This is a new feature which I’m introducing on my blog. At the end of every month, I’ll write a list of around 5-7 books which I really enjoyed reading the month. Hope you enjoy!
Best Books I read in January 2021
The Magnus Chase Series by Rick Riordan This series is about Magnus Chase, a 16 year old boy who lives in Boston. He’s homeless and has two good friends, Hearth and Blitz. But when he accidentally dies, he opens up a whole new world of Norse myths and legends. These books are really amazing and they’re definitely one of my top.
The Giver by Lois Lowry This is the first book in a quartet. Jonas, a 11 year old boy, lives in a “perfect” world where there is no poverty, war, or overpopulation. But good things, such as music and color have also disappeared from their lives. When he meets the Giver, he finally learns what his life is, and what it could be. I really enjoyed reading the series, with all of the suspense and twists. It’s an amazing book.
Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk This book tells the story of 12 year old Crow, a girl who was abandoned and now lives off the coast of Massachusetts. She wants answers about her past, almost desperately and her two guardians support her, though a bit reluctantly. I loved following Crow in this journey to learn about who she really is. It’s a great book!
Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie This book contains mysteries, some of which have almost never been solved. Miss Marple is a old lady, who has seen and learnt more than anybody could guess. I loved reading about all of these puzzles and how Miss Marple outwits everyone else every time. This is one of those books my parents have also read and enjoyed. It is fun talking to them about it.
Aster’s Good Right Things by Kate Gordon Aster is a young girl who doesn’t feel special at all, but she goes to a school for gifted kids. The only way she copes is by doing her “good, right things”. As a young girl with an anxiety disorder, she believes that the world will fall apart if she stops. Then she meets Xavier and she starts having fun. I really enjoyed the book about finding friends and support.
The Remarkable Journey of Charlie Price by Jennifer Maschari I loved this amazing book about dealing with grief. Charlie has been noticing that his sister’s been acting unusual. He follows her to another world, one where his mom is still alive. He’s happy….at first. He realizes that something is wrong though. With the help of his friends, he comes up with a plan to escape the other world for good. I really loved this book and the magical element to it.
I was gifted a copy of The Last Cherry Blossom by Kathleen Burkinshaw as a part of Multicultural Children’s Book Day. This book is about the nuclear bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima during World War II in the eyes of a 12 year old girl named Yuriko.
Yuriko lives a normal life with her Papa, aunt, and annoying cousin. She goes to school everyday and is, for the most part, happy. Some things are changing though. While they aren’t big changes at first, she knows that there is war, even if it doesn’t directly affect her life. That is, until a bomb is dropped on a town neighboring hers. She is forced to leave her home, but a series of events lead her back to Hiroshima. She is there when the bomb is dropped. The effects are devastating. Her best friend and her papa both died in it and her step mother also dies, though her death is later on. She also has some side effects, including a bloated face and she’s lost both her eyebrows. Yuriko’s life has changed drastically, while she question her true family and her new life after the bomb is dropped.
I interviewed the author, Kathleen Burkinshaw, and here are my questions and her answers.
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THAT THIS WAS THE RIGHT TOPIC TO WRITE YOUR BOOK ABOUT?
“It actually had to do with my daughter when she was in 7th grade. She had overheard kids talking about the cool mushroom cloud picture in the history books and this upset her greatly. She asked if I would talk to her class about people under the cloud that day-like her Grandma. So I actually started by speaking with students for a year or so and then a teacher asked if I might be thinking of doing a book. I had been writing my mother’s story for my daughter to have someday, so with my mother’s blessing, I wrote The Last Cherry Blossom. I also realized that students didn’t really know how children in Japan lived during the war. Two paragraphs and a picture in a textbook is not enough. I wanted to show that just because they were in Japan, the children still loved their family, worried what might happen to their loved ones, and wished for peace-all the same thoughts that the Allied children had. I really wanted to show that the ones we may think are “our enemy” are not always so different from ourselves. I think that same message is needed today more than ever before.”
WAS THERE ANYONE THAT INSPIRED YOUR CHARACTERS?
“The characters are inspired mostly by real people. Obviously my Mom, as well as how she described her Papa, stepmother, her “aunt”, and her friend.”
IF YOU COULD GIVE ANY ADVICE TO OTHERS WHO WANT TO WRITE SOMEDAY, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM?
“First I would say that they should read as many books in the genre they wish to write. Also, that there is no “perfect” time to write, write as much as you can (like a blog, perhaps? Definitely a good start!) ..And not focus on how good it has to be- Just start that first sentence, first paragraph and if you write from your heart you can never go wrong.”
WERE THERE ANY OTHER BOOKS THAT INSPIRED YOUR WRITING?
“Yes, Japanese American author Cynthia Kadohata is a favorite of mine. Her book Weedflower is the first historical fiction book I ever read that had a character like myself in it.(I was in my 30’s) I never had one when I was your age.”
WHAT WERE YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS GROWING UP?
“I loved reading as many Nancy Drew Mysteries I could get my hands on! I also loved Little Women. Also any books that were written by Judy Blume.”
ARE YOU CURRENTLY WRITING ANY OTHER BOOKS? IF SO, CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT/THEM?
“I am working on the sequel to The Last Cherry Blossom. It takes place 4 years later and deals a lot with the PTSD symptoms and survivor guilt that my mom experienced. Also, how she deals with a new family-her birth father and his wife as well as trying to open her heart to another friend. I’m doing a lot of research on the American Occupation in Japan after the war ended so I can write about how she dealt with it.”
Thank you Kathleen Burkinshaw for giving me a copy of this book and answering my questions!
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2021 (1/29/21) is in its 8th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.
Eight years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues. Read about our Mission & History HERE.
MCBD 2021 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!
Join us on Friday, Jan 29, 2021, at 9 pm EST for the 8th annual Multicultural Children’s Book Day Twitter Party!
This epically fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas.
We will be giving away an 8-Book Bundle every 5 minutes plus Bonus Prizes as well! *** US and Global participants welcome. **
Follow the hashtag #ReadYourWorld to join the conversation, connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. See you all very soon on Twitter!
Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.
I decided to try my hand at crocheting and amigurumi a few months ago. I made a penguin with instructions from The Woobles website. It was not an easy project and it took me a long of time. I learned a lot of things about crocheting, like the different types of stitches and how to count them. I also learned how hard it is and the patience necessary to start and complete a project. Regardless of all the kinks there were along the way, I’m proud of the final project. I can’t wait to make more amigurumi!
Read Your Bookshelf month is where you take a month (or 2 in my case!) and use it to only read books from your shelves. This means no library or e-books at all (at least after I finish my big pile of books to read!). I’ll be doing it through January and February.
I’m also using this opportunity to participate in the #bitaboutbooks challenge.
This is a fun challenge, in which I’m using books on my bookshelf. This is my plan so far, but it’s all subject to change!
I’ve already finished, Miss Marple, and am super excited to read the rest!
2020 has been a strange year, but here are some of the things that happened.
1. Starting the year with family:
I love spending time with my grandparents. I’m glad I got to do it in the beginning of this year, even if I couldn’t make my annual summer trip to India 😭. I also got to spend some time with my uncle and aunt, before they moved countries.
2. Ending my elementary years and staring my middle school ones:
I finished 5th grade (virtually) and started middle school and the school of my choice (also virtually)! Virtual school is less than ideal, but I’ve learned to adjust. You can read about my experiences here.
3. ARCADIS Science Fair:
I participated in the ARCADIS science fair and did a project on supercooling and snapfreezing water. I learnt a lot and was really surprised when I won!
4. Mini Getaways:
Since we couldn’t travel a lot, I relied on a few small breaks to get away . My favorite one was definitely my birthday weekend getaway with a few of my friends and family. I also liked the Corpus Christi, Driftwood, and Pensacola Beach breaks.
5. Dance:
I spent a lot of time focusing on dance during these COVID times. I’ve taken place in a Bharatanatyam dance exam (for both theory and practical) and started learning a new Indian classical dance form, Mohiniattam. I performed a few solo items and recorded them. I’ve also began to learn Carnatic music to support my skills.
In Western dance, I was able to get one last performance on February in my elementary school dance company and I’m in my new school’s Drill Team. It’s less than ideal, but I’m hoping to be able to go back to performing soon.
6. Life Skills:
2020 has been a year where I learnt and tried so many new things.
I learned to crochet, and did a few art projects including tie-dye projects and wreaths for our door.
I cooked and baked (I even made my first layered cake!) and got comfortable in the kitchen. Some of the treats I made include mint chutney bread, cranberry cookies, brownies, and more. I also learned to make rice and keera kootu.
I’ve learned a lot of handy household chores like doing the laundry and handwashing clothes as well as ironing and sweeping.
7. Improved Technology Skills:
I started to use Instagram and I wrote on my blog more. I got better at using Google Drive, Docs, and Slides. I’ve learnt about different features on computers and got better at navigating through the digital world.
8. Writing:
I wrote 2 stories (which I’m going to edit this year) and a few short stories for my blog.
9. Reading:
I’ve read a ton this year and made friends with a few bookstagrammers. On my instagram, I took part in two challenges, the #mgbookmarch challenge in March and the #mgbooktober challenge in October. I’ve also started new series, and began to read a higher level of mglit!
(If you’re not following me yet, you totally should)
Merry Christmas everyone! I decided to share a winter recipe to start off the holiday season, so here is how you make white chocolate and cranberry cookies!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line the cookie sheets.
In a bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.
Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Combine the flour and baking soda in a different bowl, then stir into the first mixture.
Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries.
Roll into small balls and place them on the cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 minutes in the oven. Allow cookies to cool on wire racks.
Enjoy!
These cookies are really delicious and I loved making and eating them. I gifted these homemade cookies to our neighbors. It’s a perfect treat for the holidays. I hope you like them!
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a great series by Rick Riordan. There are ups and down, laughter and tears. It’s full of mythology, but also has an added touch which you’ll discover if you read the books. Each book leads into the next, and I can guarantee you won’t be able to put it down.
1. The Characters
I love learning about the characters ups and downs and how they have progressed through the story. It’s so fun to see how much they’ve matured and changed throughout the course of 5 books. (In which the main characters age from 12-16). I especially love the realism and how the characters seem to come to life in my head. It’s a crazy ride, starting from barely knowing someone to crying when they die.
2. The Plot
What would a good book be without a good plot? This series has funny moments and tearful moments, moments of extreme joy, and times where you hope for the best. With unexpected twists at every page, what you expect is never what’s going to happen. The plot always makes me want to go back and dive deep into the book. Rick Riordan writes in so much detail that it’s always a great read.
3. The Mythology
Rick Riordan takes Greek mythology, then twists it to come up with the most marvelous things. These books include heroes like the Greek gods and goddesses and monsters like the minotaurs or empousas. I’ve definitely learned a lot from this series. While it might not be totally accurate, I definitely know a lot more than I did 2 years ago.
4. The Other Series
There are so many other series born out of this one. Currently, the Percy Jackson universe has come to a close, with 5 series, but you never know. Maybe we’ll get another one. Everything starts falling into place as you read the other series, especially the Heroes of Olympus. It’s so amazing to keep seeing these characters growing and changing in front of my eyes, through, and I am really excited to read the other series.
I’ve had so much fun while reading this series. I really enjoy these books and I totally encourage you to check out all of them!
This Diwali, I learned how to make a simple and quick payasam. It was delicious and I really enjoyed the making of it, so I decided to share the recipe with you! By the way, this is a shortcut payasam which takes only about 15-20 minutes.
Ingredients
3 tbsp warm milk
1/4 tsp cardamom seeds
pinch of saffron
1 tbsp ghee
3 tbsp chopped nuts (you can also add raisins)
1/2 cup roasted seemiya
2 1/2 cup warm whole milk
1/2 cup condensed milk
Directions
Soak the saffron and cardamom in the 3 tbsp warm milk and set to side.
In a non-stick pan, heat ghee, and fry nuts.
Once the nuts are golden brown, remove and put on a plate.
In the same pan, add the seemiya.
Add the 2 1/2 cup whole milk to the seemiya.
Let it cook for 7 minutes.
Now add the condensed milk.
Add the nuts and the saffron/cardamom/milk mixture.
Last month, I participated in #mgbooktober on Instagram. #Mgbooktober is a fun book challenge which requires you to post something every day. I decided to share a few of my favorite posts on my blog as well. You can check out my other posts on Instagram and hopefully follow me!
Being the new kid is never easy, especially when it seems like everyone knows everyone. I wrote the fictional personal narrative based off of my experience as a new kid in dance class. This was a submission for my assignment in my Language Art class
I open the door to the dance room uncertainly and peep in. Kids are milling around, talking to each other happily. I gulp and step in, nervous. All the chatter comes to a stop and it feels like every eye is on me. The teacher catches my eye and nods, and I take a seat near the back of the room. I listen to the excited conversation, only catching a few words or sentences, and start wishing that I had bought a book. The teacher, Ms. Nair, clears her throat and we all stand up and start warming up. After we’ve warmed up, Ms. Nair says, “Let’s see Jimikki Kammal from Nimmy, Rithika, and Megha.” Their dance is fun and energetic. Ms. Nair smiles, then scans over the group of kids watching. “Let’s have Niharika, Lipi, and Tara join them. I know you girls don’t really know the dance, but try to follow along. ” she says. I get up nervously and join the other 5 girls standing. As I start dancing, I remind myself to loosen up and have fun. The music starts and I nervously begin dancing, watching the other girls like a hawk, trying to pick up the dance moves. As the music goes on, I start relaxing and actually start getting immersed in the dance. At the end, Ms.Nair smiles, looks us over once again and nods. She hands us a costume to practice in and my mind spins. I’m in a dance group already! A girl who danced with me, Lipi, says, “Hey, you dance really well. Do you want to be friends?” I smile and accept her invitation. I’ve already made a friend! I’m really sad when practice is over and we have to leave for our next class. I’m very excited for the next class and what we will do there.
