My Top Books of January

My first top book post of 2022! Here are my top books of January.

  1. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
    This was such a great book! It ended the Grishaverse series and was part of the King of Scars duology. This book told the story of Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina. Nikolai, the king of Ravka, has to figure out how to defeat the Fjerdans with little to no weapons or money. He also has to figure out his feelings for Zoya when he should be marrying a princess. Zoya, Nikolai’s general, is trying to adjust to her new life with a dragon inside of her. She keeps forcing herself to forget her feelings for Nikolai, even when he admits he reciprocates them. Nina, Nikolai’s spy, realizes that the best thing for Hanne is to win a man but she won’t accept it. I love their journey and the twists and turns that you’ll never forget. I totally recommend this series to you.
  2. The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix
    This book was so interesting! I loved the characters and the plot. Max’s life changed when his best friend, Josie, leaves him a note, telling him that “No matter what anyone says, I’m real,” Soon after, Max learns what whatnots are. They’re robots, built to look and act like humans to surround the rich kids and make them feel protected. Max refuses to believe this and starts searching for Josie. There are so many twists which I never saw coming and I loved the narration style. This is such a great book!
  3. Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce
    I really enjoyed this book and the mysteriousness of it all. Myrtle is such a lively character and I enjoyed the way she went about solving the murder. It was written in such a way that you could figure out the mystery with Myrtle and it all made sense in the end. This is such a great book and I loved it a lot. I totally recommend it to you.
  4. Operation Do-Over by Gordon Korman
    This book was so good! I loved Mason and the way we got to see his character in two different times. Mason and Tyrus were the best of friends until Ava. Now, they never talk. One day, Mason wakes up as his old self and he knows it’s a chance to have a do-over. I loved this book and the plot. The ups and downs were perfect and the whole thing was spectacular. This is such a great book!
  5. When Did You See Her Last? by Lemony Snicket
    This is part of the All the Wrong Questions series. I really liked the book and the mysteries that came along with it. Lemony Snicket is an apprentice to S. Theodora Markson. They’re investigating the disappearance of Cleo Knight, though all the adults seem to give up too early, not seeing the missing pieces. Lemony and his friends, Ellington and Moxie, try to solve the mystery. I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

I hope you enjoyed my top reads!

Butter Chicken: A Recipe

I love butter chicken. It’s a comfort food and I always feel at home when eating it. Whenever I go out to Indian restaurants, I always order butter chicken (or paneer) and naan (though I do try new things). Butter chicken is something I’ll always come back to and I love it a lot.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb of boneless skinless chicken tenders, cut into big cubes
  • 2 tbsp yogurt
  • 1/2 tbsp oil
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • around 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 2 small cloves of mashed garlic
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 3 large cloves of mashed garlic
  • 1 inch mashed ginger
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 8 oz. canned tomato sauce
  • 2 tomatoes, pureed
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • dried fenugreek (kasturi meethi)

Directions:

  1. To marinate the chicken, add the yogurt, oil, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp garam masala, and the small cloves of garlic. Mix well, then add the chicken and coat it with the marinade. Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes.
  2. Set Foodi to the Saute mode on hot. Add the butter and once it starts melting, add the onions. Saute until the onions start browning.
  3. Add the large cloves of garlic (mashed) and the ginger (mashed). Also add 1/2 tsp of garam masala and the sugar. Cook for around a minute, stirring often.
  4. Add the marinated chicken, paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp cayenne. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.
  5. Add the tomato sauce and the pureed tomatoes and mix well. Put the pressure cooker lid on the Foodi and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. Make sure it’s set on seal.
  6. Release the pressure, then add the heavy cream and the fenugreek.
  7. Enjoy!

Chennai

Days lazing at home
AC on, and so is the TV
Cuddled up close with my family
I’m finally in Chennai

Eating home-made food
Reading my old comfort books
Peaceful as can be
I’m back in Chennai

Family all around
Reconnecting face-to-face
No need for tiny screens
I’m in love with Chennai

Can’t wait to see the sights
Back after two years
Old and new combined
I’m marveling at Chennai

Packing up slowly
Never wanting to leave
But school starts again soon
I have to leave Chennai

Flying away through blue skies
Knowing I’ll be back soon
To this wonderful, wonderful place
I’ll always come back to Chennai

22 Things I Look Forward to in 2022

Here are 22 things I’m looking forward to in this new year!

  1. The School For Good and Evil movie
    This is a movie that is going to be coming to Netflix based on the popular School for Good and Evil book series. I’m really excited to watch it!
  2. Traveling more
  3. Trying a new theme on my Instagram
  4. Performing more Bharatanatyam
  5. Learning more Mohiniattam items
  6. Attending more book events
  7. Improving my writing skills
  8. Attending my school’s dance event
  9. Expanding my Ninja Foodi cooking skills
  10. Discovering new authors
  11. (Hopefully) being a leader in 8th grade
    In our school, leaders lead lessons in homeroom 2 times a week. I’ve heard that leadership class and leadership camp (which you take to become a leader) is really fun.
  12. Creating a project in my MUN class with my friends
  13. Discovering more mythological tales
  14. Visiting the library more frequently
  15. Solve a New York Times crossword by myself
  16. Spending more time with family (fingers crossed)
  17. Trying more crafts
  18. Fun projects in my Texas History class
  19. Playing around with online designing
  20. Start biking more
  21. Trying new cuisines
  22. Discover/Play new board games

Top Reads of 2021

Here are my overall top reads of 2021!

  1. Circe by Madeline Miller
    Circe is such a great book. I loved the reimagining of the original tale of Circe and how we got to see this sorceress as a main character. In many Greek Mythology stories, Circe is shown as the villian of her tale, but in this story we see her as her own, bright character. If you like mythology or re-imagined fairy tales, then ou’ll definitely love this book!
  2. The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman
    4 siblings and none of them alike, yet they have to journey together to find the mythical Ivory Key. They each have different reasons for wanting it, but if they fail, they could all lose everything. I love the characters so much and the plot twists along the way. If you like fantasy or mythology, this book is perfect for you!
  3. The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
    This book is filled with plot twists and riddles, secrets and hidden compartments that you never would’ve seen coming. I’ve really enjoyed reading the first two books in this triology, though I especially loved the second book. Avery has grown so much, though she’s still as stubborn and plucky and she was in the first book. The plot is entertaining, but it’ll leave you wanting more. I can’t wait to read the final book!
  4. The Pronoun Book by Cassandra Jules Corrigan
    I really love this book. It’s sweet and simple and explains pronouns and identities in a way that’s easy to understand. The illustrations are cute and match the text perfectly. Anyone, regardless their age, can understand this book and take to using its tips and tricks. I love this book!
  5. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
    This is another great mythology book. The Trojan War is probably the subject I know least about, but this book definitely helped with that. While it focused more on Achilles and Patroclus’ relationship (one of the best ones I’ve ever heard of), it still got a close look at the Trojan War. The writing style is so delicate and at any given time, I feel like I’m actually in ancience Greece. This book is definitely one of the best.
  6. King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
    I’ve only read the first book so far, but this duology is off to a great start. It focuses on Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina- characters in past books, now starring in their own. Their problems are like no other and they require a new solution that is bold and brave and only heard of in myths. I loved this story and the characters from the beginning to the end. It is such a new, but ownderous story and I really enjoyed it.
  7. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
    This book has consistently popped up on my Instagram and so I decided to give it a try. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I love all the characters and their unique personalities. They are unique but they all work together to make a diverse cast of characters. I haven’t ever met a group of characters who I’ve loved as fiercely as Kaz, Inej, Nina, Matthais, Jesper, and Wylan. This two-book series is packed with twists and turns and will have you crying and laughing at the same time. I totally recommend it to you.

What were your top reads of 2021? Did you read/like any of these books?

December’s Top Reads

Here are my top books of December!

  1. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
    I love this series so much. Clary Fray is a tennager when she realizes that she sees things that others don’t. She meets Jace, Isabelle, and Alec, the other Shadowhunters. I loved their adventures and there were so many lot twists that shocked me. This is such a great book and I loved reading it so much. I totally recommend it to you!
  2. The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch
    I read the second and third books in this series (If You’re Reading this, it’s Too Late and This Book is Not Good for You). Cassandra and Max-Ernest are such great characters and I enjoyed the involment of a new character, Yo-Yoji. this stories are great and I loved the storytelling style. I love this series!
  3. The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
    I am in love with this series. In this book, Avery continues her adventures with the Hawthorne Brothers. There are so many secrets revealed and a whole new land is discovered. I really, really enjoyed the plot and the characters. I totally recommend this book to you!
  4. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
    I really enjoyed this book! In this book, Shiori, the only one with magical powers in her kingdom, gets cursed by her stepmother, Raikama. Her brothers turn into cranes and Shiori, without a voice, sets out to save them. I loved the story and the plot! This is the first part of a duology based on the fairytale, “The Wild Swans,”.
  5. The Verdigris Pawn by Alysa Wishingrad
    I loved this book and the way it invented a game that worked so well with the book. When Beau meets Cressi, he finally sees the true ways of his father and the ones before him. He realizes that he has to take control of the king, but before he can do that, he needs his ace and his pawn. I loved this story so much!

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here
Top Books of March: click here
Top Books of April: click here
Top Books of May: click here
Top Books of June: click here
Top Books of July: click here
Top Books of August: click here
Top Books of September: click here
Top Books of October: click here
Top Books of November: click here

I really enjoyed talking about my top reads of each month! Do you think I should continue this next year?

Cranberry Orange Loaf

This year, I decided to make a Christmas themed bread. I tried this very quick and delicious recipe that worked very well. It tasted great and was perfect for a Christmas special. I really loved the loaf and decided to share it with you!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • zest of an orange
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped cranberries

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.
  2. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar, then set aside.
  3. In a seperate bowl, stir the orange zest, buttermilk, oil, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla together.
  4. Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
  5. Add the cranberries and stir until just combined.
  6. Pour into the pan and bake for 55 minutes.
  7. Enjoy!

What’s your favorite Christmas recipe?

Test Day- a Short Story

In English class, we had to write a short story with the prompt I was digging through all the junk in the attic when I found a button that…. I hope you like my story!

On October 8th, the day of my biggest test, I was trying not to panic. I was frantically digging through all the junk in the attic, searching for a button, occasionally pushing my tangled brown hair out of my face, my emerald eyes scanning the old, worn-down boxes relentlessly. An orange, pulsing glow filled the attic as I staggered backwards, throwing my tanned hands up over my eyes. As soon as the glow had faded, I wandered over to where it had come from, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Inside an old and faded purple silk bag was a bright orange button that whirred when I touched it.
“Yes! A button, at last!” I ran my blistered fingers over the plastic surface, deeming it perfect. I ran downstairs, slipping the button into my messenger bag as I did so.
“Late again, Ari?” Mom’s voice was sharp and disapproving. I almost showed her the button, but what was the point? She wouldn’t understand, she never did.
“Sorry Mom,” I looked down at the floor, hoping she wouldn’t drag it out.
“Let’s go,” her tone was brisk and unforgiving, her high heels clicking acroos the floor to the car.

She didn’t speak to me as we drove to school, letting me out of the car quickly. No one greeted me when I walked in, their eyes glued to the front of the classroom in anticipation. I took a deep breath, laying the button on my desk as I found myself adopting the same posture as my classmates.

Today was Test Day, the day that would determine your success or failure in the world. Out teacher, Ms. Zarrah, would call us up to perform out craft, granting us with either a pass or a fail. I worked with buttons, magicking them to my will. Glancing at everyone’s desks, I saw an array of objects, none of them as interesting as mine.

Suddenly, the small, nervous side chatter that had been collecting came to a halt as someone entered the room.
“Greetings, students,” Ms. Zarrah’s warm auburn eyes twinkled as she surveyed our class, “We’ll get started now,” Every second felt like an hour as my friends were all called up. Most people passed, blatantly showing their relief. I shifted at my desk impatiently, my hands itching to do something.

“Rancock, Arianna. Please come up with your object of choice,” I stood up, clutching the button tightly. I was slightly shaking and my heart was pounding, though I tried not to show it.
“Will you need anything?” Ms. Zarrah’s comforting voice put me at ease.
“Yes please, some fabric,” I asked politely. She beamed, handing a piece to me.
“Let me see your object now….” she gasped as she examined my button, then turned and announced to the class, “No magic items are to be used. Disqualified,”

Everyone let out gasps as I trudged to the back of the class, tears stinging my eyes. I couldn’t concentrate for the rest of class and it took all my willpower not to run away as soon as the bell rang. The only thing that stopped me was Ms. Zarrah.
“Ari, come back here please,” I gathered up my courage and walked back to her desk.
“Yes Ms. Zarrah?” I said sweetly, awaiting her lecture. She sighed.
“Your mother had predicted that something like this would happen, and so she asked me to give you a do-over,” I let out a small gasp, daring to hope, “There’s just one problem,” my shoulders slumped again and I looked away, “Your mother wanted you to do cooking,”

This “cooking vs. button” thing that my mom had created was the exact reason I couldn’t show her the button. She had always wanted me to have a craft in cooking, never seeming to understand what a dead skill it was.
“I can’t give you many hints, but think Ari. Why can’t you cook on a button?” My eyes widened as I understood what Ms. Zarrah was trying to say. She gently pressed an ordinary pale blue button into my hand and closed my fingers around it.

The next few hours were a blur as I baked my way through 3 desserts on the button which I had enchanted to do the work. Mom had taught me the recipes over the course of several exhausting days. Ms. Zarrah hummed with delight as she tasted my decadent brownies, perfectly balanced cupcakes, and my fresh and fruity apple cake.
“These are delicious! You passed with flying colors, Ari, great job,”

I beamed. I had found a way to make everyone happy in a style that was uniquely me. I had finally done a good job and done it well.

A Bold Dance of the Ages

Recently, for my English class, we had to write a brochure based on an element of our culture. I picked Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance from the state of Tamil Nadu. I hope you enjoy!

Strong taps echo through the auditorium as the audience watches, mesmerized by the bold and strong dance. The dancer is performing Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance. Bharatanatyam is one of the most interesting dance forms because it’s bold, unique, and captivating.

The History:

Bharatanatyam has a rich history through thousands of centuries and kings. Here are some of the most important parts of its history.

CHOLA DYNASTY (9th to 13th century):
The Chola kings left a lasting legacy to Indian classical arts. In the Brihadeeswara temple, there are verses from the Natyasastra and sculptures of Shiva performing the 108 karanas. Many forms of art centered around the temples and grew well.

VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY (14th century to 15th century)
The Vijayanagar kings provided a lot of patronage to dance. King Krishna Deva Raya (16th century) is said to have been a great supporter.

NAYAKA KINGDOM (16th to 18th century):
King Raghunatha Nayake encouraged dance and music. The king also wrote the Valmiki Charitra which included information about Sadir (the old name for Bharatanatyam) and the talam system.

MARATHA DYNASTY (18th century)
The Maratha rulers had the strongest links to the present-day Bharatanatyam. King Tulaji wrote the Sangeetha Saramitra with a list of adavus. Natwanars were also significant members of the king’s court. The famous Thanjavur brothers lived during this era.

BRITISH ERA
The British Government tabooed dance performances and dancers lost their glory.

REVIVAL (early to mid 20th century)
Art lovers worked to remove the stigma from dance. In 1932, Sadir was renamed to Bharatanatyam.

The Mythological History:

At the beginning of Treetayuga, peoples´ lives were filled with greed, anger, and jealousy. There wasn’t dharma and the asuras ruled the world. To combat this, Lord Brahma created a fifth Veda that would be enjoyable and dispel the bad. Lord Brahma taught this fifth Veda (the Natyaveda) to Bharata, who in turn taught it to his 100 sons.

Bharata asked Lord Brahma to bring down apsaras to add grace.

With this, he was satisfied and performed it at the Dhvaja Mohatsa. The asuras got angry because the play was pointing at their demise. As a result, they started attacking the performers.

Brahma asked the divine architect, Vishwakarma, to build a Natyagriha that would restrict access to evil. Vishwakarma instantly built the perfect theater.

Then Brahma took this play to Lord Shiva. Shiva suggested that they add nritta to the play to enhance it. After watching the show, people understood how to defeat the demons and started living better lives.

The Margam:

A margam is the order in which you learn and perform Bharatanatyam items. The complexity gradually increases as does the time and the abhinaya sections.

It begins with a Pushpanjali and an Alarippu. Combined, this section is around 5 minutes. Next is a kouthuvam, the simplest item, usually 2-3 minutes long. It focuses on bhakti. After this is a jathiswaram. This is a pure adavu dance with no abhinaya. Then, there is a shabdam which is followed by a 45-minute varnam. After that is a Padam or keerthanam, which is more abhinaya based. The margam concludes with a Thillana.

Dr. Sunanda Nair, a Bharatanatyam expert, says the margam is important because “It’s like a school syllabus. You can see every step and you know what you’re learning. When you graduate with a Thillana, you have control of what you know. You peak at that ending point. The margam also gives you a connected approach to dance where everything is linked.”

Her favorite type of item in the margam is the “Padam or Keerthanam, I think. In these, you get connected abhinaya where you can really become a character instead of having abhinaya broken up by jathis.”

The Parts:

There are 3 parts to Bharatanatyam, which are all used to form most items.

1- NRITTA
Nritta is pure dance. It is made up of angas and karanas. It doesn’t contain abhinaya, instead focusing on adavus. One example is the Jathiswaram.

2- NATYA
Natya in Sanskrit means dramatic art. It doesn’t contain adavus, instead focusing on abhinaya. One example is the Padam.

3-NRITYA
Nritya is a combination of both nritta and natya. It includes both adavus and abhinaya. One example is the Kouthuvam.

Aaharya:

There are 3 main parts of the Bharatanatyam Aaharya. These parts are the costume, the makeup, and the jewelry.

There are many different costume styles in Bharatanatyam. There is a skirt style which includes a blouse and a skirt. Another style is the pant costume which is a blouse and pants, with a pleated fan attached to the pants.

The makeup is bold, with thick black eyeliner outlining the eyes, pink eyeshadow, and bright red lipstick. The tips of the fingers and toes are also usually colored red with the palms painted with a red circle.

The jewelry´s base color is gold with green and pink jewels set in. There are two necklaces, a choker and an aaram. You wear a chandra and surya on your head to remind yourself to be grounded and that you are only a speck of dust in the universe. There is also a nethichutti which is partly on your head and partially on your forehead. The earrings are small jumpkhas attached to a maatal. You also wear valaiyal.

The hair is braided, sometimes with a pre-braided extension adorned with ornaments attached. Fake flowers are attached at the back.

On your ankle, you wear chalangai. On your head, you wear a pottu.

Glossary:

Aaharya (aa-har-yah)- the costuming, makeup, and jewelry
Aaram (aa-rum)- a long, dangling necklace
Abhinaya (a-bin-ney-ah)- emotions and feelings, sentiment
Alarippu (A-lar-ip-poo)- a dance where you warm up the body
Angas (un-gah-s)- the major parts of the body
Apsaras (up-sah-rahs)- heavenly nymphs
Asuras (ah-suh-ras)- demons
Bhakti (buk-tea)- devotion
Bharatanatyam (buh-ruh-ton-aat-yum)- an Indian classical dance from Tamil Nadu
Brahma (bruh-ma)- the god of creation, one of the three main gods
Chalangai (cha-lung-ay)- ankle bells, to make your taps sound pleasing
Chandra (chund-reh)- the moon
Dharma (duh-r-ma)- good
Dhvaja Mohatsa (dh-vaj-ja mo-hut-sa)- Indira´s flag festival
Karanas (kah-rah-nas)- the poses
Natwanars (nat-van-ars)- people who keep talam
Natyagriha (nat-yuh-gree-ha)- a theater
Natyasastra (nat-yuh-sas-tra)- the book of dance
Pottu (puth-tuh)- colored dot/shape on the forehead
Shiva (shiv-a)- the god of destruction, one of the three main gods
Surya (shur-yah)- the sun
Talam (tal-am)- how you keep the beat
Valaiyal (vul-ay-al)- bangles, bracelets

Bharatanatyam has filled people with wonder and joy for centuries. It has flourished and grown, even when there are obstacles. Bharatanatyam is such an interesting dance because it is diverse, vivid, and enchanting.

November’s Top Books

Here are my top books for November!

  1. The House on Hoarder Hill by Kelly Ngai and Mikki Lish
    This is a great story about 2 kids who are determined to find out the mystery behind the disappearance of their grandma, Rose. Hedy and Spencer are at their grandpa’s house while their parents are on vacation. They get a mysterious message (Find Me) setting them off on their crazy adventure with piano-playing ghosts, mischievous paintings, and a very friendly bear rug and a glorious deer head. I loved the story and the way it progressed. This is such a great book!
  2. Much Ado About Baseball by Rajani LaRocca
    This book is about friendship, but it has so many other great themes coursing through it. Trish has just moved to a new town and is finding it hard to make new friends and fit in. So she joins the baseball team, hoping to meet someone new. There, she sees Ben, who she met and beat at the Math Puzzler Championships last year. Ben doesn’t want to be on the team, but when he sees Trish, he knows that he can’t quit and be embarrassed by her again. I love what happens next and the way that Shakespeare’s works are tied in. This is a great book!
  3. Amber and Clay by Laura Amy Schlitz
    This is definitely one of my favorite books this month. It tells the story of Melisto and Rhakos, two very different children, yet very similar. The story is told in many different points of view, with different types of storytelling for each. There are also “exhibits” which show items from a long time ago. I loved how the author incorporated these items into the story. This story flows so well and I loved watching the plot move along. I definitely recommend it to you!
  4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
    This is the prequel to the Hunger Games. It follows Coriolanus Snow, the antagonist in the original series, when he is young, 18 years old. He has been assigned to mentor a tribute for this year’s Hunger Games, a tribute from District 12, the worst district. He meets Lucy Gray this way and is enthralled by her, especially her voice. I loved following the events of the story and the way the plot continued. The characters are written very well and it was great to see how the characters grew into who they are in the actual books. I love this book!
  5. The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
    This book’s storytelling style is unique, with the author keeping many things closely guarded. The two main characters, Cass and Max-Ernest go on a quest to rescue their friend when he is kidnapped by Ms. Mauvis and Dr. L. They go to the Midnight Sun, where strange things are happening. I loved their adventure and the way the story was told. It was very unique and I enjoyed it a lot. I totally recommend this book to you!

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here
Top Books of March: click here
Top Books of April: click here
Top Books of May: click here
Top Books of June: click here
Top Books of July: click here
Top Books of August: click here
Top Books of September: click here
Top Books of October: click here