On November 11th, we gathered again for our Book Club meeting, this time to celebrate Diwali. It was pre-decided that we would all wear ethnic attire, except for Meher and me, as we had our reasons for not doing so. Having missed the last meeting, I realized that I had missed a lot. Present were Me, Rajeshwari, Meher, Dhwani, Pritam, and Bhavik. Each member had an amazing book to discuss.
Rajeshwari brought “What If” by Randall Munroe. This book poses hilarious questions that we would typically never think of answering. It sparked some crazy ideas in my mind, which I think are better left unspoken.
Meher presented “If We Were Villains” by M.L Rio, a Dark Academia genre book. The story involves the death of one of seven friends, with one of them being the killer. Meher, in her narration, created a captivating atmosphere.
Dhwani shared “Italy Ever After” by Leonie Mack, a cute contemporary romance novel with a theme of love at second chance. The story and theme were quite dreamy.
Pritam discussed “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins. This book tackles a unique topic, and Richard presents interesting rebuttals for everyone, whether religious, atheist, or agnostic. Pritam presented it in a compelling way.
Finally, Bhavik introduced “Pachinko.” I had read this in 2018 while on a wheelchair, and it brought back bittersweet and triggering memories. The book explores discrimination, stereotypes, and power, particularly concerning the experiences of Koreans in Japan during World War II. The story spans three generations, from 1910 to 1989. Bhavik, being a great storyteller, explained the narrative in a fascinating way. It was enlightening to hear about something that had once distressed me in a new light.
Unfortunately, others couldn’t join due to their other commitments. Rajeshwari and Dhwani also gifted us beautiful bookmarks, adding two more to my collection.
The meet ended on a good note. And on my way back home I decided to put this post for Blog Hop. I wrote this poem, while on my way back.
Diwali of Diverse Tales
In the glow of Diwali, our bookish hearts convened,
Six souls, diverse tales, in the spirit of the festival gleamed.
Ethnic attire adorned five, but Meher and I stood apart,
Reasons woven in threads, a divergence of the heart.
Missed the last, a chapter unfolded without my gaze,
Yet, in the symphony of stories, I found my place.
Rajeshwari brought “What If” by Munroe, a laughter spree,
Questions absurd, a realm where curiosity runs free.
Meher spun the tale of “If We Were Villains,” dark and deep,
A death among friends, secrets to keep.
Dhwani unfolded “Italy Ever After,” a romance so sweet,
Love’s second chance, a tale in which hearts meet.
Pritam wielded “The God Delusion,” a debate profound,
Dawkins’ words echoed, beliefs unbound.
Bhavik, with “Pachinko,” three generations unfold,
Korean struggles in Japan’s tale told.
Triggering memories, bittersweet, a narrative unfolds,
Discrimination’s dance, stereotypes it holds.
Bookmarks gifted, tokens of the day,
Rajeshwari and Dhwani, in beauty, they lay.
Others absent, commitments tying them away,
Yet, in our literary haven, we found solace that day.
With stories shared and bookmarks gained,
Our book club meet in Diwali’s light remained.
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.
Last but not the least, Sorry for the bad recording.
Beautifully penned ️ love your poem at the end
Happy Diwali
I love how you wove the book titles into your poem. Very creative!
I love that poem you wrote, very beautiful! The “What If” book would be so fun to read too!
Book Bloggers Turning into Poets ✔️the way you put the experience of meeting up with book lovers into a poem that sounds rhythmic and is so good to read.
Your vivid descriptions allowed me to vicariously experience the rich diversity of tale of each book shared by each member, and I appreciate the inclusion of the thoughtful reasons behind attire choices. Also, the poem is beautiful.
i do need to read Pachinko soon (recommended to me first by my son!).. great list of reads.
This is awesome. I just love book clubs since reading is one of my fave things to do.
That was a beautiful poem to go along with beautiful friends and a beautiful Diwali. I really loved it.
I love that poem. I think it perfectly captures the spirit of Diwali and your book club meet!
This sounds like it was a lovely meet. I can see why you were inspired to write such a beautiful poem!
Such a lovely poem! I have never been in a book club and think it’s great that everyone shared what they were reading. What a great way to find new and interesting stories.
This is such a different take on a book club for what my friends and I do. We all read the same book and then discuss it together, but I like this idea of sharing a book with others that they may have never read or heard of.
That is fun to put together a book group and share different books. Lots of great picks! I will have to check out If We Were Villians; sounds quite intriguing.
Amazing. Heartfelt and inspiring. I like the combination of written word and video.
Book clubs are a great way to have fun. Sounds like you had a good time.
What a thoughtful poem to reflect on a lovely book club. You do an amazing job of collecting each persons book presentation and the overall gathering. Also, the bookmarks are beautiful.
What a beautiful, creative way to share the books that you all are reading in your book club. I love it.
I used to work with someone who is now also a good friend who celebrated Diwali and taught me a lot about it. I love your poem it really captures the books you have spoken about
It sounds like you had a nice little Diwali book club meeting. I love those bookmarks that you all got!
This sounds like a wonderful gathering you had with like-minded friends. Love the beauty of the poem.
This is such a cool way to run a book club – where everyone shares a book around a theme! It’s a great way to hear about a bunch of books at once.
So a wonderful poem, Im more interested with your poem. Thank you for sharing this with us!
This post captures the vibrant spirit of the Book Club meeting celebrating Diwali. The decision to wear ethnic attire adds a festive touch, creating a visually engaging atmosphere. The mention of missed meetings and the subsequent realization of what was missed creates a sense of anticipation and highlights the importance of these gatherings. The introduction of each member and their choice of books adds a personal touch, fostering a sense of community within the club.
I’d absolutely love being a member of a book club and if you know a valuable one, please let me know. I am gonna be reading the “What If” by Randall book next. Thanks for the suggestions!
The poem and book itself is very nice and beautiful. I love them already.
I a for sure loving this and may have to consider joining a book club myself as I do love reading and love being around people that do as well. There is nothing better than getting lost in a good book!
The only book out of these I have read is if we were villains and I loved it. Such a nice idea to each bring a book x
The poem written was very beautiful, thank you for sharing it. I love this so much
What a nice poem, I enjoyed every lines in it! It is also very inspiring!
Very beautifully described the book names into a poem. Happy Diwali
I love the poem. It’s amazing how books can bring together people from diverse backgrounds and create a sense of belonging. The way each person shared their favourite story and brought their unique perspective to the table is truly inspiring. It’s a wonderful reminder that literature has the power to unite us and help us understand each other better. Thank you for sharing this lovely piece and a happy Diwali to all!”
this look like a nice book club meeting. The poem was sweet and lovely form of expression, I enjoyed it!
Sounds like a great time! I’ve never been part of a book club, but I’d love to find one in my local area. I also love those bookmarks!
I have no idea how you managed to skillfully include the book tiles into the poem, you’re so talented!!!
It would be awesome to organize a book club! I love reading! I am impressed by your poem! Beautiful!
I don’t typically see book club practiced this way but I really like this style! It seems like it gets everyone reading and talking and keeps them interested in the material!
Pachinko is a heartbreaking novel. I read it twice back to back and then the show…so good. And the poem is beautiful. Thank you for sharing with us.
The book club sounds like a great idea to discover books you may not choose to read otherwise. I love the poem you have crafted following your session, very articulate and well written.
The book clubs are amazing when you enjoy it so much. You learn more, know what’s going on in the book world.
This is such a great post. I just love book clubs since reading is one of my fave things to do. Your poem is beautiful!
Great idea to clue readers into your world of Diwali and the book club.
That’s awesome, it’s nice it ended on a good note. Interesting meeting. Thank you for sharing!
Nostalgia! We had a Bookwormz group of ten where we would read the same book and meet once a month in one member home for lunch. We used to share our own perspectives and ideas about the book. Somehow we all drifted away and the group never meets but we go on a rare trip together and still continue the WhatsApp group. Hoping your group goes on forever. I really admired your poem.
What a unique way of celebrating Diwali! Books, light of knowledge with like-minded people–I would say the best way of celebrating light. And then you wove it all into a poem, that’s an awesome tribute to your meeting.
The book picks are all wonderful and I am happy to know that you were able to meet with you book club.
By the way, we’re actually planning of organizing one too with some friends. What other activities do you have during meet-ups?
Nnnniiiiccceeeee….I love what you guys have, here. Book clubs had become almost extinct here. Please keep it up. Books are power to change our lives for the better.
After reading the post it was beautiful to see how you have woven it into a poem. This way of highlighting Diwali was different to me but had its own charm and glow.
That sounds like an interesting meet-up. I love books and a book club is something I would join for sure.
I love the way that you wrote the book titles into your poem, it captures the beauty of the post.
Hope you had a lovely Diwali.l celebration. That poem was really so beautifully written.
I wish that I had more time to read these days. These sound like great books to read too.
A book club meeting sounds like a lot of fun. And that is a great poem!
wow! looks like you guys had loads of fun. These offline meet-ups are better than just discussing one book online. At least you get to know more books and you can choose one that suits your taste.
I really liked how you used book titles in your poem, amazing. The meet-up sounds interesting. I love books, and joining a book club is something I’d definitely love to do.
What a wonderful way to present a Bookers day out Moni. I loved the way you presented that day’s synopsis with us. But why your video glimpse is missing? That is not right as I wish to see you too talking about books. By the way the best part of the whole post is the poem at the last and I loved it. I just wonder how you are managing so many things besides a regular job. You are truly inspiration Moni dear.
I’m not good with camera. But thanks for your appreciation.
I like the poetess Moni a lot… she is so spontaneous.
Your little poem is so sweet and you have included every detail in it… that needs some creativity and u have loads of it… keep them coming.
Love this! With today’s technology and fast paced living, I’m happy to see that book clubs like this are still very much alive. I think of it as some kind of part of history already actually especially when there’s so much more ways now to learn things instead of simply ready from a book. Great efforts and community!
Book Mela or book meet up really sound intresting. I wish I could join this kind of bookies group. Love your poem Moni. I love the way you put up names of book in your poem. Beautifully captured.
I loved this book club meet concept. It brings so much joy and give you a chance to be socialized. Your poem is too good. Great going, dear.
This is such a good concept. We all might not like the same book and usually book clubs fail because of this. I also enjoyed reading the poem you shared. This is a 2 in one post 🙂
Loved the concept of the book club. Not many are comfortable with one book of the month and this is the best alternative. Lots of recommendations too.
This looks so fun and interesting! I would love to be a part of such book clubs.
Your Diwali Book Club celebration radiates warmth and diversity through each book’s unique essence. It’s heartening to see literature unite in a festive feast, fostering a rich tapestry of narratives. May the glow of these literary lights continue to illuminate your reading journey!
I also love meeting my monthly book club just the same way I can see you love meeting yours! But we read the same book and discuss it. The idea of sharing a book each is interesting and unique.