Book Review: The Lies We Conjure - Magic and mystery based YA read

 The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning is a YA whodunnit bringing together a coven of witches and some regular non magical innocents in the play for their lives. The author has masterfully combined the elements of unwitting humans caught in the midst of the annual witch meeting where the matriarch is murdered and the chase commences!

The non magical sisters are true to life with Ruby being the responsible older sister and Wren the i-always-get-my-way sibling. There is a murderer rife in the locked Hegemony manor and the unwilling participants have 72 hours to find the murdered while also solving clues to find the master relics - add in some family angst, growing pains and some LGBTQ friendly characters to the mix, and voila! A multiple POV escape room-esque thriller, perfect for a rainy day.

Thank you to the Tor Teen Publicity for sharing the ARC with me! This was a delicious read indeed!

karuppu dhan enaakku pidicha coloru

My mother was soundly berating the fruits of my latest shopping expedition, a new black top, astutely pointing out the six others I already had in my (As she put it) extremely cluttered cupboard; she was counting the shirts and tees… include Indian wear and the figure lines up to about a dozen!!!

What is it about black that’s sooo alluring… everytime I go out shopping I find myself drawn to the dark end of the spectrum sans reserve.. the title of the blog is a very popular Tamil song which talk about all the bold and beautiful blackness of things we cherish..

That being said black in terms of clothing is awesome!! Why? It covers everything – what can you see when its black - nothing, right? That’s the supremely simple answer to the question of why women prefer black… it provides a nice silhouette – masks the extra curves and rounds off an outfit pretty neatly :) what? You never thought why its called a “black-tie” affair – d-uh!!! Black is the one color that looks great in any shade; sparkly, shiny, lycra – any fabric!! And the color never fades – its black – no running colors, no effect due to sunlight or harsh light exposure… its just – black! :D

Color-blocking is new fashion phenomenon – well it just means applying neon or bright colors to a black dress – black is comforting – you know you can’t look that bad; you strive for normal… that’s what back does :) and to top it off with a black outfit; any accessories work… its not like the shy pastel colors where u need a muted tone or bright color to bring “life” to the outfit.. black stands alone and with anything else too!

Another thing about black – it can be dressed up down or sideways – any occasion (save perhaps the holy communion of matrimony) can be salvaged in a black outfit – I still can’t fathom why people think its inauspicious.. it hardly stains, always makes the wearer feel fab and secure in their skin; contrasts well against light and dark skin tones, not to mention how you can team it up with any accessory and come out looking like a million bucks… most of my friends have these standard go-to outfits that we wear when we’re feeling a lil blue or need a compliment.. like a black silk kurta with this lovely cream dupatta which has some kind of batik pattern on it… mine’s a black n red kurta – fits like a glove! Has a pocket… and no matter how lousy I feel; it makes me feel better :)

Black is the universal foundation for a great setup – in fact pure black tops are absolutely divine… wear a chunky teal and brown beaded necklace or a mellow yellow butterfly ring… danglers, chandeliers or hoop type earrings – a black combo embraces them all!!! And its not even that an all black outfit is required… a black skirt or dress is also wonderful – black jeggings a godsend… pair up with bright red mary janes or down with cream wedges and tell me you don’t feel like a diva (well.. if you do… you’re either a guy or you seriously need a mental evaluation!)

So, if you find yourself wondering, like I did, in a moment of hesitancy, that perhaps I have too much black in my wardrobe, dust off the cobwebs – there’s no such thing.. well at least until all you have in your wardrobe is black (in which case u might be a goth fanatic! Or u definitely need to meet my mom) – trust me, go for it… black’s got your back!!!

Thayir Sadam....

For the uninitiated thayir sadam is a South Indian’s vision of mannah or ambrosia – the food of the Gods. In English it would be curd rice. What!!??!! you may ask with raised eyebrows and shocked expressions, qualifies this basic, relatively tasteless dish to aspire to such lofty heights. The answer in writ in its simplicity – it evokes memories of home….

My earliest childhood memories stem with visions of my grandma trying to get me to eat something white… not quite dry, nor too gravyish… soft and chewy.. it was love at first bite! It went well with everything – all the curries n sambhars and other delicacies south Indians revel in – thayir sadam…

Through school and college this was my staple… set curd and boiled rice – a soothing combination which you can spice up with pickles, add chilies and ginger to; my personal favorite is naarthangaai – which loosely translated means rinds of fruit dried and salted – a tangy and salty companion to my thayir sadam…

Throughout my childhood holidays when cousins came over or we went visiting; it was often the custom in the afternoon for the lady of the house to round up all the miscreants.. seat them in a semi-circle.. and then take the largest vessel in the house and mix thayir sadam with all the remaining rice left over from breakfast! Then all of us would cup our hands to receive a fistful of curd rice; then came the strategic “kuzhi-panniko” which meant digging a well in the palmful of curd rice using your thumb without spilling – which was quite a task; especially if you’re visiting.. cause the ladies are very very generous and have bigger hands… next would come the accompaniment – sambhar or spicy vettha kuzhambu or aviyal or kootu… some gravied dish… each of us would in turn be served the accompaniment depending on the size of the “kuzhi” we made and scramble to get the concoction into our mouths before something spilt or started dribbling down our arms while trying to swallow a mouth full of too much curd rice and laughing at the efforts of others… sometimes I wonder if the ladies of the house entertained this practice solely as a diversion… seven or eight kids all struggling and smeared in white smudges of curd rice… but in the hot summer heat, sitting cross legged on the cool mosaic floor, and spilling away to glory!!!

Whether it was fever or an upset stomach; curd rice was the universal panacea. Sometimes fed, sometimes scooped and sometimes spilt; curd rice is at the heart and core of most childhood memories. Is it any wonder then, that every time I wander afar from home, in far flung and remote locations, when the thought of home ravages my mind, I always crave for thayir sadam – it evokes memories of motherly fussing, teasing cousins, school lunchtimes where the tiffin gets flicked and the lot hand back the dabba saying ‘eugh! Thayir sadam’, candlelight dinners fuelled by power cuts where nothing could be cooked except rice, fuzzy memories of heart and home somewhere far away… give me my thayir sadam any day!!!

Hazy Wheezy Crazy world

Nothing beats waking up, warm and all snuggled up under the quilt to see rains lashing against the window sill... It just motivates you to sleep on... ignore the alarm clock, forget the strong hypnotic coffee strains in the air and just go back to bed knowing all is wet outside...
I have never quite managed to capture the eloquence, symphony or relish that accompanies watching raindrops plink to the ground... To stay dry and enjoy the sight is an unbeleiveable experience, heightened where there's a strong coffee, a day off from work and hot pakodas or bajjis on the house... A great book and a comfy cushion and I am all set for the day!
The dark green trees seem to contrast so wonderfully against a greying sky, somehow it always brings on memories of weekend oil baths - maybe the glistening droplets falling of the leaflets... the world looks waxed and glorious under the downpour...
when it rains, it pours... especially a water starved place like Chennai... Incessant and infrequent rains and severe depressions last a lot longer than they do elsewhere... the streets tranform into water pools with puddles to splash muddy water onto innocent bystanders, umbrellas of all shapes colors and sizes are up and about as you manourver your way through th throngs... getting hit by a stray branch or two is also not ruled out... and should you get handed some droppings from crows - consider yourself blessed!
The whizzing vehicles splash out copious amounts of stagnant rain water as people rush to work, apart from the primary colors (red, yellow , green) no others from the spectrum are of much avail as the water mellows down everything but the brightest and boldest of the lot... as long as you don't catch a cold or fever or any other bug, you should be reasonably fine... Just grab an umbrella, dig out the more foul looking pair of floaters your own and make you way out into the world...

The purrrfect Curve!!

Ever since Levis started the curves for all sizes, I’ve been obsessed with finding the perfect pair of jeans – I mean, seriously, who can deny the allure of being tagged as a demi or a bold curve rather than plump or worse yet ‘fat’.. Having never owned a pair of Levis, the call of the denim was simply too strong to resist…
Not to say I don’t own any – far from it.. I’ve lived in jeans since my eight standard – thanks to my sagacious aunt, whose taste in clothes and waist size I used to share then… so much so, that my friends were surprised to see me in salwar suits in engineering; having only seen me in my jeans before that… Maybe it was just my frustration for the school uniform that manifested in my perpetual jeans-clad avatar for all post-school activities (read: IIT coaching – which I sadly failed to clear).. I had two pairs of blue jeans then – boot cut and straight… and back then the fact that I was nearly 18 kilos lighter helped a great deal in looking good :D
Crashing back into the present: after straight jeans (ye olde straight up and down original jeans), boot cut (wide at the bottom and fitting at the thighs – first cousin to bell bottoms), boyfriend (big jeans – my favorite fat pants when I feel down…) it was the turn of the skinny jeans to be in season.. these jeans form my worst nightmare – there’s nothing more humiliating than having every lump and pound of flesh acutely highlighted – which form the premise for the structure of this jeans… while they look amazing and to-die-for on the Barbie doll statistics models; they look anything but on folks with blubber like moi ;)
Being rather rotund, the thought of skinny jeans gives me the shivers and I end up looking more like a chicken leg (fat thighs n skinny calves not to mention an ungainly muffin top :P)… I did indulge in skinny jeans in the UK but went in favour of leggings which allowed some tolerance for my bulging tummy.... I gave myself a couple of months to try to reduce my waistline – so that I could splurge on my birthday in September without any qualms about the amount shelled out for a pair of jeans… and in the meanwhile all I could see when I went shopping was folks in form-fitting and butt-accentuating levis jeans – the red tabs were soooo out there!!!
With all the ranting about skinny jeans – you, my patient reader, might wonder why on earth I was so obsessed with buying a pair… well considering I have 3 pairs of black jeans (one straight, one boot cut and one gunmetal shade boot cut), 3 pairs of blue (regular in light blue from old navy, boot cut from colt in darker blue, boyfriend pair from GAP) and a green pair from New Look… so you see the only conceivable shade and so glaringly missing was a blue levis…
After my severe and failed efforts at losing weight, I resolved to anyhow ignore my obvious barrel-shape, I decided to indulge in flattering my mental image of flaunting a pair of straight jeans with the distinctive red tab a la derriere.. I walked into a store and had my measurements taken – and the lady played up to my vanity by calling me a demi-curve (something like medium fat I think)… and came back with black jeans… I told her no way get me the blue ‘uns… and since my waist chose to be an impossible size between 30 and 32 – 30 was too tight – I looked like someone about to perform an MJ move :P and 32 was too loose… I was mortally afraid of being caught with the pants down – a small tug brought them down to my knees…
I cursed my tummy for doing this to me… no size / shape looked good… and I was walking next to waif-thin ladies who were browsing mini-skirts and being served by another who had a mythical 26 inch waist :P.. the ambience did nothing to soothe my beleaguered spirits… I left the store dejected and in the dumps..
Twice more did I venture to Levis flagship stores and then again – the next time I was provided basic blue jeans with no sense of texture or proportion… they simply didn’t feel as special as a levis was supposed to… I ought to explain – having read the annals of sisterhood of the travelling pants, I decided on procuring a pair of soft, comforting jeans which would dispel the notion of being out of proportion form my head – a non-fat option if you will… not possessing the close sisterhood, I was comforted by the thought that at least I could afford the best pair – in the book, the girls bought it from a thrift store…
I ended up feeling fat cause the promise of a curve for me failed to live up to expectations… I was left looking sorry either in extremely baggy jeans or in jeans so tight that they took me a full 10 minutes to pry off.. I mean taking nothing away from the texture, fading and cut – they were amazing but there were just not meant to be – and it didn’t help that the rest of clientele looked like they could give Katrina Kaif a complex :P I mean why doesn’t someone like Khushbu or Ramya Krishnan come to levis – I think the answer is self-evident but my mind refuses to attach any import to the fact..
Finally, on the third or fourth trip, the exasperated store clerk said, “Madam, you know there are cases where our jeans may not perfectly fit a person.. so, if you like some other brand please go there”… I was appalled and walked indignantly out of the shop… I promptly bought myself a Devil’s Own (Caffe Mocha with choco syrup) and tried to come to terms with my failed mission… essentially, the dude had just trampled my mental image of looking good in Levis – I mean those jeans were somehow supposed to transform me into a curvaceous babe (well – at least in my head)… and here the guy was telling me – nope, ain’t gonna happen… well, my birthday came n went with no jeans…
I moped and felt sorry for myself… no way was I expecting to look like a Barbie doll; but some part of me craved the feeling of looking good and it became associated with Levis… finally my younger bro – younger in years but wiser in certain things came n said – why don’t you just shop somewhere else… you’ve never conformed till now… so why change – go buy something other than Levis… In a flash I understood: until now, everything I’ve worn or bought have been unique… something set apart – be it quirky cuffs from the UK or pulsar watches or 25 rupee earrings from pondy bazaar… I am not sure that they go together but – they did make me feel – not pretty, not attractive but unique… as in I was the only one with this unique mix of accoutrements!!!
I stepped out of the house yesterday and walked the breadth of pondy bazaar and stopped in front of a shop… A memory came unbidden of my gunmetal black boot cut jeans – I had bought them at Lifestyle 3 years ago… I wasn’t really looking.. I had lost some weight (8 kilos – which I’ve since then put on… naturally :D)and was thinking of trying out something.. it was with my bro then as well… I tried on this brand called Bossini… very comfortable, slightly stretchy – they still fit well today J and here in the heartland of T Nagar was their flagship store… I went in and guess what? I did buy jeans yesterday!!! Blue slightly faded – straight with just the right amount of height for some heels perhaps.. They fit snug and don’t make my thighs look fat… I don’t confess to feeling like a million bucks… but I definitely feel better… J
Now all I need is the right top :D

Where did my thoughts wander off....

It has been ages no strike that – eons since I last posted – 2 years spent in the UK – in the land of the British – where it is most difficult to understand some of their accents; yet glimpses of pure genius when someone touts a 20 pence coin on the street as ‘serendipity’.. where words like ‘tacit’, ‘moribund’ and ‘asinine’ are dropped every day into standard tea time chit chat…
In the land where I met worse bookworms than yours truly and folks (a la senior citizens) who read J K Rowling in the same breath as Longfellow, where the library is probably frequented more than a place of worship and where next to an umbrella, a book is the staple of every carry bag, I lost my tongue…

From paying my respects in Stratford to walking down Baker Street and to strolling the cobbled paths of Oxford, my English sojourn was relaxing and rewarding. From crumbling castles to winter wonderlands; football matches and musicals, theatre and country trails – each place was uncluttered, unfettered with roving guides who monopolize the experience with their brash baritone. Left to explore in my own sweet time, with no hurry or rush, the cooling climes proved sedative to any focused thinking…

Of course, I am ignoring the obsession with football, fetish for fish and chips and a universal thronging for weekend ‘reality’ shows… I chose to ignore these minor hassles and satiate myself along the footsteps of legends like Wordsworth, Milton and evergreen gems akin to Frances Burnett (A little Princess) and Enid Blyton.

I’ve often wondered how the prose of the British seems to flow mellifluously as compared to their cousins across the pond. The proof as they say is in the pudding or rather in the land. Whether it be the dragon-lore imbibed Cardiff; or the plucky Irish – home of Artemis Fowl; or the bloody feuds of Scotland which inspired R L Stevenson’s Kidnapped; the expanses of Britain are varied and composite. Each region has its own specialties producing the delectable feats of literature I love. The structure and fluidity of the English prose is at odds with the casual complaisance of their American brethren… but the core point remains – you cannot imagine fairies in the concrete jungles of New York while they seem plausible in the flowery meadows of Britain….

The frenetic London city with landmarks in modernity like the Gherkin and the Lloyds building also boasts of ghost walks and jack the Ripper tours at night through unsavoury lanes and baritone guides who ensure your shackles will rise during the course of the tour… The folks in the adjoining pubs enroute also ensure to add to the drama and ‘fear factor’ – an experience truly like none other!

Go on.. find your favorite authors and follow them to their hometowns… savor the sights that flavored their musings… enjoy the blustering weather and blooms in a land where everyone young and old alike are avid readers… and where the dingiest looking book store keeper will be able to chatter hour upon hour of authors you feel are obscure and recommend books based on your reading appetite… living among such stalwarts made my prose seem weak and childish in comparison to their regular speech… But now, looking back, I think I might have learnt something after all..

Sweet Home Alabama

Ever watched a western movie with gun-slingers and humungous cowboy hats, courteous blacks all wrapped in ponchoes n sweaters.. well except for the cowboy hats much of this scenario is part of the livery at alabama.. the southern drawl is unanimous amongst both causcasian and afro communities.. i have a very hard time nor smiling in fron of my client each time they lapse into their wild west accent to ask their secretary ,"could y'all just cheq if these here folks can get a maeting with them sales folks?" (it sounds as hilarious as it look!!)

thunderstorms and tornadoes aget frequent flyer status out here.. they are often apt to increase the woes of the insurance personnel in these areas... work hours begin at 8 sharp and get right on over at about 4... the people - well what can i say - they're downright friendly i tell ya...

shrubs and trees dot the areas and well maintained roads, whose builders seemed to have forgotten the concept of a pedestrian and hence forgotten the sidewalk, are present through all and sundry locations.. the food is lip-smacking good.. soft pancakes with sticky syrup, blue berry muffins and hot coffee to wash it all down... what else can a poor traveller ask for.. sunshine's aplenty in these here regionswhile the chill can getcha anytime...

well thats all this rider has got to gabber about now.. see y'all later...

Living it UP in the UK

India - a land of diverse culture, colorful dresses, shiny jewellery, climatic variaions across th length and breadth of the geography, varied beliefs, immutable festivals, unresolvable problems and cynicism which cuts across all physical and metaphysical barriers. Cleanliness is advocated but never adhered to, brightly colored houses with peeling with decay, hot food and hot tempers, intricate handiwork and intense prejudice, its the land of sundry and all... It is also my homeland..

home is a place close to the heart and despite her faults India and more still hot and steamy Chennai have warm spots in my large heart.. Going to England, a country whose climatic disposition is at odds with the movement of the sun its stays light for 18 hours a day!!! with temperatures falling to 11 degrees- for a warm blooded female from chennai such adverse conditions are less than conducive to stir up my spirits. arriving at 8:30 I was more than shocked to see a glorious golden hued tear-drop sunset with ruby light shining through an avenue of emerald promenades and glittering grey pavements. the chillwasn't helping but the effect was rather endearing.

A cheery english "hello" which was ignored by me for the first two times because people i know normally are cheerful only when they are on a call!!! There was a cb driver ready to take me to my hotel- the Holiay Inn on Stoke. It was vintage English country with freeways lines by savanna style grasslands shaded with the entire range of green (dark green highlighted with brown or flourescent shrubs...), woolly sheep and black and white cows dotted the landscape at regular intervals- no smoky buildings, no industrial estates- just you, light blue haven of a sky and a never-ending smooth patch of road (made in heaven)...

The roads are as smooth as a baby's bottom- a miracle in real-life for an Indian.. it taught me to believe in such a thing as a pavement where pedestrians do walk and sleek cars all racing away in a land where the word "bump" does not refer to anything on the road!!!

the second shock came from the English attitude- always a smile and a good day or hello to each and everyone. In India, you avoid any eye contact with anyone and normally eavesdrop on foreign conversations. Here people love to smile at strangers with an implicit trust- my first taste of the generous English hospitality- they were liable to drop into any conversation i would be having with my colleagues and join in just as if they were part of the group giving suggestions on what to order an India's culture and mores...

Another aspect of the UK culture which floored me was the pastries- having fed on Enid Blyton school tales all my life- it was amazing to discover the tatse of a crumpet, the satiation derived from a warm cinammon bun, the happiness in devouring a croissant and all the joys of an English tea accompaniments were revealed to me at the breakfast table each day...

Bearing the withering cold and the dry chappy skin conditions that follow m verdict for UK is a double thumbs up... lovely trees, light blue skies, friendly people and best of all a most brilliant array of baked goods that fills a veggie amidst the bacon, ham and eggs...

As the english say - Cheers Mate!!