A Dowry of snails and mud

Author : Britanny Tucker

When I started reading this book , I was expecting romance and a  fairy tale ending, but humor is something which got me by surprise. 16 year old Rhia is to be married off to the youngest son  of the king  as her father , the Mayor has trouble managing the territory. The king threatens to wipe off the territory and an alliance is the only thing which can save him from the doom.

Rhia and the King’s youngest son Emerys have nothing in common. Rhia likes to get her hands dirty in everything , she is a hard worker with a tough mind where as Emerys is very polished and soft. Will just a “I do” save their marriage? Will they be able to save the land from the King’s clutches?

This summarizes the plot of the book. I loved the way it is written, there are a lot of funny expressions, which I really enjoyed. It is a royalty “rom-com”. Sit down, have a drink and enjoy the book.

Rating: 👍👍👍👍

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Delicious Death

Author : Byrd Nash

I have always loved Byrd Nash’s works. I make sure  I follow her books. This story has a strong female central lead, it is always enjoyable when an author projects a strong female lead in 1800s with eccentric qualities. Elinor has a penchant towards ghost talking. She befriends another eccentric woman , who is a doctor. In the winter feast. There is an attempt to murder the king. There is a duke who is equally interested in solving this mystery. The forbidden romance brews between Elinor and the Duke. Social restrictions follow.

What not to like about it, nothing . Overall a very enjoyable read.

Rating : 👍👍👍👍👍 

Things are shaking

 Author : Lois Wickstrom

Things Are Shaking is the second book in the Invisible Magic Wand series by Lois Wickstrom.  Caspian is back with his magic wand and his adventures.

Caspian shows  his cousin Belinda, the  invisible magic wand gifted to him by his grandpa. She wants one too. Grandpa had one spare to give her right on time. An Earthquake hits and it is up to Caspian, Belinda and Grandpa to use their magic wands . Caspian shows how he can control time using the wand. Can Belinda and Caspian control time, and save themselves and others from the Earthquake?

 

The picture book is filled with bright illustrations and the children will love the story line. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

Rating : 👍👍👍👍

The swimmers

 

A very fine movie, based on a true tale of two sisters who flee from war-torn Syria to Germany in hope of a better life. Sara and Yusra Mardini are professional swimmers, Yusra dreams of representing Syria in the Rio Olympics. But a larger hand is at play . Syria faces a rebellion and the ongoing crisis leads to a Civil war. Damascus is bombed and Syrians flee from their homeland to seek asylum in the European countries. Sara and Yusra, along with their cousin follow the cue .They travel with other refugees by land and sea with no food , water for days together in locked trucks and an inflated boat, which stops working mid-way, thus stalling them in the middle of the sea. The horrific  circumstances they encounter teaches them to stand up for a cause much greater than the Olympics or their own country, to fight for the shelter and welfare of all the refugees across the world. It is a tale of struggle and  survival which eventually leads them to the path of humanity. The movie reminded me of Khaled Hosseini’s “The Sea Prayer”, a short powerful novel which depicts the Syrian refugee crisis. It is very well shot, the actors did a fabulous job. There are certain sequences which are a little over dramatic, and I found the movie a tad lengthy. There are a couple of sequences which are not appropriate for children. Otherwise a very inspiring weekend family watch.

Rating: 👍👍👍👍

 

Brahmastra

 Watched Brahmastra on Disney+ over the weekend. Pretty good movie with some cool graphic stuff and solid star cast . First in the trilogy , the story is about an orphan who figures out that fire doesn’t harm him and he has a connection with a bunch of secret guardians who are guarding the divine weapons of the world . A recent threat has caused havoc in their lives and Shiva ( Ranbir kapoor ) steps in to save the world . The movie has great visual effects, we could sense a similarity with The Eternals . We were in awe when we saw the first stunt , Shahrukh flying in the air with his Vanarastra . The ending battle was pretty cool with different types of Astras flying around . The plot had a lot of flaws , especially the way the love story unfolded was quite abrupt . Almost till the end I suspected Alia Bhatt’s motive in joining hands with Shiva . It was a lengthy movie too , but the songs are good , so no complaints. Capital stuff . My boys loved the movie too and we are all waiting for Part 2 , desperately hoping Dev is not Ranbir Kapoor in dual role . Would love to see Ranveer Singh as Dev , that costume and role seems tailor made just for him .

Rating: 👍👍👍👍

The Dalai Lama's Cat

 Author : David Michie

Ending this year with this insightful read , a good spiritual dose with lot of humor and wit . It is a reminder to be mindful, practice kindness and a good recipe for happiness . I loved the phrase “Egocentric melodrama”, a constant state of mind which we are usually in, where we are obsessed with our own needs and keep fueling our mind and are never happy . The book is narrated from the perspective of Dalai Lama’s Cat, which takes on several names through your the book , HHC , Rinpoche , the most beautiful creature that ever lived , and the list goes on . The cat , which is mostly with Dalai Lama or one of his personal assistants , is fortunate to observe his Holiness and his interactions with various delegates, famous personalities , and political leaders in close proximity . Also , being a cat , she has her own share of feline adventures with other cats,

Dogs , mice and common folks who live near the monastery. She is willing to work over her shortcomings and tries to implement Dalai Lama’s teachings in her day to day life . Throughout the book, she urges the readers to do the same . The teachings are fairly relatable except towards the end where it delves a little deeper into Buddhism , which I could not understand. But otherwise a beautiful reminder to start the new year with a spiritual outlook, pause , slow down, stay grounded , be mindful , practice kindness, be respectful towards others and get out of our “egocentric melodrama” . Happy new year ! Stay blessed .

Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

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