Nirupama P.R.V.'s Blog: Catty Opinions of a Book Loving Couch Potato, page 21

Weekly Wisdom

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To read more, try going through varying formats – digital versions are a great start. Large prints, illustrated versions, summaries even, are a nice way to simply get into the habit or try a new genre or author.

Wednesday Wisdom

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To read more, try going through varying formats – digital versions are a great start. Large prints, illustrated versions, summaries even, are a nice way to simply get into the habit or try a new genre or author.

Monday Motivation

[image error]Cook Healthy, Eat Healthy and Live Healthy!

Weekly Wisdom

So, you want to improve your reading habit or perhaps the lack of it? Or maybe you want to  crush your reading goals? Or maybe you want to be a better role model for the folks around you?

Then this is just the tip for you. 

Diversify your reading.

   

Just like food choices, we need a variety of books to keep the habit enjoyable and sustainable.

Here are 10 different styles/ genres in which you can immerse yourself to change up your regular reading or foray into as the case may be. I also have listed one of my favorites in each section as an example though feel free to pick your own.

Illustrated Books : Read an illustrated book. Lunarbaboon- The Daily Life of Parenthood is a great example. 
Memoir: Pick a memoir. Choose a person you admire and learn from their life and lessons. I suggest Becoming by Michelle Obama
Humor and Funny: Laugh over a humorous work- Notes from a Big Country by Bill Bryson 
Epistolary: Read an epistolary. These are full length texts written from the narrative of letters, tweets, emails , journal entries. Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster and my own novel are examples.
Self Help and Personal Development books : These are a fascinating genre because you can choose an area that would be useful and actionable. My recommendation is Brag: The Art of Tooting your Own Horn without Blowing It by Peggy Klaus 
Contemporary Fiction : Fiction novels by women authors are often touted as chick lit but really novels like A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Maladi are hard hitting and poignant at the same time. 
Short Stories: These style of books are always fun. Besides, their being bite sized lend themselves well to being a fun intellectual snack, especially in short reclaimed or unexpectedly available time spans. I pick the Collected Short Stories of O.Henry. 
Good Old Classics:Classics are seldom considered at the stage of nascent reading or when you want to thunder through reading goals- but we forget that they are considered classics for a reason – they are charming, enjoyable, compelling. My pick for this category is Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens- the beloved tale of an orphan child. (Though of course, for accuracy sake I have to point out that books by O Henry and Jean Webster are classics too! )
Mystery and Thrillers: If reading seems tame and boring, spice up your reading list with some mystery, drama and suspense. And of course who else to begin with but the Queen of Mystery herself! My favorite is The Labors of Hercules – it’s a collection of short stories too , so it’s perfect for novices and bookworms alike.
Life Skills: Another non-fiction genre , this is great for those looking to ante up their personal and professional lives. My current enjoyable read is Sam Horn’s Someday is Not a Day if the Week.

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Wednesday Wisdom

So, you want to improve your reading habit or perhaps the lack of it? Or maybe you want to  crush your reading goals? Or maybe you want to be a better role model for the folks around you?

Then this is just the tip for you. 

Diversify your reading.

   

Just like food choices, we need a variety of books to keep the habit enjoyable and sustainable.

Here are 10 different styles/ genres in which you can immerse yourself to change up your regular reading or foray into as the case may be. I also have listed one of my favorites in each section as an example though feel free to pick your own.

Illustrated Books : Read an illustrated book. Lunarbaboon- The Daily Life of Parenthood is a great example. 
Memoir: Pick a memoir. Choose a person you admire and learn from their life and lessons. I suggest Becoming by Michelle Obama
Humor and Funny: Laugh over a humorous work- Notes from a Big Country by Bill Bryson 
Epistolary: Read an epistolary. These are full length texts written from the narrative of letters, tweets, emails , journal entries. Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster and my own novel are examples.
Self Help and Personal Development books : These are a fascinating genre because you can choose an area that would be useful and actionable. My recommendation is Brag: The Art of Tooting your Own Horn without Blowing It by Peggy Klaus 
Contemporary Fiction : Fiction novels by women authors are often touted as chick lit but really novels like A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Maladi are hard hitting and poignant at the same time. 
Short Stories: These style of books are always fun. Besides, their being bite sized lend themselves well to being a fun intellectual snack, especially in short reclaimed or unexpectedly available time spans. I pick the Collected Short Stories of O.Henry. 
Good Old Classics:Classics are seldom considered at the stage of nascent reading or when you want to thunder through reading goals- but we forget that they are considered classics for a reason – they are charming, enjoyable, compelling. My pick for this category is Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens- the beloved tale of an orphan child. (Though of course, for accuracy sake I have to point out that books by O Henry and Jean Webster are classics too! )
Mystery and Thrillers: If reading seems tame and boring, spice up your reading list with some mystery, drama and suspense. And of course who else to begin with but the Queen of Mystery herself! My favorite is The Labors of Hercules – it’s a collection of short stories too , so it’s perfect for novices and bookworms alike.
Life Skills: Another non-fiction genre , this is great for those looking to ante up their personal and professional lives. My current enjoyable read is Sam Horn’s Someday is Not a Day if the Week.

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Monday Motivation

  

Wednesday Wisdom

This is a series of how to find more time to read or/ and blog.

As busy professionals, often with family, social and community commitments, it’s hard to find time to read or blog and certainly for both.

Add the growing rise of freelancing and working on a side hustle, and time is a premium commodity. So, how does one find time for these important but mostly, not so urgent activities of life, career balancing and self- care.

Hence, this series where I share simple practical tips or habits I use to read more and get my regular blogging done.

Tip #1: Set aside 2 minutes from social media to spend on a good book. 

  

Two minutes is nothing. 

Practically everyone is on social media. I find it very hard to believe that people on social media spend less than five minutes on it. 

All I suggest is taking the first 2 minutes to spend on a book. Set a timer if you must.

An average person can read a page in under 2minutes. So, you’re that much better off than not reading at all. And guess what, over time ; the minutes add up, you make progress, the habit sticks and best of all ; with regular reading, you reading speed vastly improves getting you through books quicker and faster. 

So, if you have been deliberating over how to start, how to make a dent in that pile of books, or to get on with those reading goals- this is the best way to start. 2 minutes is all it takes!

Monday Motivation

Inspiration for the kiddos:

‘Becoming’: Book Review & Thoughts

This post is a book review of Becoming by Michelle Obama- that published in 2018 and recently became the most bestselling memoir ever. (Source) 

Reaction- Simply Splendid!

My Rating- 5.0

Goodreads Link + Rating-

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38746485-becoming

One Line Review-

A book that has passages embodying strength, determination, vulnerability, optimism and action like the Former First Lady herself- authentic yet surprisingly relatable (considering she is a Yale and Princeton alum and Former FLOTUS).

Format- Hardcover

Reason for Reading –

Book selected for Women’s Resource Group Book Club at NCSA, Chicago, IL

Recommended By-

Women’s Group and Best Friend

Noteworthy Points or Chapters: 

Too many to recount. Instead am adding a few questions and answers we are slated to discuss in our book club. 

How much did you know about Michelle Obama’s history before reading her memoir? What details surprised you? 

I knew little to nothing about her history before reading the book. While I did know that she rose of her own efforts from her humble beginnings in Chicago; I was completely unaware of the extent of her accomplishments. Princeton and Yale alum, partner in a law firm, trained pianist and Former President Obama’s corporate boss/ senior- these were points that while not surprising, were facts that I did not know. While these points are rarely raised about a political spouse , considering the scrutiny she was under, I felt it would have been more well known. 

Did her writing style or the story that she told make her more or less relatable to you?   

Frankly, I did not expect it to be relatable. But it was. And I loved it. 

From her start as a hardworking student to a young woman stepping into the wide world of University and corporate career, to battling infertility and then juggling motherhood with work, to her time as First Lady and the hope of beyond; I really savored her narration: authentic, unvarnished, not always pleasant or easy yet refreshingly optimistic.

Did you identify with her upbringing on the South Side at all? Does that neighborhood seem familiar to you?

I grew up in a completely different neighborhood than the South Side. But some of the family dynamics were utterly relatable, especially about the large family and friends. 

In what ways is the Obamas’ marriage just like any other marriage? In what ways is it different?

The adjustments, the communication, the joys and frustration of being together with a person unlike you is the same. But their dynamics and the way they dealt with their circumstances is quite unique and unlike others.

Obama candidly discusses her struggles with infertility, in vitro fertilization, and motherhood. Many of us have also experienced those challenges. Did it frustrate anyone else that we did not know this before or hear about this side of Michelle Obama when she was First Lady?

It’s unfortunate that more conversations do not happen around these topics. I think Michelle Obama’s herself talks about how these topics are rarely discussed despite the frequency and enormity of their impact. It would have been better if these subjects had been discussed during the presidential tenure but better late than never. In fact, given her career and stature now, it’s as a good a time to open up the floor for these topics.

What does the title, Becoming, mean?

For me it means growing, rising and transforming by immersing oneself in experiences, opening ourselves to diverse perspectives, trying new ventures, by putting oneself out there. 

Monday Motivation

Mentor:

Someone whose hindsight can become your foresight.