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Month: October 2020

> 2020 > October
Review: The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett

AuthorSurbhi SinhaUpdated onOctober 25, 2020December 7, 2020 CategoriesBook Review0 Comment

Review: The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett

I have to begin by saying that I have been jumping to read this book since June this year and if you’ve been a regular customer of the wordsmith who is Ken Follett, you know you will not be left disappointed! I am glad I chose to re-read The Pillars of the Earth (click here …

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Review: Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar

AuthorSurbhi SinhaUpdated onOctober 9, 2020December 7, 2020 CategoriesBook Review0 Comment

Review: Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar

“People had to grow on their own, make their own decisions, good and bad. It was those mistakes and the choice or refusal to learn from them that gave life—and art—their texture, their meaning. It had to be a choice.” Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar is a beautiful coming-of-age story about a girl – Sheetal …

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Review: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

AuthorSurbhi SinhaUpdated onOctober 5, 2020December 7, 2020 CategoriesBook Review0 Comment

Review: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett is an epic masterpiece set in 12th century England encompassing the construction of a cathedral in the small town of Kingsbridge. It is the first novel to the Kingsbridge trilogy and its prequel – The Evening and the Morning – having come out recently, I thought it’d …

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// you made a fool of death with your beauty by ak // you made a fool of death with your beauty by akwaeke emezi // how do you feel about unconventional messy love stories? you made a fool of death with your beauty, the title inspired by the lyrics of the song hunger by florence + the machine is emezi’s first attempt at romance and in most ways a solid attempt nonetheless. the book introduces us to the protagonist feyi, a young widow artist also attempting many firsts after the death of her high school sweetheart in a car accident. she isn’t out looking for love, she’s really not out looking for anything in particular and just wants to have a good time i suppose. but the next person she falls in love with… well let’s say it was pretty messed up. how? statistically love is messed up most of the time, but imagine taking the girl you like home only for her to fall for your widowed father… while yes, love is love but still, ouch. that’s pretty much the story folks. who does she finally end up with? how messy does it get? did emezi do a good job with their first romance novel? i can’t say i’m a fan yet. i appreciate the attempt at trying to tell a story that makes you question your own beliefs on what’s ok and till what limit but this story wasn’t for me personally. ofc, emezi in their fashion added a few beautiful and thought provoking sentences but they didn’t amaze me as much as the proverbs did in the death of vivek oji, which though wasn’t a romance book but felt more like one over their latest. i’d like to say a special thank you to @penguinindia @faberbooks and @me.kainth for sending across a review copy of the book and allowing me to dive into akwaeke emezi’s latest. #theurbanreader #youmadeafoolofdeathwithyourbeauty #youmadeafoolofdeathwithyourbeautyreview #penguinindia #akwaekeemezi #faberbooks #hungerflorenceandthemachine #romance #lovestory #loveislove #pinkbook #romancebooks #bookworm #unitedbookstagram #dehibookstafam #delhibookstagrammer #delhibookstagram #reader #theauthorizedbookclub #bipocbookstagrammar
“That this blue exists makes my life a remarkabl “That this blue exists makes my life a remarkable one, just to have seen it. To have seen such beautiful things. To find oneself placed in their midst. Choiceless.” ~ Bluets, Maggie Nelson #theurbanreader #bluets #adventure #leh #pangonglake #thrillophilia #adventure #bipocbookstagram #lehdiaries #mountains #travelgram skies #clouds #vacationvibes #wanderer #wanderlust #ladakh #ladakhtrip #ladakhdiaries #naturelovers #sukoon #thehobbit #adventuretime #hobbitadventures #thelordofthering #delhibookstafam #delhibookstagrammer #indianblogger #blue #favoritecolor #50shadesofblue
// the death of kirti kadakia - a review // allow // the death of kirti kadakia - a review // allow me to begin with some personal back story on how i ended up picking up this book in particular. just before going on a week long vacation to leh i characteristically fell sick and when sick, one never wants to read philosophy. a fast paced entertaining book works best and fortunately the death of kirti kadakia delivered. the book is set amidst the high society of temple hill, where our protagonist, radhika - a writer - has just come back from the states after a terrible end to a relationship which affected both her mental health and her career. she happens to realise a couple of days after being back that her closest friend hasn’t reached out to her and chooses to give her a visit. it’s during this visit that the story truly unfolds. her friend’s father, kirti kadakia is dead. the state in which the man was found suggests suicide but the two friends suspect foul play. as radhika moves into her parent’s old house which is in the same building as that of the kadakia’s she decides to help out her friend and puts on her nancy drew cap. food is integral to the story as the book unravels several food items from within the jain and gujarati community. in fact a food item is also evidence to this suspected murder. any guesses on which dish was used to kill kirti kadakia? there are instances where you’ll take well estimated guesses on who the murderer may be but you’ll never really be sure until the very end. the experience of reading it was like watching a murder mystery tv series and i wouldn’t be surprised if a tv adaption is on its way. full of twists and turns and revelations which keep you on your toes, @meetishroffshah packs a punch with a masaledaar bollywood ending. i am glad i chose the death of kirti kadakia to keep me company while resting and recovering, so do i recommend? yes. thank you @bloomsburyindia for sending across a review copy which I enjoyed thoroughly. #theurbanreader #bipocbookstagram #thedeathofkirtikadakia #bloomsburyindia #bloomsburypublishing #meetishroffshah #murdermystery #murdermysterybooks #bookrecommendations #indianmurdermystery #indianmurderstories #detectivestories
This hobbit went on an adventure! 😁🌻🏔 I This hobbit went on an adventure! 😁🌻🏔 I didn’t read any books on this vacation, I was too busy reading mountains, clouds, trees and streams instead. ♥️ #theurbanreader #mountains #travelgram #lehdiaries #leh #skies #clouds #travelreels #vacationvibes #reelsinstagram #wanderer #wanderlust #ladakh #ladakhtrip #ladakhdiaries #tibetanflags #naturelovers #sukoon #pangonglake #sometimes #reelsviral #thehobbit #adventuretime #hobbitadventures #thelordofthering #bipocbookstagram #delhibookstafam #delhibookstagrammer #indianblogger #thrillophilia
The mountains called and I had to go. 🏔🤍 #t The mountains called and I had to go. 🏔🤍 #theurbanreader #mountains #travelgram #lehdiaries #leh #123reelsviral #123reel #countdownreel #skies #clouds #travelreels #vacationvibes #reelsinstagram #wanderer #wanderlust #ladakh #ladakhtrip #ladakhdiaries #tibetanflags #naturelovers #sukoon #thrillophilia #funtimes
// soul and body // part 4 of the book was back t // soul and body // part 4 of the book was back to talking about tereza as it did in part 2. while i found myself understanding tereza better in that part, here i found myself losing that understanding of her. she is still haunted by her childhood memories and she is still dealing with tomas’ infidelity and her own fidelity. but now the book has taken yet another turn to explore the politics of what happened in czechoslovakia in the late 1960s and its impacts on the people who believed they were making a difference during the invasion. i can’t say i enjoyed this part much but here are some interesting snippets from it: • “when a private talk over a bottle of wine is broadcast on the radio, what can it mean but that the world is turning into a concentration camp.” this makes me think how people value privacy less and less in today’s age. the power for someone to take screenshots of private conversations most probably held in confidence. the power tech companies hold with all the data that they collect. so my question to you is with the internet and its tools, are we living in a free world or is it just an illusion and the whole world is in fact a concentration camp of sorts? “almost from childhood, she knew concentration camp was nothing exceptional or startling but something very basic” • “she thought of the days she had spent photographing tanks. how naive they had been, thinking they were risking their lives for their country when in fact they were helping the russian police.” • “people usually escape from their troubles into the future; they draw an imaginary line across the path of time, a line beyond which their current troubles will cease to exist.” #theurbanreader #theunbearablelightnessofbeing #milankundera #bipocbookstagram #milankunderabooks #milankunderaquote #faberandfaber #philosophyquotes #bodyandsoul #bodyandmind #plato #aristotle #sacrifice #motherhood
// #bookstagramreadsthebooker // book 1/13 - smal // #bookstagramreadsthebooker // book 1/13 - small things like these by claire keegan this book has taken bookstagram by a storm ever since it’s been shortlisted for the booker prize this year. one of the major reasons being it’s length. it borders being called a short story, maybe even a novella. it’s being called the shortest ever book to be long listed for the booker prize. and everyone wants in on having read at least one booker nominated book before the final winner is announced. if you want to get started too, i highly recommend this one to begin with. this is a small book of many small things which collectively makes a big impact. initially you are wary as to how much of the story will the author deliver in under 60 pages, but here you have keegan taking up that challenge and delivering! the story is complete, it doesn’t end on an unsatisfactory note. you are made fully aware of what might come next, and THAT is indication enough that the story has done it’s job. the author has shown restraint in not writing more while conveying all that needs to be conveyed and that is of course commendable. this story is set in ireland in the mid 1980s. our protagonist bill furlong, a coal and timber merchant is a man who came from nothing, he’s a man born out of wedlock and that information is essential to the story when you read on. he lives a decent life, has a wife and 5 wonderful daughters to go home to, is well respected, but he’s always hoping to live a little rather than continue on with his mechanical routine. until this point in the book, you’ve reached the half way mark and you start wondering, what’s the point of all this information, the author won’t finish the book with all loose ends tied. you start preparing for a disaster and are getting ready to write this review with all your criticisms. but how the story takes for a turn by introducing the magdalene laundries. “the magdalene laundries were part of an interlocking system of orphanages, industrial schools, “mother and baby homes” for unwed mothers and church-run institutions in which ireland once confined tens of thousands of its own.” contd. in comments…
// misunderstood words // entrepreneur jim rohn s // misunderstood words // entrepreneur jim rohn said, "words do two major things: they provide food for the mind and create light for understanding..." but what happens when words are misunderstood? if you google commonly misunderstood words you’ll come across words which are misused not misunderstood. what is a misunderstanding? according to the oxford dictionary, “a failure to understand something correctly”. but then who gets to decide what is correct? the third part of milan kundera’s the unbearable lightness of being touches upon this thought and he goes ahead to create a mini dictionary of misunderstood words. in this dictionary you’ll find words like woman, fidelity, betrayal, music, parades and even new york to name a few. this dictionary emphasises on “one’s normal could be another’s chaos” and it was an eye opener in many ways to read the different perspectives on the words we choose to use casually every single day. words simply do not remain words when you link them to experiences, to circumstances and situations. after reading this, i want to re-emphasise on why trigger warnings are important, I want to re-emphasise that words do matter, as readers, as writers, as creators it becomes imperative to use them and choose them wisely. further in part three, kundera turns the tables to focus on someone who until now i believed to simply be a side character - sabina. and how oh how has sabina shined and dulled through it. sabina is a character who can’t fit in a box, no matter how hard you try to fit her into it. she can’t and she wouldn’t. and what an ahhh moment it was when he finally uses the title with respect to her life. 🤌🏼 then there is franz, a man who has lived in privilege all his life but romanticises only the “thought” of a life of hardship. •smh• at this point in the book, i have no idea where the author is going to lead us to now. will he uncover more of the lives of the characters he’s introduced so far or will we be up for another philosophical monologue? #theurbanreader #theunbearablelightnessofbeing #milankundera #bipocbookstagram #milankunderabooks #milankunderaquote #faberandfaber #misunderstoodwords #wordsmatter #words
// surbhi core // surbhi core is… introducing // surbhi core // surbhi core is… introducing myself as a reader first everywhere i go, calling myself a city dweller and a regular customer of the world’s wordsmiths. it is being on a constant outlook for cafés and bookstores whilst carrying one book with me wherever i go. surbhi core is having a love-hate relationship with water and weather because all year round i wait for the next season only to complain about it and wait for the next. surbhi core is all about having healthy boundaries and spreading kindness in the same breath. it’s about making mistakes and learning from them. it’s about finding the beauty in the mundane and finding people with whom silence isn’t awkward. surbhi core is saying hi to strangers, loving cats and making lasagna on the weekends. it’s also about failing to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe but trying again and again anyway. surbhi core is dreaming of the shire and collecting all things LoTR. it’s also searching for sapphira in the clouds and not killing spiders because they remind me of charlotte from charlotte’s web. surbhi core is finding peace in sunsets, beaches, daisies and clouds. it’s in knowing forgiveness is more for yourself than for others. it’s in believing that love truly wins over hate. surbhi core is standing up for what you believe in and at the same time knowing the fine line between suggesting and enforcing ideas. it’s about patiently helping you see that you’re a feminist and not bashing you into it. lastly, surbhi core is all about the strengths and the flaws within, it’s all about choices and now more often than not being referred to as the urban reader. so, hi! ♥️ also, hi again @abhinavbamhi (you can spot him in the back)😄✋🏼 thank you @tbb_box for this amazing initiative to meet folks again 💕 #meetme #surbhicore #thebigbookbox #tbbbox #theurbanreader #bookstagramindia #readersofindia #welovebooks #bipocbookstagram #faqirchandbookstore #khanmarket #sukoon #meetthebookstagrammer #indianblogger #bloggerindia #delhibookstafam #delhibookstagram #delhibookstagrammer #unitedbookstagram #bookworm #books #bookstagram
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theurban_readerThe Urban Reader@theurban_reader·
24 Sep

Hi @BangaloreRoomi @twitrbnb @flatshareblr

Looking for a 2 BHK in a gated society in Electronics City Phase 1, hmu if you have any leads?

Would prefer it to be semi furnished or fully furnished.

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ThisisLLNDisgruntled Pelican 🏳️‍🌈@ThisisLLN·
14 Aug

Zlib is getting banned in India which means an amazing, FREE source will soon become inaccessible and that is absolutely fucking outrageous!
I am making a thread of sources which can be used to navigate this ban (will keep updating). It's not the answer but hopefully will help.

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zookozooko❤ⓩ🛡🦓🦓🦓@zooko·
12 Aug

Today is a good day for everyone to post this.

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blakeaburgeBlake Burge 💡@blakeaburge·
30 Jul

Google Sheets isn't Excel.

But it's more powerful than you think.

10 things Sheets can do, you'll wish you knew yesterday: 📊

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theurban_readerThe Urban Reader@theurban_reader·
31 Jul

The internet is too calm today.

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