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Books

Book Review: The Heart of the World

February 3, 2023

I read the pdf version of the book, but here’s the cover.

“How we view the world is a strange alchemy of cultural conditioning and personal choice. One could cautiously avoid all geomorphic speculations or, like the Tibetans, allow the configurations of rock and water to guide one into more exalted thoughts and alternate ways of seeing. As the Victorian poet Robert Browning wrote: “…a man’s reach should exceed his grasp. Or what’s a heaven for?” – The Heart of the World by Ian Baker

I spent the last couple of days stealing bits of time here and there to finish reading ‘The Heart of the World’ by Ian Baker. The book was on my radar for a while and was happy when my book club decided to read it.

‘The Heart of the World’ is really really long, but well written. I felt the book took time to gain momentum. It’s also challenging if you’re unfamiliar with the setting or the cultural context, because it makes it difficult to get immersed in the story.

I admit I hadn’t finished the book by the time the book club meeting happened. But I’m glad I attended the meeting because I read the remainder of the book more intentionally.

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Books

Book Review: Practice and All Is Coming

November 25, 2020

I read the book over my Diwali break.

I recently finished reading ‘Practice and All Is Coming’ by Matthew Remski and was reeling for hours after reading it. I first came across Matthew Remski a couple of years ago when I read this article about the sexual abuse that was going on in the Ashtanga yoga world. Matthew is a yoga and ayurveda teacher living in Toronto. This book was part of the the reading list recommended in an online yoga course I recently attended about the history of women in yoga.

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Books

The Industrialization of Vadapav

February 2, 2020

My tryst with vadapav began late in life. A couple of years ago I was in Pune and in between classes at RIMYI. There are small snacks kiosks not too far from the institute. Many students hang around them with some tea as we wait for classes to start again. One fateful day I decided to try vadapav…and wasn’t too impressed. After all, it’s just a deep friend potato patty in a bun. A little chilly powder and a whole chilly, by way of garnishing. I’ve had this snack between classes, and on breaks on the Mumbai-Pune highway.

Not much of a foodie, I’ve rarely ventured out for vadapav in Bangalore. But one day I spotted a ‘Goli Vadapav’ kiosk on Indiranagar Double Road, and over the weekend, on MG Road! Imagine my surprise when I came across ‘My Journey with Vadapav’ in a nondescript book sale in the by-lanes of Malleshwaram! I had to pick it up. I was also kicked that this book fit the first prompt of my #readingwithmuffy challenge (saved by the little dog on the cover!)

However, it turns out that there is more ‘dog’ in this book, than just the one on the cover…

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Books

The Reading Life (#readingwithmuffy)

December 12, 2019

I wish this bookshelf was mine, but alas! It sits at the Penguin office in Delhi. Every time I visit, I get to pick books from it for my personal reading. My own kid in a candy store moment.

I’m always behind on my reading. At any given point in time I’m reading (at least) three books. I read on my Kindle, on my Kindle app on the phone and on the Juggernaut app. Along with these I have random pdfs on my laptop. Also – my bookshelves are overflowing with books ‘I will read next’. Always so much to read and so little time.

A few weeks ago in a moment I was feeling particularly ambitious, I announced to a close friend that I wouldn’t buy any books in 2020. Instead I’m going dive deep into my bookshelves. I’ll make it a point to read books that I own and haven’t gotten around to reading yet. One book a month. Once I’ve read it, I’ll decide whether to keep it or donate it to Blossoms. This should lighten my TBR pile, and ensure that I actually read and don’t just hoard books. I’m also going to look at this as being a way to sift and sort through the thousands of books I’ve accumulated over the years.

I also love a good reading challenge. I feel it adds more depth and variety to my reading. While I love gravitas of something like ‘A Small Town Sea‘, I also relish the light and airy world of Regency Romances replete with the dukes and their unwilling mistresses! So when a fellow blogger (Shalini of Kohl Eyed Me) floated the #readingwithmuffy challenge in a group we’re both a part of, I thought it would be a great way to expand my reading horizons. Plus there’s a prize at the end of it! Which bookworm doesn’t want a prize to read? Below is the challenge. If you can recommend any books for the various categories – please do! I’m always on the lookout for interesting recommendations.

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Yoga Books

The Last Month of the Decade…

December 9, 2019

After a long and dusty ride, I’m finally back in Bangalore.

It was a wonderful 8 days at SVYASA. Yesterday I graduated to taking the vital statistics of a few patients and gave them health advice. I also corrected postures during the asana classes. During my free time I managed to study for the upcoming semester exams. So all in all I had a good time.

December is always an interesting month for me. Possibilities are in the air, there’s bonhomie, everyone wants to do something ‘before the year ends.’ For me it’s a time for lovely morning runs through the fog around the lake, cozy practice sessions in my living room, and meeting up with friends in warm cafes. I actually take out warm socks (yes even in Bangalore!) and spend hours catching up on reading. I make a point of reading ‘A Christmas Carol’ and watching it too! Many Decembers ago I read Nora Robert’s ‘In the Garden‘ Trilogy and my December felt divine.

More to come in the following days about how I’m ending the year. Bear with me, and do check-in every once in a while. Meanwhile, I leave you with a clip of a little bird that was trying to get into my hostel room at SVYASA. A friend told me it’s a barbet. Another told me it is attracted to it’s reflection on the mirror – it’s mating season and it wants to mate!