Editing and Coming up in a new avatar

2013 is just round the corner...Time for new resolutions and new reading challenges. Sadly, most of my reading challenges remain unaccomplished. I could read only 11 books and my target was 100 books. It was not as I completely lost interest in reading but I got a 24*7 job to attend. (  I am a journalist by profession). But that should not shove off my passion for reading to the back burner. But then I realised that it was not my job alone which is putting hurdles in giving proper inputs in my blog. I sat back and thought for a while.

It has been two years since I started this blog, I still remain a beginner ( as suggested in my blog description) when it comes to book reviews. I did only three interviews of writers, though I got pretty much good response for it.I got the back drop for my blog very recently. It was then only I realised what should my blog contain. Why did I take too much time to realise it? I felt like floating, not able to put my foot firmly in the ground. I felt detached while writing anything in the blog. ( You should be detached while reporting but should not be so when it comes to writing your own blog.

There is only one answer to all these misses. I was emulating other bloggers. I was not giving anything which is my own contribution. When I started this blog on books, I was clueless on getting it started. Hence I went through many blogs. Knowingly or unknowingly I stuck with other bloggers' style. So I am going to undo it and start all over again. ( Background will be retained. I got it after many search and I feel it is perfect for my blog ).

I have embellished the fringes of my blog with a lot of reading challenges which will be removed and only those will be retained which I think I can fulfill.

Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins Clark and Alfred Hitch cock will be retained. They are somebody without whose company I can even survive in this blogging world. There will two new additions.Margaret Atwood, though I have not read any of her books, I feel she is of my type when I leafed through her books. The other addition will be biographies and autobiographies.

I have done three author interviews. But with the same questions asked to different persons, I feel the style a bit monotonous. Hence I am thinking of writing them as feature stories. But interviews will be there. Besides I will be trying to bring in more Indian English writers.

There will be an attempt to read classics but will not participate in any of the challenges.

Though I have not reviewed any movies, this year my blog will also see some nice movie reviews. ( Alfred Hitchcock movies tops the list ). Long and short, ' Passion drops' will strive to meet the expectations of 2013.

I pledge efforts will be there to cull out previous flaws and come out with fresh new contributions.

' Almost Single by Advaita Kala

December 11
 Monday

After a considerable long gap, I was able to read a book - Advaita  Kala's ' Almost Single'. For the first time, I realised that be it  Bhatinda or Kerala, the mothers of single women nearing 30 speaks
 almost the same language. ' Mama Bhatia ', the mother of Aisha Bhatia, the protagonist resembles my mother too strongly and there are times I  had to pinch myself to make sure that it was not my mom who was  speaking.

I never had the intention of buying this book when I came across it. I  used to frequent book stores when I am depressed and I chanced upon this  book during one such visit. Went through many books and  the huge amount printed on the cover literally threw cold waters on my  strong inclination to buy a book. But this one was different. It's  title lured me like anything for my age. Besides the price was comparatively low  that I had no other alternative other than succumbing to my  inclination. That's how I bought Advaita Kala's ' Almost Single'.

I would definitely not call this a master work or great piece of art. It is a book which has been written in a simple language and  absolutely apt for casual reading. There is no plot as such. It is the  story of Aisha Bhatia from Bhatinda along with her two friends who are  on a groom hunt, to be precise, it would not be wrong if I say ' NRI  groom hunt'. ( One friend just got a divorce from her husband and the  other is on a search ).

 As far as Aisha is concerned, unlike her  friends she did not want to flow with the age old tradition of groom  hunting whether it be through social networking sites or by  conventional methods. Her faith eventually triumphs at the end as she  falls for Karan, an NRI. The story concludes with hero and heroine  coming together just like a typical bollywood movie.

If you are somebody who needs food for thought after reading a  book, Almost Single is just not for you. You wont get anything serious  out of it. Keeping all those seriousness aside, if you need a light  reading while you are travelling or mired in depression, this could be  a perfect remedy.

My marks – 5/10.