The Currently Reading Book Tag !

Hey-llo to everyone! We’re doing something interesting today. No it’s not preachy or cheesy. It’s bookish! A couple of days ago, I saw this tag on Nehal’s Blog, and she had so much fun with the answers!

So I’m gonna steal her idea and let’s get going now-

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1. How many books do you usually read at once?

Usually, 2 or 3. But lately I’ve got 4 on my currently reading list. But sometimes, it’s hard to keep track of the books. The plotlines get mixed, the page numbers jumbled and god knows what. So my book reading process begins like:

Step 1: Begin 10 books.

Step 2: Categorize 6 as DNF (“Did not finish”).

Step 3: Select any 3 as your final favorites and read them.

Okay, not that systematic. For me, the book has to get VERY interesting in the first few pages. If not, you belong in the DNF bin.

2. If you’re reading more than one book at a time, how do you decide when to switch to reading the other book?

When my brain cannot handle more information from the book. You know the best way to take a break from a book? Read another one. When I think I’ve read enough of a book already, I switch to the other one!

3. Do you ever switch bookmarks while you’re part way through a book?

Oh, if I ever used bookmarks.

I tend to turn my book upside down (and eventually get the binding weaker) or just put whatever comes to my hand: A newspaper, comb or a safety pin.

And I’ve tried to make bookmarks, but trust me, I lost all of them in a day.

4. Where do you keep the book(s) you’re currently reading?

Depends on which type it is. I read hard copies before I go to bed, so I tuck it under my pillow. What’s interesting is that I get dreams about whatever book I tuck underneath that night! Coming to e-books, I usually read them on the laptop or the tab. In the laptop, I usually store them in separate folders or bookmark them whenever I open them via browser.

5. What time of day do you spend the most time reading?

Evenings, because the rest of the time I literally cannot read them.

*Gets flashbacks from High school assignment crisis*

And at nights, before I go to bed!

6. How long do you typically read for in one go?

Depends on the book and it’s genre. I love mythological fiction and suspense, I can read for 3 hours in a go. If it’s standalones about real life problems, stories or anthologies, I can go for an hour or so. That is, when my assignments and chores don’t keep calling me. I read VIGOUROUSLY during summer breaks and holidays, rest of the time, I am not the bookworm people think I am.

7. Do you read hard covers with the dust jacket on or off?

Jacket off! I like to fidget with the book’s cover and the pages whilst I read and the dust jacket is so annoying. And it’s so loosely fitted, it’s always dangling .

8. Which position do you mainly use to read?

It’s called topsy-turvy-sleeping-curling-up-stretching position. I don’t stay in a place. I keep squiggling like a worm.

Wait, that’s what I am, a bookworm.

I’m usually on a couch or a bed, so it’s SUPER convenient and comfy.

My Graphic, btw.

9. Do you take the book you’re currently reading with you everywhere you go?

Uh, where do I go in the first place?

Nope. But back in school (sounds like adults saying “back in our times-“), I used to take it (my book) everywhere, after borrowing it from the library. We had to finish the book in a week and I borrowed books that were 500-600 pages long.

10. How often do you update your progress in the book you’re currently reading on Goodreads?

My “currently reading” books

Uh, I don’t. After I’m almost done, I remember “Hey I need to update that thing” and do it. But then, it doesn’t contribute or add value to my time so, I gave it up.

According to tradition, tags are made to nominate a few other people to do!

This time-

I nominate every other book blogger (and normal/lifestyle blogger-) to do this!

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I wish I could answer more, but there are only so many questions. I saw this post tag and instantly fell in love with it. I feel lately that I’m not as humorous as I was, so this was a cool comeback. Or let’s hope this was funny. But honestly, being effortlessly funny is just a tough skill to have. What do you think, am I funny? Or am I dad joke Jin (Sorry but had to make that reference-)?

Hope you liked reading this!

And if you’d like to be Pen Pals with me- You’re always welcome to drop a message on my contact page, just send a hi or share something about you. I’d feel very happy to read what my readers and friends have to say!

My contact Page: CONTACT

Bye Bye!

Not-so-daintily loving you,

Divi.

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Change of seasons: Photo Post #3

Hello!

Monsoons are finally seeming to come to an end. It’s September, the crisp sun rays shine again. I’ve been so sick of the dull weather and grey clouds. After weeks, the sun rays seeped through again. Especially since the last few days I’d been left with not much to do (my exams got over and then occurred an astoundingly rare long weekend), I did some photography, and it was the perfect time since it was the transitioning from monsoon to autumn.

Who am I kidding? There is no autumn in India. It’s the second summer, in my opinion. The concept of Autumn never existed in India, but some borrow these fancy words from the west and mess it up. It might not seem like it, but I promote Indian-ness in the most Indian ways.

(Quick edit: I just learnt there’s an autumn in north India 😂)

It’s raining lesser and getting more humid now. Let’s begin!

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It had just rained in the evening and the aftermath..

…was the droplets of water deposited on some of the most beautiful flowers!

This is an acupressure path, not that special, but somehow it seemed oh so pretty.

And here, the skies are getting clearer. That day, me and my sister were having a playdate. Not sure if siblings can have that, but she planned the entire day with all the things we loved and sure enough, photography was one.

More post-rain souvenirs- Droplets on these flowers! These flowers…ah.

And here begins the next day. It was bright, sunny and warm. (Do you like the imagery yet?) Sun rays slowly creeped through the sleek leaves of the trees, awaiting my arrival to photograph them. 😛

It was very sunny. But in the above picture, the sky’s a bit edited to look rosy pink. I’m a huge fan of editing. Everyone says natural is beautiful, but for photography, editing is key. While picturing something, many things are missing, and editing helps to set the brightness, tint, saturation and exposure just right to make the perfect picture. Enough of technical stuff, onto the next one!

This is one of my favorites. I love all those shades of green and hey, I haven’t edited this one.

Ah, how tropical! I feel I exaggerate my simple surroundings to look very vacation-ey. But what a feeling, to stand beneath the sun. I know I’m saying this for the hundredth time, but I’m a very summery person! At that time, I was playing with my sister and a little friend of hers.

Introducing my Sister, Meg (not her full name)! At least her head. So, she was just standing there staring that path and it struck to me that it would make a very…thoughtful picture. To me, it seems like a picture depicting a person’s hesitation to move forward in life. What do you think?

I do realise B&W isn’t working out here, but let’s go with it anyway.

I was adjusting some things in the camera and all of a sudden it went all blurry. But it looked kind of cool too.

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Before I end today, I hope everyone’s doing great. We’re in difficult times not that you need me to tell you that, we need some hope *J-hope flashbacks* . Just know, no matter what, life must go on.

how’s ‘life goes on’ related to the collage, I have no idea.

Like an echo in the forest

one day will come

as if nothing happened

Yeah, life goes on

Life Goes on, BTS, english translations

I felt that was necessary. Not only is it a nice song to hum to (Yes, I’m looking at you, mom), but it means something. One day will surely come when everything’s normal.

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I hope you enjoyed this post, leave your thoughts in the comments, I always respond! No question for this one though! Before you leave, I thought I’d share this with you.

Here is a beautiful poem that a lovely book blogger Sep who writes more poems than book reviews has written about letting people go. It’s deep and very insightful. I relate to it a lot, having to let go of many people many times.

Anyways, Until the next time.

Not-so-daintily loving you,

Divi.

p.s. my swifties did you just hear the wildest dreams Taylor’s version yet???

Everything you need to know about journaling: My perspective, how I’m doing it and tips!

My graphic designing skills are sitting in a cringe bin, what’s happening!?

Let’s face it, Journaling is the new trend. It’s the new aesthetic everyone is going for. But what’s making it different is how unique everyone’s take on it is.

What is a Journal?

A journal is a book to store memories and reflections about anything you wish. It could be a day’s log, an account of an important/memorable event. You could maintain a journal of practically any sort- Art, scrapbook journal, a study journal (though I’m not sure what that is), a self reflective or even a private one!

I started a self-reflective cum scrapbook journal, and so far, it’s going great!

Why maintain a journal in the first place?

You know what, I’m not sure either. Why do it in the first place? Why not just jot it down in your notes app or something? Because there’s a special joy to it! Trying to visualize or think of how your today’s journal entry is going to be has a kick to it! What ever you do with your own damn hands is divine, especially during these days when everything is inside a virtual world.

*boken brones, yes that’s what I wrote.*

What do you need?

That’s the million dollar question. What do you need to maintain a journal?

A book and a pen, if you want to keep it simple.

A whole art shop if you’re willing to go overboard.

I chose a notebook I had, sitting in a corner of my *utterly littered* bookshelf. It seemed okay to make-do for the time being. And the rest, was just newspapers, lettering, old gift sheets, and some old sheets of paper.

Tips to keep in mind before you begin-

Do not be misled by Pinterest.

They seem pretty, they seem aesthetic. DON’T BE MISLED.

All sorts of stuff shown on pinterest.

The thing with Pinterest is that all creators are in an attempt to get more clicks on their pins. Pinterest is solely image based and the creators are making their pins look more and more and more attractive. Why wouldn’t they, if it’s visually appealing, who wouldn’t click?

I’m not saying it’s bad, it’s just not doable. Not at the very starting. And you see that amount of glue and paper and the setup they make for shooting Pinterest videos? It’s not economically or environmentally efficient. So I suggest you to try and recycle things. But I can say this with a hand on my chest, truthfully, that Pinterest is great for gaining inspiration.

Things you could do-

• Make your own stickers and decorations
• Try to re-use old papers/newspapers (did I tell you that old brown paper bags make good aesthetic material?)
• Avoid buying decorative and the so called fancy stuff; SUPPORT YOUR BUDGET!

Write it for your satisfaction

Don’t do it for the sake of doing it. If you want to do it passionately, spend your time in doing it. Your time is invaluable.

Get inspiration from everywhere!

Get INSPIRED. Get CREATIVE.

Do things that will make you want to write for your journal. Go out, somewhere different. Have a picnic with yourself, or read something thoughtful. And then you’d feel like writing about it in your book!

You could read a post about gaining writing inspiration here.

What is Journaling going to do for you?

Jumping to the next part; how is it beneficial?

Improve your writing-

Frequent writing will surely help you get better at it. I myself feel impacted by writing frequently. This is not only applicable to journaling, but can be used in any field. I personally feel that frequently writing for my blog has improved the quality and depth in my content. Also, journal is a no-nonsense book, so you’ll feel compelled to write insightful things in it.

(before you come and attack me using so many paper cuttings in the above picture- THEY’RE ALL RE-USED.)

Breeds optimism-

Journals help you to gather motivating stuff from all around. Especially if you’re maintaining a self reflective journal. The name says it all, you reflect yourself. You begin to understand yourself and find out areas you can improve. And in turn, you take it all positively. You look forward for another day full of experiences, how happy does it sound!

Very Happy.

Isn’t it getting cheesy now?

Peace o mind

I have no right to talk about having peace of mind. I don’t have any stress weighing on my head, but in a generic way, you’d feel calm when you write about your day. And how peaceful does writing seem to you? Very. And, along with peace, you’re also breeding insightfulness, when you’re thinking about yourself deeply. But it’s not necessary to write deeply.

What can I say, I’m very shallow.

Reminiscing

This is the best part, remembering memories of the past. Now imagine, after 10 years or so, you’re maintaining a journal right now, upon reading it in the future, it’s all very nostalgic. Flipping through all those pages, with so many memories and stories, imagine!

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I hope you enjoy reading this post, it was just an effort to share what I have learnt. Both positive and negative, lol. The main aim isn’t to get you into maintaining a journal, I intend to make you think of yourselves even more and record it somewhere. Self-love is the best therapy, give yourself time.

Before you go, check out the blog’s Pinterest, there’s lot’s to go around!

Not-so-daintily loving you,

Divi.

P.S.- Please do not compare my images to pinterest, lol 😛

P.P.S- I recently read a post on journaling by Maya, she has some great tips too, you could check it out here.

The Sarcastic Synopsis: Writing a sarcastic synopsis for some of the most popular films since 2000

I’m gonna love doing this.

Hello, I’m back from my 2 week hiatus, I hope you missed me. Today we’ve got an interesting one coming up. I’m putting my grumpy-old- Sarcastic self to use today. I will be writing Sarcastic Plotlines/Synopses for some of the most popular films since the 2000s.

Mind you, this is just for fun and these films are actually some of my favorite ones. No shade! Even if you feel offended..ummm, no, nothing I can do to fix that.

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Spider Man– A movie about a boy, bit by a genetically modified bug. He turns into a human spider and goes through a series of calamities, including a poor CGI enhanced Green Goblin, who turns out to be the father of the boy’s best friend.

Avatar– A critically acclaimed film about humans turning into blue people with tails on another planet, who were first fascinated by the place but later other bad guys from the same damn earth come and attack the planet who sent the humans to become blue people in the first place.

Catwoman– A super cringe film about a woman who gets cat abilities who goes around the city in a leather Halloween costume and a cat mask.

Hellboy– A story about a red chili with two horns who thinks he can save the world.

Cast Away– A film about a man from FedEx who talks to a volleyball named wilson after he lives on an abandoned island for 1500 nights.

Avengers Endgame– A Blue machine and a man who wears Iron are rescued from space by a girl who has lamp-hands. A super fat former-good-looking God of Thunder, a 100 something old soldier, a depressed red-haired spy, a brawny-but-brainy Green beast, a shrinkable man and lamp-hand girl team up with the rescued guys from space to bring back dusted out people by a purple grape.

Conjuring– A jump scare film about a creepy woman who can see unseen things and her sidekick husband who solve ghost cases. They come to a family, who wasted their money to buy an obviously-haunted looking house. And NOW, they realize that a creepy thing is haunting their family.

Harry Potter films– A movie series about a boy with a torn forehead and broken glasses, a human dictionary and a freckled poor Weasley fight a nose-less, robed man with a magic stick while studying how to make objects fly at the school for magic freaks.

The Percy Jackson Franchise (Franchise? Really?)- A movie franchise that works well as a film franchise but utterly and most brilliantly fails in following the path of the damn books. In short, water-god’s half human kid sets out to defeat a titan living in a sickly, skinny, unattractive boy Luke’s body. (The book Luke was described so well-)

MAKE A BETTER SERIES FOR PJO!

Legally Blonde– The most applicable tagline to this would be- “Barbie goes to Law school!”. A blonde, human Barbie loves this man who hates blondes. She wants to go to law school just so she could impress him, that she’s smart. And it’s just not any law school, it’s Harvard. In the end, she becomes a lawyer and leaves the viewers wondering just how.

The Mummy– A movie about wrapped dead bodies awakened by evil magic.

AI: Artificial Intelligence– A robot wants to be loved by a mommy, that’s all.

Ip Man– A movie about a poor man (why is it always someone poor-) who is good at punching people. 1 hour 46 minutes of pure fighting and martial art beliefs and philosophy (same old things I heard from my own Karate teacher-Yes I did Martial arts).

Wonder Woman 1984– A very cringe overhyped film that involves a female Hercules who tries to fight with a wild cat. There is another antagonist, a man who grants wishes with a piece of stone.

*This is not how you portray superheroes anymore 😶*

Cinderella (2021)– A deeply boring film with a girl who wants to own a shop to display stitched pieces of rags, despite having one of the best voices and become a singer instead, but the evil stepmother prohibits her to even breathe, so there ain’t no hope for her except a prince in disguise. The entire movie revolves around a piece of glass as everyone starts singing irrespective of who’s watching and where they are.

Mr and Mrs Smith– No making this sarcastic, I cannot under-exaggerate this one. A couple who are secretly assassins are on a mission to kill each other. That is the actual plot.

Toy Story 3– Toys creepily come to life when no one’s looking, they get left at some school of ka-ray-zee kids. They discover that the school has an underground dictator, a pink teddy that smells like strawberries. The toys have to escape and get back to their owner, a kid going to college.

Orphan– a weird film with a senseless family who adopt an obviously-a-ghost kid. The kid acts very friendly at first but then later manipulates them. But, spoiler, the kid isn’t actually a kid.

Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows– A movie about a poor, drug addicted detective who works with an equally poor doctor, as they try to find out the brother of a gypsy lady. They have to face an old man called Jim Moriarty who is supposedly a math geek.

Coco– a cliched movie, a family hates music but the kid loves music. The kid goes to the land of skeletons, dances with the bones and meets his dead ancestors’ skeletons.

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So, I hope you liked my comeback. I sat and drafted this in one whole sitting, it didn’t take that long, now it seems stressful. I’d be detaching from my laptop for a while, but you should write down some things for me-

Is there any other film you’d want me to write a sarcastic synopsis about? I’d compile them into one post and make a part two!

and….

I would love to know how life’s going on for you! let’s chat in the comments!

And if you’d like to be Pen Pals with me- You’re always welcome to drop a message on my contact page, just send a hi or share something about you. I’d feel very happy to read what my readers and friends have to say!

My contact Page: CONTACT

Not-so-daintily loving you,

Divi.

Not a lot going on at the moment: A question I’d like to pose

*Waits for Red (Taylor’s Version) to come out*

Hi! I mean, Bye.

This is not a post. This is me saying that there wouldn’t be a proper post today. Don’t camp out and wait for my post to come.

No one waits for your post like that, Divi.

The thing is that my examinations are ongoing, and it’s gonna take me another week to get started with blogging again. So, not a lot going on at the moment. But, I’ve got ample time to pose this question to everyone out here-

Is it alright to not have a lot going on at the moment?

Just write down some real long answers, bring that writer out of you. Answers in the comments and lot’s of love to who ever is willing to stay with me till the next big post comes up.

I hope you all are doing exceptionally well, and may you have strength to face the pandemic that has shook all of us.

Not-so-daintily loving you, but adoring you till the end of the world,

Divi.