Hello!

Yeah, I am back, very much alive!
And so is the Harry Potter fandom!!
I'm hoping by now you've seen the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them teaser trailer. I have (multiple times). So I'm literally just waiting for November now.
So, the new year is upon us and I think this is a great time to be me!
Why? I have a list.
1. I am in class 12 now which means I have my board exams in 2016 along with my entrance examinations to enter medical college. Now I agree there are two ways to look at it. For the pessimist, next year is a hard year filled with loads of exams and a major life change. For the optimist, like me, it signifies the end of a really tough time and if things work out well, the beginning of a wonderful phase. Yes, I know medicine is an incredibly tough course. My parents are doctors. Anyway, wish me luck for whatever is coming in 2016!
2. Major Potterhead fangirl moment! Its been over 4 years since we've got any new content. All of a sudden, there are two new things coming in 2016- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play (which I wont get to see) and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Yay!
3. I am crazy about Sherlock. The problem with being a Sherlockian is that you have to wait for a really long time for new seasons. I haven't yet gone through this because I saw all 3 seasons for the first time on my laptop last year. But I've waited for almost two years and it is driving me insane. So thankfully, Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat are being kind enough to release a new episode 'The Abominable Bride' on the 1st of January!
4. I am a Shah Rukh Khan fan. I have been his fan for around 13 years. We're going to have two new SRK movies next year- Fan (April) and Raees (August). Both are really unconventional movies and I cannot contain my happiness!
5. I really haven't seen many Marvel movies but I have seen Iron Man and ofcourse I love Tony Stark. So, definitely going to watch Civil War. I'm also insane about Benedict Cumberbatch so Doctor Strange is definitely on my list.
6. There are many other interesting movies coming out this year.

So, a very happy new year to me!

I know I haven't written for a while now but I have been reading. Studies are really taking up my time these days so everything else is kind of secondary. So, after Papertowns, I read the first part of Lord Of The Rings- Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien, Looking For Alaska by John Green and The Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish. I will write about LOTR once I finish the next two parts but I have to say, the books are beautifully written. It took a little while to pick up pace but after that I was hooked and Middle Earth has fascinated me. New fandom, yay!
I'm now trying to re-read The Goblet of Fire but I barely get time to. So, that will be all for now! Happy Reading.

Papertowns by John Green

Neighbours, Quentin and Margo had been friends as little kids. One day, they had an experience that connected them forever. That night Margo showed up at Q's window to talk about it and she said something that had a lasting effect on Q.
Highschool was a different time. Margo was queen bee. Q was a regular guy with regular friends. He stayed out of trouble with bullies only because Margo asked them not to trouble him. That was all. But Q had always loved Margo based on what he knew of her.
An uneventful day turned extraordinary when Margo Roth Spiegelman showed up at Q's window at midnight just as she had when they were 9. She took him along on a revenge trip. Next morning however, she didnt show up. That was quite an usual thing for Margo but this time she had disappeared for too long. However, Q found clues to follow to reach where Margo wanted to lead him. In doing so, he discovered who the real Margo was.
It is indeed a beautiful book. John Green has nailed the mix of humour and emotions. There are beautiful thoughts in it. It is about how we often have an idea about a person, an idea that suits us. But it is more of a misconception than anything else. On the outside it may look like people are happy and they belong. But deep within, all they want to do is get away, far far away. It seems that people are paper, living in papertowns and doing paper-things. But sometimes even the most unlikely ones have three dimensions.

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien

It has been a while now. I really wasnt able to make time for reading.
Anyway, The Hobbit. Yeah I know, am I not a little too old to be reading The Hobbit for the first time? Probably yeah. But how does that count. I have wanted to read the LOTR series for a long time now but I couldnt find the books. So I started when I finally got them.
I must admit, I was kind of skeptic when I began the book. I wasnt entirely sure if I'd enjoy because it is a little hard to enjoy a style of writing aimed at little children when you read it for the first time at the age of 17. But it turned out well. I am actually looking forward to beginning Lord of The Rings now.
The Hobbit is the story of an adventure undertaken by Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, with fifteen drawves with help from the wizard Gandalf. It is a sweet tale of how an ordinary hobbit who loved his hobbit-hole and enjoyed having proper meals and sleeping in his bed had to go on an adventure reluctantly. And at the end of it we come to know if going this adventure was worth losing his reputation among other hobbits.
Bilbo travels over and under mountains, meets dwarfs, elves, goblins and what not. And at the end of it all, he no longer remains the hobbit he was.
It was a great book afterall.

Everyday by David Levithan

A wakes up in a new body everyday. A borrows a body but only for a day. A has set rules and abides by them. But things change when A wakes up in Justin's body and meets his girlfriend, Rhiannon.
They have an amazing day together and A only wishes to stay and meet Rhiannon again and again, everyday.
What follows is an unbelievable story.
What I love about it is that in every page, this book tells us about how very diverse we are. Yes, the same flesh, blood and bones. But inside we are different people and that truly matters. The body is a case holding a person and we should be whatever we identify ourselves as. There is no definition of 'normal', afterall. The word is too subjective.
Yes, A's story is seemingly impossible and highly complicated. But does that make A incapble amd undesevering of love?
It is indeed a story of coming of age and truly realising how the world works.

The Cuckoo's Calling by J.K. Rowling

I really should have read this book a while back. Oh, well.
I'll be frank, the genius of the plot in itself  was not extraordinary. It was much like many other crime novels. But that does not in any way take away from this fantastic book.
A Harry Potter fan would know better than anyone else, that J.K Rowling revels in turning the most insignificant detail into the missing piece in the puzzle. She did that constantly in the Harry Potter series and the same can be found here. And ultimately, isn't that what good crime fiction is about? The real magic lies in masking the missing link and all credit goes to the author for doing so successfully.
And it is not just about solving a mystery is it? The characterisation is brilliant. You can feel Strike and Robin as you read their point of view. And honestly, their team is excellent.
Now, a little about the story. A famous model, Lula Landry jumps to her death from the balcony of her posh apartment. The press goes crazy about the story presenting all sorts of theories.
However, the gorgeous model's brother does not accept her suicide. He is hell bent on proving murder and to that effect approaches Cormoran Strike. Strike's business had hit an all time low. While he believed the man to be deluded, Strike, supressing his conscience, accepts a double pay to investigate into the mysterious circumstances of Landry's death. Little does he know that he has accepted to indulge into a world where no one trusts anybody and by delving deeper into the secrets he is only putting himself in trouble. The story follows his investigation along with help from his amateur yet tactful temporary secretary, Robin.
This book is complete. It leaves you with a sense of satisfaction. While initially it is a slow read and does lack great quotes, when you finish the last page you do realise that it is indeed a beautiful book.
 

Reader's Problem #3

They just don't get it.
There is the one book or series that has possesed you. You make a reference in pretty much every sentence. But then the people around you stare blankly.
Oh, yeah. You're the weird one.
Not having people to talk to about that one book you love is seriously the most annoying thing.
Imagine, you have this brilliant headcannon or this amazing fanfic idea but damn, no one to listen while you rant. Torture.
And then you resort to social media, which is cool. But hey, "why don't my friends get it?"
So if you are among the unfortunate ones, I am going to make you a little jealous here.
Thanks to my lucky stars I have tons of friends who get it. Phew. I chose wisely.

Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer

You'd think I only read Archer. I am glad I do.
I just finished the book and I am in daze as I write.
You aren't a book lover if you haven't read this book. There are so many things I love about it but the one thing that has won me is how perfectly Archer has written about life. As time flies by, people change. New people come into their lives and old ones leave. Some are only transient. Here today, gone the next day.
However, life brings you to this one person who is a part of your destiny. That would be William Kane and Abel Rosnovski. Biblical names though.
William is the heir of a large fortune, the son of an accomplished banker. Meanwhile, Abel is a poor Polish immigrant trying to make it big in the States. This book is the story of how their lives are closely entwined because of a rivalry they could not let go of.
It may be complicated but it is essentially the life story of two people. And believe me you are missing out if you dont read this.
Love, rivalry, family, success, guilt and death, this book incorporates every aspect of life. And haven't William and Abel lead incredible lives?
Honestly, you're not human if you dont like this book. It is perfection.

Reader's Problems #2

Okay, so there is this one book you want read. No. You HAVE to read it. It is essential for your survival that you read it. And man you just cant find it anywhere. You cant buy it either because your shelf is overflowing and your mom/dad is going to kill you even for asking. Not one person has it. Why? Why doesnt anyone have that awesome book? Life is a mess.
But hey, that moment when you do find it, ah! The ecstasy. <3

Reader's Problem #1

Okay so while I am in the process of reading a book, I am going to write about the problems we readers encounter. One problem at a time.
Okay so, coming to the point, how often has it happened that you walk into a place with a book in your hand and this one person goes 'I dont get how you read thick books like these.'
I mean come on, who judges a book on the basis of how thick it is. Moreover, people actually avoid books with over 400 pages.
Honestly, I dont see what is so intimidating about books. In my opinion, a thicker book is just a lot more of awesome book. If it were upto me, I would never let my favorite book end. So I guess that is that.

Magic, Either Paperback or Hard Bound.

Well, yeah. There is honestly nothing better than reading. To sit in a corner lost in your world, feeling the joy, the sorrow, the pain and the love. Ah! The very thought of it.
I have been deprived of this pleasure cause, well, life. My parents' seniors in college motivated them with the motto 'Study and Struggle'. Motivational? Hell no. Just a case of poor vocabulary. But man the line is so true. You study and you really do struggle.
So, yeah that is essentially why I haven't been able to read. Sucks. So after a few boring months, I decided to rekindle the magic.
And where do I begin? Well, the love of my life, Harry Potter.
I took my time to read The Philosopher's Stone. Tbh, I barely got time. And then I began with The Chamber of Secrets. And then a few days back, a few pages of CoS still remaining,  I went to the school library to help my friend pick a book to read. I kind of made up my mind to borrow a book for myself and to begin with it after CoS was done. However, it looked like it was all in vain. I couldnt find anything good enough when suddenly my eyes fell on 'Kane and Abel'. I almost cried in delight. Well, I definitely let out an audible gasp. And now I am reading it and I am loving it.
You see, books have this power. They can control your emotions more than a human can. They have a real influence on you. A few papers with some words printed on them can change people, change the world.
Indeed, the pen is mightier than the sword. That is why I say, magic comes either paperback or hardbound. So keep yourself surrounded by this magic. Happy reading!