Pamela Sinha Mathur's Blog, page 2

Celebrating World Book Day 2019

In today’s world there is a day for everything. We celebrate everything under the sun so when the World Book Day rolls around, a humble author like me has no recourse but to join the bandwagon and shout from the blogosphere just how much I love books. That part, at least, is absolutely true.

For as far back as I can remember, books have been omnipresent in my life. My earliest memory is of an illustrated magazine version of Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five. And then began a journey which rarely saw me without my nose buried within the pages of a book. The school library became my first haunt and every Thursday we were allowed to borrow a book for one week. The thrill of browsing through those dog eared, bounded novels was something I looked forward to every week. From Famous Five & Secret Seven to Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys, from Hercules Poirot & Miss Marple to the complex, layered characters of Sidney Sheldon, books have opened my eyes to a world beyond what I saw around me.

My English essays in school drew from the rich imagination of The Faraway Tree series and I discovered the power of storytelling through the short stories of O. Henry. I still remember reading The Last Leaf as part of our curriculum and marvelling at the sheer mastery of prose. It was reading that fuelled my desire to give form to my thoughts and lay them in front of the world.

Today physical books, and by extension, bookstores are fast becoming a thing of the past. The convenience of ebooks and audio books cannot be ignored and are amply demonstrated by the exponential increase in their popularity. I, too, read a lot of ebooks but i find some books to be more approachable only when I can thumb through their pages rather than swiping from side to side. My bookshelf is a family I come home to and the sight of those well loved tomes sitting there faithfully never fails to lift my spirits.

Truth is, ebooks are here to stay. They offer a low cost, space saving alternative to hardcovers and paperbacks taking up precious storage space. However, no bibliophile can deny the allure of the musty smell of a physical book or fail to savor the feel of the pages between the fingers. This World Book Day, let us all set aside our Kindles and Nooks and pick up a book. Let us be booklovers again.

Hello world!

“Hello world” seems a good way to introduce myself, especially since I work in the IT industry. This was pretty much the first program we It geeks write – that code snippet to display “Hello world” on the screen. I am an author. My first novel “Of Love & Lovers” was published in 2012 and I am keeping my fingers crossed for the next to come out soon. So, yes I am an author.

Being a writer, I suppose everyone thinks that I can just sit on my computer, open a blank page and start typing. The words are just meant to flow out without stopping, as if it is a blueprint in my head that is just straining to get itself out in the world. I wish this were so, I really do. However, what nobody realizes is that the beginning is always the hardest.

Most of the time I read something or here something that makes me go “Now there might be a story in that”. It just a germ of an idea, a sprouting of a tiny, green leaf after a long winter. So I get on my laptop, open up a new Word file and then proceed to stare at it. For a few minutes. Hours. Maybe even days. I know how I want this story to shape up – I just don’t know how to begin. the journey.

But isn’t that true of all of us? Don’t we all have that little voice in our head, telling us to go for something but we keep wondering “How do I begin? What is that first step I should take?” And one day we come out of it and realize that the hours have just whiled away as we sat there wondering how do we take that first step towards our dream. I let go of my dream for a few years and while I am scared I will never make it again, I have decided to keep trying. I have to just take that first step, get those first few words onto paper and then just let the story flow out, hopefully. So, for now, it’s hello world and hope to see you around. Ciao.

Happy New Year – Reading in 2019

It’s that day of the year again, when people stumble out of their beds at high noon nursing a terrific hangover, when resolutions are made enthusiastically only to be broken soon after, along with a promise to “really make it count this year.” It is New Year’s Day, after all – that one day of the year when there is only the promise of a brighter future in the air. No matter what life throws at us during the course of the year, we never fail to herald in every new year with stars in our eyes and hearts full of hope.

A few years back came across the concept of reading challenges and i was hooked. Of course, I sign up for the Goodreads Reading Challenge every year though I have lost often, mainly because I am too lazy to log the books I have read. (Seriously, I do read a lot but am not very sincere about updating on Goodreads. I managed to do it in 2018 though. End result: 63 books read vs. my estimate of 50. Yay!) Anyway, I am digressing from the point which is that I have started taking up the Popsugar Reading Challenge for the past couple of years. I didn’t manage to finish it the first time around but am happy to say that I accomplished my goal in 2018. The challenge essentially consists of a series of prompts for books which need to be read. Taken individually, these prompts translate to around 50 books to be read in the course of one year. My final list for the 2018 challenge stands like this:

1. A book made into a movie you’ve already seen – The Fault in Our Stars
2. True Crime – The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town
3. Next book in a series you started – Unlucky 13
4. A book involving a heist – Artemis Fowl
5. Nordic noir – The Snowman
6. A novel based on a real person – Three Sisters, Three Queens
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you – The Girl You Left Behind
8. A book with a time of day in the title – Shadow of Night
9. A book about a villain or antihero – Lolita
10. A book about death or grief – The Graveyard Book
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym – The Right Time
12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist – Annie on My Mind
13. A book that is also a stage play or musical – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts One and Two
14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you – Everything I Never Told You
15. A book about feminism – The Handmaid’s Tale
16. A book about mental health – The Perks of Being a Wallflower
17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift – Me Before You
18. A book by two authors – The Last Mrs. Parrish
19. A book about or involving a sport – Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
20. A book by a local author – The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
21. A book with your favorite color in the title – The Color Purple
22. A book with alliteration in the title – Sense and Sensibility
23. A book about time travel – Outlander
24. A book with a weather element in the title – Sandstorm
25. A book set at sea – The Woman in Cabin 10
26. A book with an animal in the title – Turtles All the Way Down
27. A book set on a different planet – The Martian
28. A book with song lyrics in the title – Change of Heart
29. A book about or set on Halloween – The Rules of Magic
30. A book with characters who are twins – The God of Small Things
31. A book mentioned in another book – The Book Thief
32. A book from a celebrity book club – An American Marriage
33. A childhood classic you’ve never read – The Railway Children
34. A book that’s published in 2018 – Keepers of the Kalachakra
35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner – Landline
36. A book set in the decade you were born – Tell the Wolves I’m Home
37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to – Origin
38. A book with an ugly cover – Crocodile on the Sandbank
39. A book that involves a bookstore or library – The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges – A Discovery of Witches

2018 Popsugar Advanced Reading Challenge

1. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school – The Secret Life of Bees
2. A cyberpunk book – Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
3. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place – Bombay Duck Is A Fish
4. A book tied to your ancestry – An Atlas of Impossible Longing
5. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title – The Mango Season
6. An allegory – American Gods
7. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you – That Thing Called Love
8. A microhistory – The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
9. A book about a problem facing society today – Thirteen Reasons Why
10. A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge – The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

50 books in total (whew!) and a rich variety of genres. I relied heavily on this Goodreads group for the title choices and made full use of the libraries I am a member of to accomplish this lofty goal. It was a tight finish as I finished my last book in mid-December. Along the way I discovered some absolute gems, both fiction and non-fiction. Now that it is the 1st of January, it’s time to embark upon a new challenge. If any of you reading this post would like to join me, following is a list of a few reading challenges to check out for the year 2019. Don’t forget to comment and let me know which one you chose!

2019 Popsugar Reading ChallengeReading Women ChallengeReading Challenge 2019BookRiot’s 2019 read Harder Challenge2019 Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks

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2014 April PAD Challenge: Day 9

Today’s prompt conjured up images of a  wet nose, begging eyes and a tail wagging at the speed of light. I had to write about a dog. Missing my sweet Dobby very much!

Day 9 prompt: Write a shelter poem

We found him during a storm

A tiny, shivering ball of fur

Whimpering in the pouring rain

A little puppy seeking shelter

‘Mangy he is’ said mother

But we did not pay her any heed

With an umbrella over our heads

We took him some bread to feed

At first he growled at us softly

It was funnier than it was scary

When he saw we meant no harm

Took a few steps, hesitant, wary

Three bites was all it took

For him to start slobbering on us

We begged our parents to keep him

Hearing our pleas they did not fuss

We named him Lil Typhoon

And he lived up to his name

Slipper, rugs, Mummy’s purse

Left within reach became fair game

He lived with us for twelve years

Loving us till his very last breath

We will meet again dear Typhoon

When we seek shelter in that Land of Faith

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2014 April PAD Challenge: Day 8

Not much of a preamble. Tried something new here, three words to every sentence. I am not sure if this is an actual poetic form but if it isn’t, well I may have invented something new :D. By the way this is my favourite till now.

Day 8 prompt: Write a violent and / or peaceful poem

Strife torn lands

Blood soaked sands

Smoky, acrid air

Bombs dropped here

An orphaned child

Scared, unkempt, wild

Soldiers lie bleeding

Vultures come feeding

Bereaved families wail

‘Tis war’s tale

Clear, blue skies

Underneath, beauty lies

Laughing voices sound

Happiness spreads around

Sweethearts making love

Birds chirping above

Mothers with children

Unscarred men, women

Flowers blooming bright

‘Tis peace alright

Author-speak: Stay connected with me on Facebook

2014 April PAD Challenge: Day 7

This one was quite the challenge. It’s funny how difficult it is to portray oneself in words. And here we think we know ourselves the best.

Day 7 prompt: Write a self portrait poem

Growing up I had a wish

To study at Oxford or Harvard

Years went by, priorities changed

This dream got buried in life’s graveyard

Following the footsteps of millions

Seemed to be an option ever so safe

I just wasn’t ready to risk it all

Yet somewhere something began to chafe

I poured my heart out in words

Wrote about the desires of my soul

Suddenly my regrets began to fade

Writing was what made me whole

Still I am a prisoner of the past

Unable to let go of the security it gives

How do I chuck it up and follow my heart?

Its not as easy as the world believes

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2014 April PAD Challenge: Day 6

Finally I am back in the virtual world. However I did get more done these last few days than when I am stuck to the web all day. Anyway, need to clear the backlog now. Stay tuned for more!

Day 6 prompt: Write a night poem

It is the night of the full moon

The werewolf comes out to prowl

Leaves rustle as it moves through the bushes

Preparing to unleash its unearthly howl

Hark! a sound; it checks its voice

The smell of fresh blood is in the air

A young woman walking by, all alone

Listening to music, oblivious to danger

It follows her unseen through the lighted streets

Hidden in the shadows, patient and still

Finally she turns into a deserted alley

Its excitement peaks; it’s time to kill

The predator swiftly makes its move

Pouncing upon the prey in the blink of an eye

Before she can cry out it is already over

It laps up her blood as it watches her die

Satiated and full, it leaves the place

Leaving her ravaged body lying on the street

Before it melts away into the darkness

It howls at the moon to complete its treat

I speak of those who prey on women

Not a mythical monster from a fairytale

They are the scourge of our nation today

It’s not a story but a threat very real

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2014 April PAD Challenge: Day 5

Apartment shifting, no internet connectivity and the result: severe backlog in uploading poems. Here’s Day 5, more to follow.

Day 5 prompt: Write a poem about discovery

It lay obscured in a dark corner

The beautifully crafted wooden chest

We were packing up grandma’s things

It had been a week since we laid her to rest

A brooch, three rings, an old journal

Nestled among mothballs and scraps of lace

Below the diary lay an old photograph

There stood grandma with a smile on her face

She was young, maybe eighteen or twenty

A young man had his arm around her

Tall and handsome, in a well cut suit

It was a shock to see it wasn’t grandfather

‘When was this taken’ I wondered aloud

‘Turn it over, there might be a date’

Lo and behold, there it was

In faded ink, January nineteen fifty eight

The mystery photograph intrigued us

We read the journal for a clue

It spoke of a love story hitherto unknown

Sentimental and sweet yet tragic too

They were in love, Gran and the man

When Fate destroyed their plans

A fatal accident took him away for good

Leaving Gran to nurse her broken heart in silence

Then one day she met my Gramps

His love helped her overcome her sorrow

Together they build a wonderful life

Creating a legacy that lives on, today and tomorrow

With the last breath that left her body

I wonder whose face did she see

This unexpected discovery in grandma’s attic

Suddenly became so very special for me

Author-speak: Stay connected with me on Facebook

2014 April PAD Challenge : Day 5

Apartment shifting, no internet connectivity and the result: severe backlog in uploading poems. Here’s Day 5, more to follow.

Day 5 prompt: Discovery

It lay obscured in a dark corner

The beautifully crafted wooden chest

We were packing up grandma’s things

It had been a week since we laid her to rest

A brooch, three rings, an old journal

Nestled among mothballs and scraps of lace

Below the diary lay an old photograph

There stood grandma with a smile on her face

She was young, maybe eighteen or twenty

A young man had his arm around her

Tall and handsome, in a well cut suit

It was a shock to see it wasn’t grandfather

‘When was this taken’ I wondered aloud

‘Turn it over, there might be a date’

Lo and behold, there it was

In faded ink, January nineteen fifty eight

The mystery photograph intrigued us

We read the journal for a clue

It spoke of a love story hitherto unknown

Sentimental and sweet yet tragic too

They were in love, Gran and the man

When Fate destroyed their plans

A fatal accident took him away for good

Leaving Gran to nurse her broken heart in silence

Then one day she met my Gramps

His love helped her overcome her sorrow

Together they build a wonderful life

Creating a legacy that lives on, today and tomorrow

With the last breath that left her body

I wonder whose face did she see

This unexpected discovery in grandma’s attic

Suddenly became so very special for me

2014 April PAD Challenge: Day 4

We are shifting houses over the weekend and I was busy packing all day. Didn’t get much time to think on today’s prompt and in the fading hours of the day, came up with this. It’s not great by literary standards, not by far, but what the heck! PAD is all about having fun while writing poetry. Enjoy!

Day 4 prompt: Since {insert word or phrase}

Its been a while since I met you

Oh Inspiration, where art thou!

I am stuck in a permanent rut

Like a faulty engine that just won’t start

Where ideas once flowed like water

There now sits a blank piece of paper

Spouting nonsense in sheer desperation

I am trying hard to contain my frustration

When will I write again, I silently ask

Getting into the groove is no easy task

Stop me from sinking into this well of despair

Come to me my Muse, my saviour

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