I am not a big fan of the first week of the year. It is officially “circling back” time(hugs if you get this reference)! In other words it is that time of the year when your shelved problems start catching up with you. You need a slightly unhealthy and freakishly strong coping mechanism to get through this phase. This year my coping mechanism is to make a list of ridiculously fun resolutions and writing more.
From the shelf:
Usually I have to wrestle with myself to pick one favorite book out of the 50 odd books I read in a year. But 2023 is the year of Babel for me. It masterfully ties together colonialism, racism, identities, and more into a breathtaking plot that takes place in 1800s Oxford. I loved everything about the book from the setup to the most cleverly conceived magic system I have ever encountered in a book. And like every other R.F.Kuang book it doesn’t shy away from violence or asking hard questions. Even though you cannot root for individual characters, you do buy into their actions and the central conflict. One thing I enjoyed immensely about the book is how grounded it is despite the alternate-history-fantasy setting. It feels real. It feels like something that could have actually happened.
From the kitchen:
The best thing that I cook every year is going to be garlic bread. No contest there. But I want to introduce everyone to the best thing I ate last year. The barbecue feta danish from Lavonne, Bangalore is the standout winner. Amazingly crisp pastry with jammy tomato and onion topped with feta. It is insane how good it tastes. It made me switch my allegiance from Pain au chocolat to its savoury counterparts. And that’s not a mean feat. Do eat one or two when you get the chance.
From the playlist
I found The Bear at a time I needed it. It is maddeningly chaotic, heartwarming, impulsive, and so many other things. How a motley and unlikely bunch of people come together to make something of themselves is amazingly written and delivered. You go through the lowest of the lows with the characters, so when the highs do come around it feels incredible. It fills you with so much hope, joy, and sadness. By the end of it, it feels like you have lived through the character journeys. While Forks(S2E7) is easily one of my most favorite episodes of TV, I don’t think any other movie or series portrays dysfunctional family like Fishes(S2E6) manages to do. It is way too raw and real to finish the episode without getting affected by it. The writing team deserves all the awards coming their way.
Tell me about your favorites from 2023! And if you are finding it difficult to cope with the first week of the year, borrow something from Virginia Wolf’s new year resolution from 1931 that holds true even today.
To have none. Not to be tied.
To be free & kindly with myself, not goading it to parties: to sit rather privately reading in the studio.
To stop irritation by the assurance that nothing is worth irritation.
Sometimes to read, sometimes not to read.
To go out yes – but stay at home in spite of being asked.
As for clothes, to buy good ones.
Bear ❤️
Forks ❤️