Welcome to My Blog - The Reality Checks and Reviews

This book is the second part of the Island of Angels series. I have already read part 1, and that’s why I picked up this book. The cover image of the book is more than enough to explain the genre of the book. Yes, this is a fantasy fiction story, and to be more precise, it is a historical fantasy fiction. The story begins in the year 1580. The main protagonist of the story is Nelan. As it is a fantasy read, our hero does have some supernatural powers. Nelan has recently embarked on a new role and job, and while he is focusing on his present, the past life haunts him. Additionally, he is on the hunt for his love, Eleanor. His quest, struggles, and everything are beautifully portrayed, along with his magical journey. This is a historical era-based fantasy fiction book that has lots of suspense, thrills, and a touch of love, which is predominantly presented. Even the love depicted in this book is both elegant and intense at the same time. Nelan’s love for Eleanor is beautifully written, a...

Epic Fail: The Book That Got Me Sent to Prison written by Lawn Mower. This book can be coded under the memoir kind of genre. The title of the book looks very descriptive, and it even kind of indicates the genre of the book. The cover image also looks quite different, just like this book's content. As I have mentioned above, this is a non-fiction book that explains the author's life in a brutally honest way. This book shares the pain, addiction, struggles, and various emotions of the author in a sarcastic narration. The writing is so eloquent, and I feel like watching a series while reading it. The sequence with the 'Not God Andy' was my favorite in this book; it's really so funny to read. Since it recounts everything that happened in the author's life, the narration is candid without any filters.    This is quite a large book, with more than five hundred plus pages in it.  The emojis presented in between the pages were apt and cute; they match perfectly wi...

Stars Will Guide You Home written by Stuti Changle. Genre: Romance, contemporary Romance If I don’t read a romance book at least once a week, I will start to feel low and weak. For this week, I picked up Stars Will Guide You Home. The title gave off classic romance vibes, and I also liked the cover image that matched the title. Together, these all gave me a warm and comforting feeling of reading a good romance book. The main protagonists of the story are Nirvaan and Kiana, both leading busy and work-filled lives, respectively. Nirvaan has a successful career as an entrepreneur, and Kiana is working in Chicago. Since they are both caught up in their work lives, they remain single in their personal lives. Somehow, they both end up signing up for the 'AILENA app', a dating and matchmaking app. This app matches Nirvaan and Kiana as the perfect pair, and that’s when the twist begins in the plot. On top of that, they were teenage sweethearts a decade ago but were separated, and now t...

T his is something that happened recently, just a couple of years ago. There was a Malayali lady who stayed opposite my house. Due to the language barrier, she would often ask for my help. We communicated in English, and I would explain what she needed to the shop vendors in Tamil. Over time, we became close friends. Not only that, she also shared with me a few of the dishes she cooked — and among them, Ney Pathiri is something truly unforgettable and mouth-watering. It can be eaten with Kadalai curry (Channa curry), mutton curry , or even just a spicy coconut chutney. Let me share the recipe she gave me with you. Soak one cup of boiled rice overnight. The next morning, drain the water and add the rice to a mixer grinder along with: 1/4 cup grated coconut 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera) 1 sprig of curry leaves 15 shallots 1 green chilli Salt to taste Grind it into a fine paste. The consistency should be thick, not runny — something like chapati dough, but slightly looser. Once the d...

The term "90s life" is becoming more and more popular each day. It refers to the unique experiences of those who were born in the 90s or spent their childhood during that decade. Their lifestyle, games, food, and surroundings — everything is captured in the phrase "90s life." There’s so much to say about the 90s that we could talk about it endlessly! But in this post, I’m going to focus on one unforgettable part of my 90s childhood — the snacks. While the list of snacks is long, I’ll be sharing five of the most affordable and memorable ones that I personally enjoyed. 1. Kayiru Mittai Kayiru Mittai is a peppermint-flavored candy, usually white in color. The word 'Kayiru' means rope in Tamil, and 'Mittai' means candy. The candy is tied to a rope, making it fun to play with and eat — a true 2-in-1 treat! It was sold for just 25 to 50 paise, making it very affordable and known for its minty flavor. It was a popular mouth freshener for kids in the 90s. 2....

  I f you’ve read my previous blog titled " My Luck with Butter Chicken ," you’ll already know the kind of luck I have when it comes to this one dish. In this post, let me tell you about a recent disaster that took place during a visit to the trade fair—yes, this is the story of " My Horrible Restaurant Experience ". Now, I’m someone who barely steps out of the house unless it’s absolutely necessary. But attending the annual trade fair is kind of a tradition. So this year, my family and I planned a weekday visit (Wednesday evening to be precise), hoping for fewer crowds and a more peaceful experience. After munching on the usual fair snacks—popcorn, waffles, Delhi papad, and some cauliflower fritters—we decided to treat ourselves to a fancy dinner at a nearby restaurant. We reached there around 7:30 PM, which felt like perfect dinner timing. But here’s something I don’t get—why do fancy restaurant waiters always make you wait just to take your order, and then make y...

 I f you’ve ever watched an interview with a non-Indian celebrity or foreigner, you’ll notice that one of their most loved Indian dishes is often Butter Chicken . It must be really tasty, I assume. But… do you know what? I’ve never actually had it. Yes, you heard me right—and don’t be shocked! When I was a kid, my dad would only take us to vegetarian restaurants. Back then, non-vegetarian places weren’t that common or easily accessible. So, my usual hotel menu was always vegetarian, and over time, that became the norm in our family. Even now, our stomachs can only handle light vegetarian food comfortably. By the time I finished college, non-veg food chains and food delivery apps were becoming popular. That’s when I really wanted to try naan, parotta, and butter chicken for the first time. But unfortunately, I live in a residential area where big food chains aren’t nearby, and my home address isn’t serviceable by most delivery apps. My sister did try cooking butter chicken at home a...

Food is something I can rave about and talk on and on whenever I get the chance. I personally feel that it holds more emotion than simply satisfying hunger or counting calories. Just imagine going without food for even a day—it would feel like hell and drive us mad! There’s a saying: “Except for food, no one can say no to anything.” Well, it might sound funny, but it's true, and that’s the importance food holds in our lives. In this Blog 1 , I’m going to talk about the carnival treats I enjoy each year in my native place. Imagine disconnecting from city life for a week, staying in a village, and soaking in the pure love of nature. Sounds amazing, right? Now imagine pairing that feeling with village-style carnival snacks and food. Though I have plenty to share, here are the top 3 treats I enjoy the most during the carnival: 1. Javvu Mittai This stretchy, sticky, and super-sweet treat is not just a snack—it’s a memory! It's usually brought to us on a long stick, topped with a co...

R abindranath Tagore's stories are a blend of reality and emotions. Most of his work is in Bengali and later translated into English. His stories revolve around the lives of common people.  I remember I was in seventh grade when I read Kabuliwala.The story was a part of my English syllabus. I found the story very heartwarming and i genuinely enjoyed reading this particular story.  Years later when I read the same story in this book, I felt nostalgic. The story was all about a father's love for her daughters. And it also highlights the pain of growing up and leaving the parental home after marriage.  With his work Tagore not only entertained the readers but also questioned the social norms. Grab a cup of coffee and find a suitable seating area and enjoy reading this masterpiece.

Dynasties of Devotion: The Secrets of 7 Iconic Hindu Temples , written by Deepa Mandlik and translated from Marathi by Aboli Mandlik. The reason I chose this book is because of its title and the majestic cover image of the Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple . Being a Hindu, I truly adore temples and the positive vibes I feel when visiting them. If there's a book that talks about the iconic temples of India—and especially if it features South Indian temples—it automatically makes its way onto my reading list. That’s exactly how I picked this book. Now let’s talk about the content of this beautiful work. This book takes us on a journey through seven iconic temples —six from India and one from Cambodia. The temples mentioned in this book are:  the Kailasa Cave Temple, the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur, the Brihadeeswara Temple at Gangaikondacholapuram, the Airavatesvara Temple, Hindu Temples in Cambodia, the Chennakeshava Temple, and the Padmanabhaswamy Temple . These are the seve...