Hello! I have just finished polishing the Books by Shaily page: Link
Apart from two free short stories compilations, it has Ratings sections for both books and a common Comments section at the bottom for reviews. Request you to leave any ratings and reviews about the books here.
Thank you!
I found this brilliant Christmas piece by Colin McQueen a little late because, well, my Reader thinks it is funny to put people off my radar. I found the post rather funny, though some of the words are, let’s say, not meant for kids. 😊
I was trying to update my website recently and tried to update categories based on the type of post. Needless to say, I killed it. So, if you find prose in the Poetry tab and poetry in Fiction, please forgive me. It might take a few days to fix.
I also tried to get a new site theme but my inner child wanted the Scratchpad theme back. So, I reverted back to it after losing 3 hours of work.
I also want a new top picture and logo. I don’t think I will change it too. Probably, I will move around to something better looking and, after two days, return to same old. All I can say is that I am not sitting idle.
Let’s see how it goes.
Note from Shaily: Here is a piece in Indonesian by a co-blogger, Sunarno. Even though I don’t know that language, I am a fan because the Google translation of his pieces take me to a world made purely of feelings.
Here is the link to the original post: Link
And here is the Google Translation of his piece (I can’t vouch for accuracy of translation but assure you reading it will be worth it.).
Prayer mat on the shoulders of the Dusk Man
The market has shed its frenzy. The old man walked slowly, prayer mat hanging over his shoulders like an unhurried promise. The call to prayer has not yet sounded, but the time has shifted from bargaining to contemplation. The lowing of cattle was the only sound that lingered, filling the space left by conversation and ambition.
The ground was still wet with footprints and dirt that hadn’t been swept away, like a wound that had been left to dry on its own. No one is in a hurry to clean up, because here, chaos is part of everyday life, and everyday life is part of unfinished prayers.
And the man stopped for a moment at the edge of the prayer room, looking at the sky which was slowly turning orange. The prayer mat on his shoulders is not just a piece of cloth, but a path home that he carries wherever he goes. Behind the wrinkles on his face, there is a history of the market, a history of rice fields, a history of loss that he never talks about. Twilight embraced him silently, as if to say: prayer doesn’t need to be rushed, because every remaining second is an opportunity to return.
Ever since my “book-rehab” started, I have stuck to one book in a month. This is the one I chose this month–Jane Eyre. Being a classic, it needs no introduction, I believe. However, I can’t stop myself from from sharing.
When I had first read an abridged version of the book (part of school studies) as a teenager, I had found it unremarkable. The plot wasn’t grand and could be summed up in 3-4 lines. The abridged version had truly killed the very soul of the book and my teacher never tried to explain the context of the British society in 19th century. She also did not share the finer points of the book that made it a classic.
I am able to understand them now, a bit at least.
And I loved it this time.
This book is the most comprehensive character study I have come across so far. The best part is that it clarifies character through actions devoid of any emotions on the part of the observer. I specially loved the character study of Miss Ingram.
Living in a society which abhors physical imperfections, both the protagonists are unremarkable to look at. The book discusses their different ways to deal with their imperfections–Jane tries to be invisible, while Mr. Rochester tries to cover himself with power and money.
The book also has a religious theme. The book questions several religious rules and discusses the dilemma about things that are ethical but feel unjust. It also talks about religious people and how everyone interprets it differently based on their interests. While Mr. Broklehurst uses it as a tool to reduce expenses at school but not at home, St. John uses it to move people to serve God, whether or not they want to do it. The book also tries to distinguish a good man from a good husband.
The only thing I did not like was how the book presents India and Indians. The author made the heat sound like going to hell. ☺️ But then, I guess, I would consider moving to Britain as equivalent of moving into a refrigerator, so we are even. 🤣🤣🤣
Overall the book is beautiful because it goes against the social norm of that time which involved writing about beautiful heroine meeting a handsome hero. Also, the protagonists here love to get on eachother’s nerves and their love is more intellectual than sensual. This book is meant to be read at leisure, not to win a read-athon but to actually enjoy what you read and savour it daily.
Have you read Jane Eyre yet? What do you think of it?
If not, you can find it on Project Gutenberg website for free: Link
I want to share a piece that is forever branded in my memory: The Highway Man by Alfred Noyes. It taught me how poetry can be used to tell stories. The teenage girl in me, who first heard it in elder brother’s voice, still get goosebumps by the mere thought of it.
Here is the link if you wish to read it.
What happens when you realise that world is invaded by an alien species that can detach its body parts at will…and the government is trying to cover it up?
Please! Please! Please! Read this book–it is a short story no more than 10 minutes (A 3-minute read for me) but it had me rolling on the floor laughing! It is available for free on Project Gutenberg Library. Here is the link:
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/31516/pg31516-images.html
I just noticed that my blog now has 548 followers. I was overjoyed! 😃
I have been out so much in the past two years, sometimes due to life taking over, other times because of the books I was writing (and no one was reading 🤣)…
I feel like an ingrate for not noticing when it happened. I can only say that I was so lost 😵 in life that I missed it.
So, I want to say “Thank you!” ☺️
Over and over. ☺️
For staying with me while I wandered 🧳 mentally.
For not “unsubscribing” me, “un-liking” my posts and “uncommenting” your comments 💬 (not sure if it is possible but I don’t want to risking it in case you actually considered the option 🤣).
I will try to be more regular–it makes me super happy to write ✍️. I am just taking a lot longer–the perfectionist in me doesn’t let me post until I am satisfied and since I never have enough time write AND read, I am never satisfied… Moving on, I hope to write regularly, which will help me flex my mental muscles 💪 and help me write faster as I was doing earlier.
Thank you again for subscribing and staying with me! 🥰
This book is one of the classics that don’t really need an introduction, but I read recently and I couldn’t help but appreciate it out loud.
A Room With A View by E. M. Forster is a book about a girl who has lived a very shielded life so far. So, when she travels to Italy with a chaperone, in absence of her mother, she begins to notice the world with a different perspective, and questions her hard-held beliefs from all her growing-up years so far. The book gives you an insight into a society where everyone single person is shades of gray.
Beautifully written from an innocent girl’s perspective, the book is worth reading next to a fire with a mug of hot chocolate in hand. I am doing that a second time now. 😊
You can find this book in Project Gutenberg Library. Here is the http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2641
Once again, I hit gold with Project Gutenberg online library. I found “The Enchanted April” by Elizabeth Von Arnim.
Disclaimer: It is not a book you would read in a readathon and enjoy. It is a lazy book to take on a long journey or may be daily commute for a month, or may be, to read by the bedside when you have time to introspect.
Set in 1922, a group of women–strangers to each other, totally different in ages and circumstances–hire a castle on a whim to get away from everything they considered as their lives. Starting with friction that often comes when a bunch of head-strong people are fitted together too close for comfort, it becomes a beautiful journey of finding oneself, and upon finding that, realising that forgiving oneself is the first true step to happiness.
This book is a window into the soul of all who feel unloved.
Enough said, you can find this book here: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16389
Let me know what you think.
Short Stories | Fish-eye Perspective 