Mumma was suddenly all awwww & oooo & teary eyed & lumpy throat! The next moment Mumma ate that grape and hugged him in her cheerful “ole mela beta” mood. Trust me just one grape fed by those tiny little hands and with a face full of innocent love were sufficient enough to charge me for another hour to play many rounds of basketball & football matches with him.<br />
<br />
<b>At times I wonder if moments like these are sudden or seeded in life.</b> As they come unexpectedly on days when you’re really down or frustrated. And one such moment, just one is sufficient enough to make you realize that all this effort is worth it. Totally, absolutely worth it! :). Thank you God for this blessing in life!</div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-30482497235432131112014-05-15T23:58:00.000+05:302014-05-15T23:58:09.408+05:30The Unsocial Social<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
Have you seen this amazing short film titled '<b>Lookup'</b> by Gary Turk? In case you have not, you must! It's an eye opener in true sense and just so pertinent for our times. </div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z7dLU6fk9QY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
We just shift our gaze from one device to another, one conversation to another, one action to another and one interaction to another but sigh... all those seemingly realtime actions or interactions are actually so virtual! Just how conveniently we have,</div>
<ul class="ul1" style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;"><i>replaced gestures like appreciation or acknowledgement with Likes? So much so that if a real moment to appreciate comes, we fumble!</i></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><i>prioritized the need to share a good moment more than enjoying it? Or wait, was it actually a good moment or was it how we would like it to be projected in our virtual world? Perhaps too busy in our screens to even realize it!</i></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><i>fixated our eyes on our screen so much so that even in a real social circle, we are actually busy interacting with our virtual social world?</i></li>
</ul>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
How many of you have actually got 10 tabs open in your laptop right now? Psstt... I do!</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
How many of you start googling some information about the actors or plot while watching any movie?</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
When was the last time you sat at your dining table or went to bed without your mobile?</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
How many of you talk to any person in front of you as well as browse your mobile device simultaneously?</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
How many of you go to a restaurant and after few lines of conversation get back to your Facebook or Twitter app?</div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
Well, these and some more, few more, more and more Whens and Hows and Whys remain unanswered in our lives. Considering the love for digital media that I have, it's very surprising that a post like this is coming from a person like me but then I do think on this quite often now. I wonder many a time as to why did I put my book down just because of that notification for some stupid whatsapp joke? Or that comment trail alert on my mobile app for Facebook? Definitely that was not more important than the piece I was reading or the post I was writing. Why isn't that group of friends on my next table in this coffee shop chatting more in real life instead of taking pictures, uploading and commenting on their respective screens? Wait, whatever little real life conversation that they are having right now is actually revolving around those comments and likes on those pictures in their screens!</div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="p1" style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Why do they call it social networking when all it does is make people more unsocial? </i>Why...</div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-49974328670531399652014-04-07T12:24:00.000+05:302014-04-07T13:30:06.847+05:30India Unlimited: Book Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5f1B8THsGVrZ6IoMOwiKYAnHUkPH5CTPNhFABSK82vWZXpo-UbkCArjGS7QW81g6boG1RwkZ6dASnetTt2o1Vdl73VKx3crogBVjJlm33ITW54NoIplqMQRov-ZLrQucYYoZJ3_wTQc/s1600/India_Unlimited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5f1B8THsGVrZ6IoMOwiKYAnHUkPH5CTPNhFABSK82vWZXpo-UbkCArjGS7QW81g6boG1RwkZ6dASnetTt2o1Vdl73VKx3crogBVjJlm33ITW54NoIplqMQRov-ZLrQucYYoZJ3_wTQc/s1600/India_Unlimited.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></center></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I think I have read a short story collection after really long and that too thankfully turned out to be good, something that I enjoyed throughout. <b>India Unlimited</b> – as the book cover rightly says is a collection of short stories from a nation that’s caught between hype & hope. Authored by <b>Kulpreet Yadav</b>, this book has 31 short stories set against the backdrop of evolving India.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><b>Enthralling, Engrossing & Enjoyable</b></i> - my 3 word reaction for this book would be these! Even though I’m not very much of a short story person but still managed to finish the whole book over a weekend. Interest in one story led to another and so on. Things that I loved about this book:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Intense emotions presented in such a simple language.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Poignant plots, some of the stories never looked like initially could be concluded in a short story, but they did and that too beautifully.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Variety of themes, I mean this book actually presents gamut of varied emotions in 191 pages.</li>
</ul>
<span style="text-align: justify;">It’s difficult to decide whether I liked Billu’s story in </span><i style="text-align: justify;">A Familiar Stranger</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> more or Ram’s emotion from </span><i style="text-align: justify;">The City of Mirrors</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> but amongst all if I have to go for one, I think I would pick the first story of </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Not the only Peanut Seller Who Hasn’t Heard of Osama Bin Laden</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> – it’s nice and simple and emotional or </span><i style="text-align: justify;">The Beautiful People</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> which is again simple yet very hard-hitting. Did I not like anything about this book? Nothing very strongly but yes, definitely found 2-3 stories to be quite vague.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Overall, a book that I enjoyed and surely recommend as a quick read for your weekend. Even if you are not much into short stories but enjoy reading stories about human emotions, then you’re definitely going to enjoy it. Do give it a try.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You can read more about the author Kulpreet Yadav at his <a href="http://www.kulpreetyadav.in/" target="_blank">website</a> and this book is available for INR 159.00 (as on today) at <a href="http://www.amazon.in/India-Unlimited-Kulpreet-Yadav/dp/9382536035/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1396853273&sr=8-5&keywords=india+unlimited" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>*This post is based on review copy sent by the author. Opinions expresses in this post about the book are solely mine.</i></div>
</div>Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2827252481900699781.post-61459932601450101292014-03-31T13:19:00.000+05:302014-03-31T13:22:10.905+05:30Adding colors and freshness to my space but WIP...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hola people, what’s up? I’m back from what you can call some real crazy travel schedule, festival fun with in-laws side of family, new experiences, new memories & new insights on food, travel and relationships! More on those later (<i>note to self: I must take out time to jot down my experiences, as this trip was different in more ways than one</i>) but this post is just to say a big hello to all of you. It’s 31st March today and those of you working in financial sector or business development roles must be having a crazy time today. Good luck, may this year end on a big note for all of you.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And I had a day off yesterday after what seemed like at least a decade! Yes, it was just another Sunday but few things were different – I was sick, down with very high fever, have fallen this sick after long and hence was on bed for most part of the day. Household chores were ignored, child was being taken care only partly by me but primarily by husband and the maid. Even Mr. husband was at home for a change this weekend and for a CHANGE even maid was around at least for few hours this Sunday! Maids in Bangalore, ufff….but more on this again later! </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, after long I got to be on bed at least for few hours and I got the time to play around with my blog that I have been wanting to do for long. The last theme that I updated on this blog was almost 7 years back. In fact a quick look on my “About text” told me that it was last touched 8 years back. It read, “blogging for 4+ years now” whereas in reality, I have been blogging for almost 12 years now! Well, have not changed much on “About” yet but definitely have been trying to work around with a different theme. Have added bit of color, changed the layout and updated it with some new design trends and widgets. During the process, also realized that both wordpress and blogger have changed quite a lot now. Blogger’s own themes are not as per current design trends and customizing it with any other theme has become very time consuming and not that user friendly. This blog change is still only partly completed but I’m actually quite liking it. Don’t know when will I get the time to work on it again but trying to at least finish the basics today. Just a bit of color addition and a different layout itself have motivated me to do this post. Hope I will get the time and energy to be here more regularly now. After all, who doesn’t like freshness to his/her space and as I always say, this is one space of mine that I <a href="http://mixedexpressions.blogspot.in/2013/10/more-optons-lesser-communication.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;"><b>cherish truly and miss it whenever I am away from it for long</b></span></a>!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, do you like this new layout of my blog? Any suggestions for improvement? Lemme know your views please. Bbye until we meet again and hopefully very soon :)</div>
</div>
Kanupriyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277789753188466023noreply@blogger.com6