Best books that I read in 2017 #BookRoundup

This post has been pending from the starting of January. But, it is a lot of effort to relook all the books that I read and choose some to showcase on my blog.

I have read 38 books in 2017 and there are some books which I liked a lot and so, wanted to share them with my readers of the blog. 

These are the books that I liked in 2017:

1. Busting Cliches by Mahevash Shaikh 
#NonFiction #Motivational

If I have to decide the best book that I read last year, it is this. This is a nonfictional motivational book about some old proverbs and sayings which are misinterpreted by most of us. This book busts those cliches and discusses them with examples from our everyday life. I usually, don't read non-fiction as I find it boring. But, this book is very practical and relatable to our everyday situations and problems. 

Buy @ Amazon.

2. Letters from Kargil by Diksha Dwivedi
#NonFiction #War

This is an interesting find from juggernaut.in, a platform to read good books. I liked this book though it is a non- fiction and the format is not a story but letters. I heard and read in the newspaper about Kargil war but I never knew the details about how difficult the operation Vijay was, how many soldiers died and how many families were impacted until I read this book. Some letters are heart-wrenching to read. I can understand what their families have gone through after losing their family member. The courage and the sacrifice of each soldier are evident from their letters. Read my review here.

Buy @ Amazon/ Juggernaut

3. Ponni's beloved by Sumeeta Manikandan

#HistoricalFiction

'Ponniyan selvan' which is the original of this translated work is already a popular novel in Tamilnadu. The story is set in the era of Cholan ruler Sundara Chola and it is all about the politics in the kingdom, the beauty of the place, its culture and people. I appreciate the translation effort of the Author and I liked the way she explained Tamil poems too. Overall, a wonderful read and I would love to read other parts in the Series too. Read my review here. 

Buy @ Amazon.

4. The Everette Exorcism by Lincoln Cole
#Horror #Paranormal #Occult

This is the second book that I read from the author and Horror is my favorite genre. Father Paladina reaches a small town in Washington state from the Vatican to investigate an issue reported by Father Reynolds requesting a person to perform an exorcism on Rose who he thinks is possessed and needs help. The transformation of the character 'Father Paladina' is great from not believing ghosts to acting bravely when required when encountered with a real ghost. I recommend this to all horror, paranormal and occult lovers. Read my review here. 

Buy @ Amazon.

5. Chameleon by Zoe Kalo

#Suspense #Thriller

This might be my third book by the same author and I love his writing. This is a perfect suspense thriller.

The story starts when Paloma, a teenager is expelled from school due to her behavior and lands up in a convent which has some dark secrets hidden inside it. As she gets acclimatized with the environment and start making friends, she learns about some secrets and murders. How she reveals the real character of her roommate and handles the mind games of the killer forms the remaining story. Read my review here.

Buy @ Amazon.

I also enjoyed reading the below books last year:

Empire by Devi Yesodharan #HistoricalFiction
Melvin the saddish Robot by Joshua Margolis #Childrensbook
Knitted Tales by Rubina Ramesh #ShortStories #Anthology #Fiction
Mama's Knight by Aurora Whittet #Childrensbook #CancerSurvivor
All that glitters by Liza Trevino #Womensfiction #ContemporaryFiction
Around the world in 80 tales by Dave Tomlinson #NonFiction #Travel
The Opposition by Alicia Bryant #ContemporaryRomance #Fiction

How many books did you read in 2017 and what did you like? Do let me know so that I can add them to my wish list.

Until next time,

2017 in Review and Word of the year for 2018 #ChattyBlogs

We reached the last week of the year 2017. It seems like the year has gone fast when I review, but I had a good time overall. 

The first half of the year was not something significant but only good thing is that I started teaching dance in 2017. I cooked and experimented new recipes while cribbing about all the kitchen work I hate. 

Life seemed interesting from May when I got my driving license. The unlimited library visits made me happy. I took kids to a lot of activities in different parts of the town and we attended many fun events. 

More freelancing software testing work poured in and kept me busy. I have participated in many Instagram photo challenges and Writing challenges on my blog. My readership base grew and I focused on improving my network of friends. Diwali dance performance was good and because of this event, I made a lot of new friends. My kids got new friends too. 

In December, there are a lot of things to be grateful for. I started a new art form "Zentangle" and I am enjoying it to my heart's content. Of course, my reading time is replaced with Zentangle but it is very relaxing to my mind to draw at least for 30 mins a week. I started teaching dance to more students which also reduced my reading time. Many book reviews are pending as of now, but I don't want to rush myself reading them. I want to enjoy reading each book instead of just picking it up for review and finishing it in hurry.

So, that was about my 2017 which is both satisfying and happy. 

I don't usually set any new year resolutions as I believe that any good work should start as quickly as possible without waiting for any day. But, I want to pick a specific word for the next year which keeps me motivated and focused.

My word of the year for 2018 is "Positive Spirit". 2017 is definitely better than 2016 for me. My positive spirit made it the best. I want to continue the same for the next year too.

Do you set any word for the year? Or do you set new year resolutions? Do let me know your thoughts in comments. 

Until next time,

Linking this to #ChattyBlogs hosted by Shanaya. 

Good Bye 2016 #FridayReflections

This year has been a hell of a ride with many ups and downs. I don't set any specific goals or choose a specific direction during the start of the year, but if I had to think of one word which describes my 2016, it is 'CHANGE'.

Change is the only constant of life. 

I know this quote for a long time and I repeat it whenever a change is inevitable. This is to prepare my mind to give less resistance. But, this year has been full of changes like moving to a different place, quitting my job, engaging kids more, cooking, freelancing, blogging, reading a lot of books etc.,

This year started with my father's Shashtipoorthi (60 years completion) in January. I enjoyed organizing the family function and it sure made a lot of lovely memories in my heart. February and March went in a jiffy with my elder one's birthday celebrations and school exams. We both had a fun time making many crafts too. By the end of March, I have quit my job and moved to a new place. Being a house wife, managing kids and cooking was tough initially, but these experiences taught me new skills and patience. Till September, I read a lot of books, reviewed, explored many new places, tried new cash back apps, tried user testing and blah blah. October was a fun time for Halloween and a lot of purchasing for thanks-giving. Here comes the December with the most awaited vacation. Atlast, time has come to bid farewell to 2016.

Source:www.pixabay.com

More posts will follow on my recent travelogues, which I am as always excited to share on my blog :-) and more book reviews too will pour in soon. But, this post is brief as it is holiday time and I don't want to be with my laptop for more time.

So, bid a farewell to the wonderful year 2016  and ring in the new year with the positive spirit.

Here are my hearty wishes to all my blog readers for the great new year ahead :-)

Until next time,

Linking this to #FridayReflections hosted by Sanch and Corinne.