Day 7 - The Writer's 12-step guide to reacting to a win

1) Receive news of a win/acceptance/publication/good review

2) Dance around the house.

3) Blow your own trumpet on social media.

4) Read the piece that won/was published. Pat yourself on the back. "I'm so brilliant!"

5) Re-read the piece. "Did I really write that? Hmm. Must have been one inspired moment."

6) Re-re-read the piece. "Seriously, I don't think I can write like this again."

7) Eat chocolate. "I can never write another word ever again."

8) Eat more chocolate. "Everybody will come to know that I'm a fraud."

9) Eat a big pack of potato chips. "Why do I even bother getting out of bed?"

10) Pick yourself up, finally, because your family is giving you "the look".

11) Write again. Because, well, you can't not write. And also, deadlines.

12) 1 to 11 - Rinse and Repeat.

Day 6 - TV Series that I've watched - 2

TV Series That I've Watched - 1

The Bletchley Circle - Four women who worked at Bletchley Park get together post-war, and solve murders by using their code-breaking and pattern-finding skills. What's not to like, really?

Fauda - An intense, well-made series based on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I liked it for the gripping action, the wonderful performances by the entire cast, and for the fact that they've shown both sides of the conflict so well that you feel connected and invested in both sides! And I like watching non-western series, one of the reasons being that I love to look at different faces and features. These faces - they were Indian, but not quite. I quite enjoy that.

The Fall - A handsome, athletic man, a great, loving father, but also a serial killer. A cop, cold, confident and focused, out to find him before he finds his next victim. Great performances, very gripping. The second series was extremely slow compared to the first, but it picked up towards the end, and was satisfying.

Dicte -  A Danish series about a journalist, Dicte, who single-mindedly follows up crimes to report on them, and of course, ends up helping solve many of them. Good one. There are a lot of personal elements in this, about Dicte and the people around her.

The West Wing - Probably the first series we watched after getting here. Enjoyed it so much that I sometimes mixed up West Wing events with real events. Also got a good picture of how the American political system works.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries - An Australian period drama of a highly emancipated-for-her-time feminist detective. I enjoyed the first few episodes, but then they got a little repetitive. I should go try the rest now, it has been a while.

Poirot - Agatha Christie's Poirot, of course, with David Suchet's famed performance. I admit Poirot started annoying me after a while, but the series is well-made (not the last couple of them, though - liked the initial episodes much more.)

Annedroids - Okay, this is something (the only thing, actually) that Puttachi watches. It is a fun, award-winning Canadian show for children, with STEM concepts explained in a simple way. Anne is a brilliant girl who has built her own androids, and she and her friends have several adventures. Puttachi started watching this at school (her teacher showed this to class during rainy-day-recess.

I also watched a few comedy series as a background - sometimes to exercise, some while I cook or do other monotonous work. Some of these are Friends, Frasier and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - I don't have to tell you about the first two, I guess, but about the third - Kimmy has been in a bunker for 15 years, kidnapped by some weirdo, and she is now outside and trying to make a life for herself in NY. It was kind of fun, but I think one would enjoy it better if they get all the pop culture references that are a dime a dozen in the series.

I'll add to this list if I remember any more.

Edited to add on March 16th:

Happy Valley - Got to be one of my favourite series, really. The complex main character of Catherine Cawood, a cop, is one of the best I've seen on TV/movies. Stunning performances, gripping storylines. And what characterization, really!

Now it is time for you to suggest some good series! :)

Day 5 - TV Series that I've watched - 1

With all my talk of books, I've not spoken at all about the TV series that I've watched over the last couple of years. On Netflix. Some on Amazon Prime. I feel I must talk about these, because they've been an integral part of my daily life. After all, I love stories, and what difference does it make how it is told?  I'm always on the look out for good series that I can watch, and am very thankful to people who put up reviews. So I'm returning the favour (to whomsoever it may concern) and doing a few posts on the series I've watched.

Breaking Bad - A dying high-school Chemistry teacher decides to cook a batch of crystal meth to make some money for his family before he dies, and before he knows it, he gets sucked into it in a way that you cannot begin to imagine. I don't think I need to talk about this much, seeing as to how everybody seems to have already watched it. I enjoyed it in a weird, obsessed way. S and I started watching it together, but S dropped out after a few episodes. I continued, and finished it. Honestly, watching this series made me realize that all that advice of surrounding yourself with pleasant things because it will make you calm and serene - that advice makes sense. Because watching this was disturbing, even physically. I was glad to finish it and be done with it. A shout out to the character Gus Fring - the most interesting character I've seen in a series, and to the actor who played it - Giancarlo Esposito. What a fascinating face he has.

Downton Abbey - The life and times of a grand family on an old English estate. I have written about it before, about how the characters really held my interest. I had watched most of the seasons back in India on TV. Watched the last season here on Amazon Prime. I admit I have an affinity for these old English dramas, even in books, and this series fulfilled all my requirements. Loved it.

North and South - The story of a young woman whose family moves to the north of England, and how they struggle to adjust to life there. It is based on a novel of the same name. Very small series - just four episodes. But it really impressed me. Okay, to be very honest, it was Richard Armitage, who played the character John Thornton, who is the one of the main reasons for my love for this series. No, but really, the story is good, and the series is well-made.

River - A 6-part British series about a cop fighting psychological battles while looking for the killer of his partner. Very well-made, and great performances by Stellan Skarsgard and Nicola Walker. And the song "I love to love" which plays a part in the series, stayed with me for weeks after.

Wallander (Swedish TV Series): Adapted from Henning Mankell's novels, this is an excellent cop series with Krister Henriksson as Wallander, which we enjoyed. The cinematography is spectacular too.

Wallander (UK TV Series): Yeah, the same character, but different stories, and in English, this time played by Kenneth Branagh. We enjoyed the Swedish one better, but this one is good too.

Orange is the New Black: I am the only person I know who liked OITNB, a women's prison drama series. I admit I got annoyed sometimes, and yet, it did get gross sometimes, but then when it became too much to handle, I simply stopped watching, and continued later, and then I was not annoyed or grossed out any longer. I came to like and feel for the characters (except the main character - her I increasingly detested)

Blacklist: S and I started watching this in India, a set-a-thief-to-catch-a-thief kind of series, and we liked the first season, esp the flamboyance of the character Reddington played by James Spader. The second season, which we watched here in the US, was ok-ok, but the third season was terrible. We finished it out of loyalty.

How to Get Away with Murder: Started off well, this story of a tough lawyer and her students, and liked the first series in spite of the back and forth screenplay. But couldn't get through the second series.

TV Series that I've Watched - 2

Day 4 - The Children First contest

Duckbill Publishers, along with Parag, an initiative of the Tata Trust, and Vidyasagar School, Chennai, conducted a contest called Children First, where they asked for stories which deal with challenges (physical/mental/emotional) that children face, and how, in spite of everything, children are children first.

I had sent in two stories and to my delight, both of them were shortlisted in the top 7 among the 150 entries received.

Today, I heard that that one of my stories is among the 4 winners of the contest. And the other one seems to have something in store for it too. See you tomorrow, I'll let this soak in until then.

Day 3 - Mandatory Puttachi update

Considering that my blog saw an upsurge of readership due to my Puttachi posts during her early childhood, it stands to reason that any readers who happen to be sticking around want Puttachi updates. Honestly, updates on a nearly ten-year-old isn't as much fun as updates on a child who is learning to walk, talk, and reason. (If you're new, do check out old Puttachi updates here. The newer ones are here.) However, since some of you asked, here it is.

Yes, she has just three months to go before she turns 10, as she doesn't stop reminding me. She loves reading (a little too much, if you ask me), and she loves somersaults so much that she actually moves from room to room somersaulting. It can be very funny or very annoying when you are in a hurry. And yes, she is still slow with her meals, although she eats anything and everything that you put in front of her.

She enjoys school, and has a good time doing homework and projects (yes she's that kind of kid.) She has good friends, at school, and at home (her bff lives a couple of doors away).

She is still a cheerful and smile-y girl, like she has always been, though the grumps hit her sometimes. She bounces back well, though.

She likes posing for pictures with flamboyant gestures, as is obvious:

She asks to read some of her childhood posts on my blog, and I curate some of them for her. She enjoys it, sometimes laughing breathlessly. That was my whole point of writing about her, and I'm glad it is bearing fruit.

I love reading out to her, and she loves listening. I also enjoy going for walks with her because she's good company. Another thing we enjoy doing together is learn Spanish.

Her reasoning and outlook on life is a lot of fun to listen to. And very educative. I love the way she thinks, basically. She is also developing a unique sense of humour - subtle, which surprises me at the oddest moments.

I also like her attitude towards most things. She is fearless and confident and willing to learn, always. She whines sometimes, and is lazy most of the times, but I think it can be worked on.

She goes to basketball classes. She is supposed to be learning music from my mom and me, but she doesn't practice.

She is a typical big sister to my niece, whom we meet in the weekends -- she can be huffy and go lock herself up to escape the little one's attentions, or she can be completely big-sisterly and feed her, cuddle her, read to her and play with her.

It is very obvious that the teens are just around the corner, and I have to constantly rethink and relearn ways of dealing with her and connecting with her.

Day 2 - Readers, unlimited

Back in Bangalore, Puttachi was one of the very few children I knew who liked to read. I can think of just 2 or 3 more children of her age who loved books and read as much as she did. Some read off and on, others read just the popular books doing the rounds, but the majority of them didn't read at all.

In contrast, here, I'm yet to find a child who does *not* read. All the kids I've met in our circles, and among Puttachi's friends, are not just readers, but voracious readers. Some of them seem to gobble down books, and they recommend books to each other, and then when the friends are done gobbling the books down, they discuss the stories and characters endlessly.

Kids in stores bring along books while their parents shop for groceries. There is a boy I see in the elevator who reads all the time, even in the elevator, on the way to school. A boy we met recently was shy and reticent until I asked him what he reads, and then he blossomed into a talker who wanted to talk about books and nothing else.

Is this a Bay Area phenomenon? - Was my initial thought. But my friends in other parts of the US tell me that their children love to read too.

All those doomsday prophecies of reading and books going out of fashion, and television taking over -- they all sound ridiculous. 

What is the reason for this book mania? The main reason that pops out at me is the availability of books - plain and simple. Puttachi, for instance, has access to three libraries. The public library, the school library, the class library. She can read, borrow and enjoy multiple books from these collections. And remember, access to all these libraries is free.

The second reason seems to be that books are an integral part of school -- public school, at least. Silent reading is encouraged in class. The librarian at school reads out from a book, continuing each week where they left off the previous week. Their teachers read out books to them. They have projects at school revolving around a classic children's novel each year. Children are encouraged to read for at least 20 minutes every day at home, and they have to submit reading logs each week, for credit. Their schools organize programs (like Bookleggers) where the love of books is kindled.

Obviously, it is hard not to get drawn into the world of books when you are surrounded by books. Besides, with more and more children reading, their peers who aren't too enamoured by books get drawn into conversations, and they probably end up reading too.

What do you think?

Day 1 - A post a day for March

So you thought I'd disappeared? And forgotten this blog? And was using it to link only to my books and the books I've read? Well, I'm back with a post a day for March. And please note that I chose a month with 31 days to show my sincerity.

So what have I been up to? Apart from learning to live in a new country (which sometimes doesn't feel like a different country at all), I've been editing, and I've been writing. I also did some work for a tech start-up. We travelled a fair bit last year, and hopefully, one of the things I'll do this month is do short write-ups on all our travels, with photos, my impressions, and itineraries and other (hopefully) useful information.

My second winter in California wasn't as bad as the first. No chilblains this time (except once) and generally, I've tolerated it better. I've heard people say that - "Oh! Your first winter! Don't worry, it gets better." I wonder why. Does the body adapt? Or is it the mind that adapts?

Before I go, let me leave you with this little bit of news that made me happy.

Chetsang Rinpoche (https://www.facebook.com/drikungkyabgon/)
- liked The Secret Garden
- quoted from it in a public speech while introducing Sonam Wangchuk (who also liked the book!)
- asked for the book to be translated into Tibetan.

If you want to see some reviews and buy the book, this is the place to go for the relevant links.

So I'll see you around with more news and chatty posts.

(Thanks for not giving up on me!)

100 book pact - 81 to 90

81/100 Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

A first-person account of a butler from a distinguished household, during a time when there aren't many left like him. The butler is out on a very rare road trip alone, and the story is told in a series of memories and flashbacks. I enjoyed this one.

82/100 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by EL Konigsburg

A middle-grade novel. An unusually narrated story of a brother and sister who run away from home for an unusual reason, and hide in an unusual place - the museum. Quite liked it.

83/100 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

A story told through in the POV of a 9 yo boy called Bruno, who becomes friends with a boy in Auschwitz, on the other side of the fence.
I had to wait for nearly 6 months to get this book at the library, since there were that many people in line before me to read this book. I can't quite decide how to rate it. On one hand, it gripped me and chilled me, so I do understand why the book is so popular. On the other hand, there was an underlying sense of dissatisfaction that the events are unrealistic, and Bruno and his sister don't act their age at all in any way. I am all for an author taking some license with events and facts, but this, I felt, stretched it a little too much, and I kept saying, "Aw, come on, this can't possibly happen." (And I'm not talking about the finale.) It diluted the enjoyment for me.
"prince"

84/100 The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Set in the 1960s in Mississippi, this is a book told in the voices of three women - two black, one white. The black women are maids who work in the house of white women. It is a book about race and relationships.
One of those books that I just couldn't put down. I kept finding reasons not to sleep/work/exercise so that I could get back to this book. I think I'm more in awe at the writer's storytelling skills than anything else. She's done the three voices so well. She's got those characters fleshed-out beautifully.

85/100 The Maid of the North: Feminist Folktales from Around the World by Ethel Johnston Phelps.

You know how it is with fairy tales being full of damsels in distress whose only destiny is to get married? This book seeks to place before us stories from different cultures that satisfy everything that fairy tales need to - the magic, the fantasy, the adventure -- but the women here are smart, clever, and courageous. And if they happen to be beautiful, it is only because it is an essential part of the story. They are also independent, know their minds, and take charge of their own lives, not waiting for men to help, and sometime assist men too. And even men are more well-rounded here, without being limited to being "handsome" and "prince".

An interesting side-note: Puttachi had no idea that these were supposed to be women-centric and feminist stories -- she hadn't observed the title. Halfway through the book, when one of the female characters in a story was in trouble and there was a man who was worried about her, Puttachi said, "Ha, why is he worried? She can look after herself. Doesn't he realize that?" I am not sure if it is Puttachi's general opinion about the independence of women that made her say this, or whether, already conditioned by the tone of the stories that went before this, she had already accepted and internalized that the women in this book were capable of looking after themselves. If it is the latter, then that is why we need more books where women play strong roles. Women being strong and capable must not be looked upon as something to marvel about and comment upon -- just like a brave, strong hero is not considered an anamoly -- that is where we should be headed as a society.

The book is great to read aloud - it has a lyrical beauty, and it is simple. Also, it is complex enough to keep adults engaged, but not so dark as to make kids uncomfortable.

#100bookpact #100bookspact

86/100 Kunti's Confessions by Women's Web

https://www.amazon.in/Kuntis-Confessions-Other-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B01NCSCXY2?ie=UTF8&keywords=kunti%27s%20confessions&qid=1485495608

Inspired by words from books by India's best women's authors, this bunch of 15 stories are funny, pensive, heart-warming and philosophical. They are stories of hope, strength and feminism in its various hues.
Most of them are well-written, especially if you consider that the writers are amateurs (Are they really? A short bio of each writer would have been nice! It would've inspired other aspiring writers!)
I agree with what Aparna, the editor of Women's Web writes in the introduction, "Reading these (stories) was a revelation as to how many talented writers exist today in India, and how many of them are unafraid to draw deeply upon the stories often hidden under the surface of women’s lives."
A big thumbs up to both Aparna and Sandhya Renukamba for putting these stories together. I hope there are more collections to come, and I hope that they get better and better.

87/100 Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino

A pageturner. Even though I had to make a list of all those dozens of Japanese names to keep track of all the characters, it didn't slacken my pace. I loved how the author creates all these inter-connected characters and reveals the pieces of the puzzle to us piece by delicious piece. And another thing I admired in the storytelling is how the author narrates the developing story of the main characters over the years, through the eyes of minor characters. Some of these minor characters fall by the wayside (sometimes, literally) and some go on till the end of the book, but that's a clever writing trick, and difficult to do well, I would think.

88/100 Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

A true graphic memoir of a girl in Iran who lived through the Islamic revolution, through persecution, and through the Iraq war. Hard-hitting, informative. Witty, funny. Heart-breaking. Amazing.

89/100 Devi, Diva or She-Devil by Sudha Menon

My book review for Women's Web

90/100 How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Useful, practical, and generally common-sense advice on parenting. A good guide for interacting with others with kindness and understanding. Actually I think it will do us all a world of good if we read it and practice these suggestions with each other (as well as with children).

Goodreads Author Page

Just wanted to share with you my Goodreads Author page.

If you've read The Secret Garden, would you mind leaving a review/rating here? The Secret Garden on Goodreads.

As for Avani and the Pea Plant, if you have not read it yet, you can read it online here - Avani and the Pea Plant on Storyweaver.

And once you're done reading it, could you hop over to Goodreads, and leave a rating for me here? Avani and the Pea Plant on Goodreads.

If you don't have a Goodreads account, I must tell you that it is a wonderful way to keep track of the books you read and the books your friends are reading. And it is free, and sign up is easy!

Giveaway of The Secret Garden

If you are still around and haven't given up on me due to the inactivity on my blog, here are two things I want to tell you:

1) I'm going to do a post-a-day on my blog soon, and make up for all the silence.

2) There's a giveaway of my book The Secret Garden happening on Indian Moms Connect. Here is the link (at the end of a lovely review).

One copy up for grabs in India, and one in the US. Do sign up!

More about The Secret Garden:

Why don't fig trees bear any flowers?
What is the relationship between a gigantic fig tree and a tiny fig wasp?
Why are hornbills such great parents?
And what does a hornbill have to do with fig trees and fig wasps?

Find answers to these questions and much more in The Secret Garden, an engaging book with beautiful illustrations and rib-tickling cartoons. The book tells you all about the fascinating relationships between living beings in nature, and why one cannot survive without the other.

100 Book Pact - 71 to 80

71/100 The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
Ellie's scientist-grandfather experiments on himself and turns into a young boy who is barely a couple of years older than her. As Ellie adjusts to a new school, new friends, and a new (?) grandfather, she also learns about the immense possibilities of science, and about how far it can go - sometimes too far.
This book ticks a lot of boxes for me - it has science, open-mindedness, the importance of questions, strong female characters, cultural diversity -- it is even set in the Bay Area haha! So I should have liked this book better than I actually did. I have no explanation for that, though.
Appropriate for 10-14 ages, I think. Some of the ideas might be too much for younger readers to appreciate. Puttachi hasn't read it yet, so I can't say for sure.

72/100 Infinity Ring Book 1: A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner.
This is a series of books, each by different authors, about two children who live in a parallel universe, but keep going back in time to "breaks" in history, and try to set things right. In terms of literary merit, this doesn't have much going for it. But the storytelling and plot is exciting - just what a kid would want to grab and read. Puttachi is on the fourth book now, but I stopped at this one.

73/100 Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Puttachi saw this in the library of a different county, and thought it looked interesting. After all, it is about a boy who wants dogs desperately, and she identified with him :) So I got it from our county library, and both of us tried reading it simultaneously. Billy Colson wants two coon hounds, so that he can hunt raccoons. The book speaks about a very different time and life, in rural America decades ago. The book is autobiographical, and is full of hunting and killing and skinning of raccoons. It does have a whole lot of dog-love and loyalty and friendship and bravery. But the hunting got a little too much. I had gone ahead in the story, and after one point, where there was a particularly gory incident, I told Puttachi to stop reading it, knowing her as I do. She agreed with alacrity, which probably means that she wanted to stop too. I ploughed on ahead and finished it, and can see why it is a classic, but I wouldn't recommend it in a hurry.

74/100 Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag

Rarely has a book been recommended to be by more people. And I can see why. Most (perhaps all) the people who suggested that I read it have read the English translation by Srinath Perur, which I've heard is very good. But I decided to read the Kannada original, because, well, why not?

It is the story of a middle-class family that attains sudden wealth. There are so many things to praise in this novella. The nuances. The details. The emotions. The depiction of the way that the nature of humans change, with variations in their fortunes. And the characters! So clear! And when they change, they do so true to their nature, making one wonder -- was that behaviour really surprising? Wasn't that characteristic present in them all this time? Didn't it just come out now, thanks to circumstances?
The sense of foreboding in the novel is a character in itself. Its presence is so slight that sometimes you wonder if it is even there. And then, the ending, which initially disappointed me. But as I dwelt on it and turned it over in my mind, I realized that this was the best ending that this story could have had. And this ending gave the story another layer. I simply have to read it again.

By the way, the Kannada book is actually a collection, and has other short stories of Vivek Shanbhag's. They are good too.

75/100 A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Short review: Absolutely loved it.
Long review: I'd placed a request on this book at the library, but knew it would be some time before I got it. So in the meantime, I got another book by him "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry", but I couldn't get through that one at all. I almost wondered if I should read A Man Called Ove after all. But I'm so thankful I did.
Ove is a grumpy man who isn't what he looks like. That's all I'd like to say about him without giving too much away. The shades and the layers in this character are phenomenally well-done. This is one of those books that gave me satisfaction in so many respects. I laughed, I cried (while reading it in public, and got strange looks), I was touched, I was inspired. And probably another reason I liked this so much that Ove is a lot like a certain man I know, and I had to stop reading at times in order to hold my tummy and laugh at, and appreciate the similarities.

76/100 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

After a long tussle about whether to continue reading the Harry Potter series to Puttachi, or wait until she is older, I caved in, and continued, partly because more and more of her peers are finishing the series and it is becoming nearly impossible to keep her away from spoilers.

We hurtled through the sixth book, thanks to things heating up in the story, and very often, I ended up with a strained and croaking voice, reading through long passages. As I write this review, we are already on the seventh book.

*Spoilers ahead*

For Puttachi, last week was a double disaster because, within a few hours, she went from 'What? Trump won?" to "What? Snape killed Dumbledore?"

Somehow, she has always been an ardent believer in Snape. ("I'm sure he is secretly good.") So she is deeply disappointed at the turn of events. Now I can't wait for her to find out that she wasn't wrong after all.

Here's to the final book!

77/100 The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schiltz

This is the diary of a girl who escapes drudgery on a farm, to go to Baltimore to work as a hired girl. She is employed by a Jewish family who is kind to her. A beautiful, sensitive book of growing up, discovery, feminism and freedom. This is a young adult book, but I think adults will appreciate it too. Too early for Puttachi, though.

78/100 The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende

I like Allende's writing. Simple and flowing, and lyrical and deep. This book speaks about the many different kinds of love. Informative too - I didn't know much about Japanese internment camps before I read this.

79/100 The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountain by Neil Gaiman

I haven't read anything by Neil Gaiman before, so I picked this up on a whim. It is a graphic novel, and the story itself is like a short story. I wasn't too crazy about the kind of illustrations, though I must say that some of them gave me creeps and I had to hide them with another book while I read the text. So they are effective, obviously, and definitely suit the text which is very dark and macabre. And yes I did like the story.
I almost gave it to Puttachi to read before I did - glad that I didn't. By no means is it for children.

We did it! My throat is raw, my jaw is stiff, but I just finished reading aloud to Puttachi -

80/100 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

With a lot of nail-biting and wide-eyed apprehension and tumbling around the floor with joy and excitement, Puttachi absorbed the final chapters. I had to take several breaks to choke back tears all through the book, with Puttachi waiting patiently or offering to take over when I couldn't continue.

Now I can finally sit back and relax, and not worry about stifling Harry Potter spoilers that seemed to be waiting in every corner, poised to spring out at her.

Once again -- especially now that I'm making feeble attempts at writing a short novel -- I am in awe of Rowling, her capacity for imagination and her painstaking detailed planning of this complex plot.

We started the first book 18 months ago, during our move from Bangalore to the Bay Area. And now it is done.

The question now is - what next?

San Francisco

- Have I told you that I love San Francisco? Something about it. The charming houses, the juxtaposition of the old and the new and the weird, the skyscrapers, the graffiti, the sense of vastness, the crazy inclined roads.
- It has character, something that the suburbs -- even with their wide open spaces, and the hills (green now) and even though one such surburb is home to me -- don't have.
- Going to San Francisco is a sure-fire way to recall that I am in the US. Else, most of the time, I forget ;)
- I saw San Francisco in darkness for the first time this weekend. The night lights, the skyline with those lit windows - they drive me crazy with delight.
- A San Francisco winter evening is like being in a Christmas movie. Without the snow.

Two more publications

A short story in Spark

Cover story in India Currents

Article in National Geographic Traveller India

Ever since I was a little girl, I've held National Geographic magazine in awe and respect, and so, imagine my delight to have an article published in the November issue of Nat Geo Traveller India.

You can read it on Page 32 here - https://issuu.com/11blabmagg655/docs/9scsdcs

Come and say hello at FSACC!

The Festival of South Asian Children's Content, presented by Indian Moms Connect is going to be held on Nov 5th, at ICC Milpitas, California. It promises to be an exciting event - do see the Facebook page and website for details.

I'll be reading from Avani and the Pea Plant at 11 am. I'll have with me little jars with pea plants in different stages of growth, for kids to see, and hopefully be inspired!

If all goes well, I'll also have lots of copies of The Secret Garden for sale. 

Do come over, and say hello! And get signed copies of my books! If you don't live around here, or cannot attend, please do share the event details with friends and family who might be interested.

The details of the event:

Venue: India Community Center, 525 Los Coches St, Milpitas, CA 95035

Date: Nov 5th 2015

My session: 11 to 11 30 am.

See you there!

Book Pact - 61 to 70

61/100 - The 100-year-old man who climbed out the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
An unusual story of a centenarian who decides to avoid his 100th birthday party at the senior home, and skips town, going on a long journey and leaving bodies and unbelievable stories in his wake. The story see-saws between the present and the old man's past as a bomb-maker who has participated in the major events of the world. The book was fun about half-way through. Then the novelty wore off, and I skim-read the rest of the book.

62/100 - A Few of the Girls by Maeve Binchy
Had never read anything by this author before, and I thoroughly enjoyed the simplicity and beauty of her words, and the amazing insight she has into human psychology. This was a collection of short stories, and I read them in bits over a long time, partly to savour them, and partly to not get muddled up over the narratives. I'm going to try her longer works next. Any recommendations?

63/100 - The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
I wasn't expecting this kind of a story when Puttachi pleaded with me to read this book. This is essentially a book about the beauty of nature, and the importance of bravery and friendship, with a little fairy protagonist, written with sensitivity and love by an author I have come to admire.

64/100 - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
A beautiful, moving story of a bookstore owner in a small town. Unlikely storyline, engaging narrative, and sympathetically written. Loved it.

65/100 - Writing down the bones by Natalie Goldberg
One of the better books on writing that I've read. It is honest, encouraging, and kind. Halfway through the book, I was sure this was the best book I've ever read on the subject of writing, but towards the end, I changed my mind. Not the best, but among the better ones. Deserves a re-read.

66/100 This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
This is a collection of her published essays, essentially her memoirs. It contains one essay on writing, "The Getaway Car" which I would say is the one essay that any writer needs to read. It also has a foreword she wrote for "Best American Short Stories 2006" which talks of my favourite form of fiction - the short story. The rest of the essays are good too.

67/100 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
I read this one out to Puttachi over the summer. I don't remember reading this before at all, though I know I did. Phew, its a big book. On one hand, I kept thinking -- get on with it, enough with the description! And on the other hand I couldn't marvel enough at the depth and the width of her imagination. Rowling's success lies in this - that she has built this wide, believable world full of the tiniest details, allowing the reader to get completely immersed in it. And if anybody had ever told me that I would read such a big book out to somebody, I would have laughed at them. The things we do for our kids! To be honest, though, sometimes, my throat would get hoarse but we would be in the middle of an exciting thing, and then Puttachi would take over and read it out to me.
Anyway, it was fun, though ideally, I would have liked Puttachi to wait for some more years before she read the 5th, 6th and 7th books.

68/100 Criminal Tendencies: Great Stories by Great Crime Writers by Mark Billingham
I don't recall why I picked up this book. Was in a mood for crime (reading it, that's all) but wasn't in the mood for something long, I guess. Anyway, it was okay. A collection of stories by famous and emerging crime writers. Only about 3-4 stories among the 20 or so in the book were good.

69/100 The Charming Quirks of Others (Isabel Dalhousie series) by Alexander McCall Smith
Too meandering a story for my taste, and too much of pondering over ethics and morals. Besides I couldn't bring myself to like, or even tolerate Isabel Dalhousie, and it became worse after I found shades of Anne of Green Gables in her (of whom I'm not too fond). Yet, I ploughed through the book out of loyalty for the author, but halfway through, I just gave up and skimmed through to the end.

70/100 Swimming Lessons and other stories from Firozsha Baag, by Rohinton Mistry
I've been bowled over by Mistry's novels. They are dark and depressing but leave an indelible mark on your mind, and they always leave me with the feeling that I shouldn't have read them, and at the same time, that I'm glad I read them. I hadn't read these short stories of his, though, and they didn't appeal to me as much.

Spanish

It all started off, for me, with the yellow boards on recently cleaned floors, saying, "Cuidado: Piso Mojado" and in English, "Caution: Wet Floor".

I love languages, and when a new language constantly makes its presence obvious to me, I feel the need to learn it. Learning a new language is like being able to get a glimpse into another world.

In many public places here in California, there are boards in both Spanish and English, and for me, it was but a natural progression to want to learn Spanish.

Duolingo came to the rescue. It is free, and fun and convenient. Both the website and the app are great to learn from. Puttachi and I have been learning Spanish together over the summer.  It's exciting to recognize words written in Spanish on boards, and to guess what the notice is about, without having to look at the English version.

It cracks both of us up when we speak like this - "It's going to be cold manana, so don't forget to take your chaqueta azul, and I'm going to cut manzanas and put quesa in your emperadado for el desayuno" :)

It doesn't have Indian languages yet, but I read that Hindi will be added early next year.

Avani and the Pea Plant on Storyweaver

You can now read Avani and the Pea Plant online in English, Hindi and Marathi.

Read it here.

Share it with the little ones in your life, please! And I would love, love, love feedback!! :)

Roald Dahl's stories for adults

Here's a piece I wrote for Scroll.in, on Roald Dahl and his stories for adults.

Read it here.

The Olympics

The Olympics has the power to move me to tears, and a lot of it flowed in the past two weeks.

Those emotions on display.

Those remarkable, beautiful bodies - fit, ready, and tuned to reach great heights.

That grit, the determination.

The thought of all the hard work of these athletes through the years, all for this single moment.

The sacrifices and dedication of the unseen forces behind the athletes.

The thought of those who couldn't make it so far.

It is a sobfest. And the end of the Olympics is always bittersweet - I'm glad that I witnessed another Olympics, but there is a wistfulness that I've to wait another four years for the next Summer Olympics.