Book Club : Bina Ramani Bird In A Banyan Tree

I read 'Bird In A Banyan Tree' by Bina Ramani a month ago and it left me so overwhelmed that I am writing this review only now, a month later. The book also left me with a few questions that I would have loved to ask Bina Ramani, I was hoping to be able to do that but since it hasnt happened yet, I thought I should go ahead and write this post anyway.
So let me start right from the start. I was browsing through books at a bookstore, when I noticed this one calling out to me, I picked it up admired the gorgeous cover and thought to myself "who wants to read the story of a party girl?", I put it back and left. A few weeks later, at another book store this book caught my attention from under atleast 50 other books, I pulled it out, read a page, and decided I needed to read this.
I came home and started reading and believe me I could not put it down. I think I read this book in record time.

The book is beautifully written, moves at a fast pace and every chapter in the book could work as a full fledged superhit Bollywood movie.
A party girl who got into some trouble is all I knew and thought about Bina Ramani, but reading this book changed all that completely. It is a book about grit, determination, passion, courage, persistence, hope belief and so much more.

As a young girl Bina Ramani, sacrifices her passion and her love for the sake of family, she even enters a loveless marriage for family. She endures years of heartbreak hoping and praying that things would change and the marriage would turn into a marriage that all Indian girls are taught to epitomize.
It is also a story of a mother and her fierce love for her children. That intensity of love can move mountains and drive one to be able to o things otherwise thought impossible and irrational.
Bina Ramani's life fills me with hope and belief that when there is passion for something inside you nothing can stop you from achieving it. Bina Ramani, could boast of no real education and fancy degrees but that did not stop her from becoming a household name and single handedly changing the fashion scene in Delhi and the country.

Even the way she handled her life through the high profile Jessica Lal murder case and proceedings is unfathomable - immense pressure, threats, negative media and even jail.
Bina Ramani has endured so much in life and has emerged more elegant and beautiful from each challenge that life has thrown at her. I really do not think I could have done what she has, even just reading some segments of the book left me with such intense pain in my heart that I thought "I don't think I could have endured that."
All in all it left me in awe of Bina Ramani, her courage and grit. It made me so grateful for the tiny little issues in my life because they are nothing in comparison with the storms she has weathered.
This book is an absolute must read for every Indian girl. Every mother should gift this to her daughter.
I would love to ask Bina Ramani a few questions and understand her life better, so if any of you know how to get in touch with her please do let me know - an email address, number anything would be greatly appreciated.
Bina Ramani, Bird In A Banyan Tree.

Book Club : The Vogue Factor Kristie Clements

The Vogue Factor is a book written by Kristie Clements who worked at Vogue Australia for 25 years and occupied the editor's chair for 13 years.
My instinct was to refer to her life as a modern day fairy tale, but on second thought I felt that it is anything but a fairy tale. It is a real life example of how dreams can come true and how anything can be achieved with hard work, grit and determination. Kristie started at the reception desk in the Vogue office and ended her stint as the Editor of Vogue. Her formula for success was simple and clear, passion and commitment towards everything she was doing and providing 10 times the value to Vogue at every step of the way.

Who is this book for?
This book is for all those who
1. Watch The Devil Wears Prada every weekend/ holiday.
2. Buy every magazine on the 1st of the month and remain lost in them till the 31st.
3. Dream of wearing an Armani suit and Jimmy Choo's to work everyday.
4. Prepare for an important interview by buying a Birkin.
5. Think Louboutin's versatile enough to be used as wall art too.
You know what I mean, its for every fashion loving girl who dreamt or still dreams of working at Vogue (we all have at some point haven't we?)
The book, contrary to what you would expect has no bitching and cynicism in it at all, in fact it is filled with anecdotes of camaraderie and friendship between Vogue and ex Vogue colleagues.
Its about the stories behind the Vogue stories, the stories behind the most iconic Vogue covers and those behind the most memorable parties and events. You will be left amazed at how much luxury brands pamper the editors of a brand like Vogue, its not always through the products, its through creating experiences of a lifetime that brands woo the editors.
Some of my favourite stories are about the illustrated cover of Vogue Australia, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Vogue Australia.

The issue that was guest edited by Karl Lagerfeld. That man is an icon and legend and before reading the book I had no idea about his genius, background and rise to the top.

The Princess Mary issue, now this one was a real fairy tale, an ordinary girl meets a prince and becomes a princess.

A few gems from the book
"How you conduct yourself on the way out is more important than how you went in."
"If the shoes isn't right, then nothing is right."
"The next day was free (given the Americans needed to recover from the horrendous ordeal of leaving New York)." Hahahah :)
"Nobody walked past my desk, they swept past, jackets flung over shoulders, silk scarves flying out behind. Everyone was in a very dramatic and stylish rush to be somewhere else."
So if you are a lover of fashion and everything lavish, if you flip through magazines and dream of being at extravagant events, then go get this book now.
It did make me editor of Vogue, even if just for a few days...and so what that no one else knew about my appointment as the newest Vogue editor - I felt it and that is all that matters.

Book Club
Climbing The Mango Trees, Madhur Jaffrey
Amrita Sher-Gill A life

Book Club : Climbing The Mango Trees By Madhur Jaffrey

I had barely overcome my infatuation of a time gone by, aroused by the book Amrita Sher-Gill A Life,the next book I picked managed to intensify it many-fold. Climbing The Mango Trees by Madhur Jaffrey starts in the 1930's while Amrita Sher-Gill ends in 1941.
So Climbing The Mango Trees continued the history lesson that was started by the book on Amrita Sher-Gill.
Madhur Jaffrey paints a very vivid and tangible picture of life in India, especially Delhi, before partition, during partition and post partition. Its heartening to understand how the partition affected each and every aspect of each individuals life.

I could feel the anger and confusion when Gandhiji passed away, the heartbreak of friends turning to foes and the fear and mistrust all around. And then with time, as the dust started to slowly settle, new friendships were formed, new tastes were developed and a new culture emerged.
Madhur Jaffrey takes us into her home by the Yamuna, you can almost taste the food she writes about, you can hear the laughter of a group of cousins sharing a meal together. I almost felt like I was cycling alongside her to Simla for a giant picnic..
The book is a beautiful description of her childhood and is sure to make you nostalgic, taking you down memory lane, a flashback of your own childhood perhaps..

It is one book that is easy to read and yet memorable and enriching, I almost never wanted it to end and when it did end, it did so very abruptly. Though Madhur talks very fondly of the taste and aroma's of her childhood kitchen, she clearly showed no interest in the process of cooking. Infact she clearly states that she was miserable at it, not knowing how to put together even a simple aloo sabji. Then how did she go on to become one of the formidable experts on Indian cooking, I really wish to know that and so much more..
The book leaves so many questions unanswered, but then the title does say ' A Memoir Of A Childhood In India' and hence rightfully does end with her childhood and her stay in India.
I do feel that the wonderful writer that Madhur Jaffrey is and the accomplished life that she has led, there ought to be another book, one that gives an insight into how she became a name to be reconed with.
I would love to read it..

Book Club : Amrita Sher-Gill A Life

'Never judge a book by its cover' so the wise men say, but I am guilty of commiting this crime ever so often, the most recent one being this book, Amrita Sher-Gill a Life.
I saw the cover in a magazine, I was intrigued by the alluring beauty that stood out through the shades of black and white. There was a confidence in her eyes, personality in  her style, genius in her mind and mystery in her life. That really is all I knew about Amrita Sher-Gill, when I picked up the book - that she was a great artist, a rebel, who mysteriously died at the age of 28.
I wanted to know more, but I had no idea what to expect...so I set out reading..
Honestly, there were parts that I loved, parts that left me scandalized, parts that left me bored, bits that taught me about history and took me to the 1930's and 40's, it also left me with questions and some sympathy.

Image fridaygurgaon.com

Here is what I learnt and thought about while reading the book.

1. It taught me plenty about art. Before the book a painting to me was just a lot of colours..it was bright or dark, happy or sad - thats it. But a painting is so much more, its a book without the words, its about what the artist is feeling seeing and experiencing, without uttering a word. So will I soon be in an art gallery analysing a painting for hours, glass of wine keeping me company - NO..but I do respect the craft much more now, I can see the story it tells.

2. It took me to Paris, Russia, Simla, Lahore and so many places. What amused me most was that it showed me a different side of these places during the World War and during the Indian independence struggle. I only saw what the history books showed me, the injustice, the inequality, the pain and the turmoil, however there seems to have been a parallel world, the world of the wealthy. There was the theater, there were malls, there were dinner parties with British aristocrats, there was art and there was so much more that I had never known.

Image viewamazingworld.com

3. I was left scandalized by the number of affairs and casual flings Amrita had in-spite of having a conservative Indian father and come on it was like 1935 wasnt everyone supposed to be good and conservative?

4. The book also made me feel like life was very unfair to her. She now, is known to be such an acclaimed artist who spearheaded the modern art movement in India.  Her paintings are now worth a fortune, but while she was alive she could barely make ends meet. She was depressed for a while due to the lack of money in her life.

 Indira and Amrita as kids

5. Now for the hardest thing...the mother daughter relationship..
The mother was very controlling, sacrificed a lot for her daughters, ensured a great education for them and wished for them to get married into well to do households so that they would live comfortable lives. BUT Amrita being a rebel, married her cousin Victor against the wishes of her mother. That soured the mother daughter relationship forever and Amrita had to live a difficult life due to scarce resources. I know her mother was not entirely right, but was she so wrong??



Amrita Sher-Gill - A Life is a fascinating read, especially if you are an art and history enthusiast. Amrita also was a chic dresser. Even though, after she moved back to India, she decided to wear only sari's accessorized with tribal Indian jewellery she made heads turn and rooms went silent each time she entered. Such was the charisma and charm of the rebel and the genius artist. 

Winter Weekends: Books, Oranges And Some Regrets..

While the winter has been playing hide and seek, I have spent my time enjoying the fall foliage - there is something so beautiful about leaves that have lived their lives, seen the season, and finally fallen to the ground in the most divine shades of crimson and sepia.
I sat under the shade of a peepul tree, bathed in the warm and golden rays, of the winter sun, as they filtered through the umber leaves. Sweet, sumptuous, juicy oranges and a wise book kept me company.

The weekend saw me saying goodbye to the book that kept me company over the week. Well maybe goodbye is too cold a word to use - because we have decided to be still be friends. "The Wisdom Of My Grandmothers" by the Italian author Adrianna Trigiani, is such a wise book that it would be utter foolishness on my part to say goodbye. Its the kind of book in which you highlight every other sentence and keep coming back to.

Here are a few warm fuzzy bits of grandma wisdom that had me going "ahhh"

Start working early and never ever retire. 

"Viola earned her first paycheck at age 14, while Lucy earned her first paycheck at age 17. They started working early, and began to save young. Viola and Lucy never officially retired. When Lucy died on the eve of her 99th birthday, her hope was to return home to her life and her shop on West Lake Street. If you stay in the game and out in the world, there are new things to learn and savour in the final years of life."

Sex, marriage and the right man

"Sex is a gift, not a right. When you find true love, you only have two things to offer: the gift of yourself and your time. If you find yourself dissatisfied, constantly angry, agitated, frustrated, and emotionally spent, if he does not bring out the best in you, no matter how much you love someone, no matter how many lovely moments offset the low points, if you are exhausted, you are not being fed. And if you are not being fed, you will not grow.

Self respect is the most important respect of all.

Look out for yourself.A man who cares about your feelings, roots for your limitless future, and plans to guard your dreams as his own is a person who will make a good life partner. You should not accept less."

Wear what you like, not what looks good on someone else

"Lucy beleived that excessive shopping was a sign of a person who had no idea what looked good on her. Lucy thought it was better to make a list of what you love to wear. Begin with styles you have worn and loved. Remember moments when you felt your best, and gravitate back to those styles to winnow down your preferences. Too often we are influenced by trends, or the opinions of others, when really all we need to do is wear what we like. Trust who you are, know what you like, and the choices will be clear."

Unfortunately I never got to spent enough time with my grandparents, and I am left with some regrets and a lot of unanswered questions - if only I had sat with them and asked them - I would have been a little wiser today. But, here are a few things that remind me of them...

 Kashmiri shawls and Punjabi juttis..

Potli bags with antique handwork...

Pretty bangles and gold accessories...

I added a new online shopping haunt to my ever growing list, and the pretty package arrived this weekend, making it all the more fun...I loved these pants so so much, that I am now exercising all my will power to resist buying them in every colour available! You will see them soon here :)

You guys seemed to have enjoyed the Past patina and makeup for dummies post from last week. 

Thank you so much :)

Book: The wisdom of my grandmothers

Shawl : Kashmir (old)

Potli Bag : Gujarat (old)

Accessories : (old)

Phulkari Juttis : Handloomsofindia

The Guardian Angels : Book Review

The Guardian Angels : Book Review

I really don't know when I turned into a book snob, and I have no clue what triggered it. But sometime early in my reading life, I created two water tight book categories "fiction" and "non-fiction". Fiction was for entertainment while non-fiction was for the intellectuals.
I guess I was hoping that pulling out a biography and pretending to be deep in thought while reading it would be enough for people to believe that I fell into the intellectuals category - I guess I was just fooling myself and in the bargain I missed out on all the fiction fun for 10 years...yup that long..

So when Rohit Gore the author of TheGuardian Angels got in touch with me, the book snob in me-in my politest tone said "I dont read fiction". Rohit being the writer that he is and a magician with words that he also is convinced me to give The Guardian Angels a chance..

So I started reading the book, more like a bored school kid being forced to do home-work during the holidays - I was waiting for an excuse to give up - I was waiting to prove to myself and be able to say "see I knew fiction wasn't for me" - that excuse never came.
With each page and each chapter I got more engrossed in the plot, I got more caught up with the characters and their emotions, than I ever thought possible. I found myself reaching for the book every spare moment I got. The book kept me company over the usual long and annoying traffic ridden drive to work - and made it surprisingly, irritatingly short. I often found myself wondering "reached already!".

The Guardian Angels is a story about a relationship, which has a few stray uncanny similarities to my relationship with my then boyfriend and now husband. The story made me relive the pain of seperation, the joy of togetherness, the anxiety of the unknown, the comfort in small things and so much more..
My husband even found me crying one evening, and when I said its the book...he just could not understand it...and I dont blame him..you really cannot understand it till you read The Guardian Angels and experience the roller coaster emotional ride that it is.
At the end of it all..I feel immense gratitude and appreciation for what I have..for the relationship in my life..because its so easy for it to all go wrong.
I hope I have said enough to have you pick the book up and read it. I also have to add..brownie points to Rohit for dedicating the book to his wife and son. I like a man who respects and appreciates his wife enough to do that.

Ok I have 10 years of fiction catching up to do...starting with Rohit's other books..byee.