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PorshaJo > Books: culture-indian‎ (7)

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The Perfumist of Paris (The Jaipur Trilogy, #3)

title

The Perfumist of Paris (The Jaipur Trilogy, #3)

author

Joshi, Alka *

isbn

0778386147

isbn13

9780778386148

asin

0778386147

num pages

368 pp

avg rating

4.16

num ratings

28,834

date pub

Mar 28, 2023

date pub edition

Mar 28, 2023

PorshaJo's rating

really liked it

my rating

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review

Rating 4.75

Really enjoyed the last book in the trilogy. I'm sorry to see it end. I liked how each book focused on a different character and timeline, Rating 4.75

Really enjoyed the last book in the trilogy. I'm sorry to see it end. I liked how each book focused on a different character and timeline, how each book flowed together....but honestly, could be read independently. The audio narration is great, a favorite narrator for me. One that will go on my favorites for the year. And I learned some stuff about perfume as well! ...more

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0

votes

28

# times read

1

date started

May 2023

date read

May 14, 2023

date added

Dec 27, 2022

owned

format

Hardcover

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Honor

title

author

Umrigar, Thrity

isbn

161620995X

isbn13

9781616209957

asin

161620995X

num pages

326 pp

avg rating

4.36

num ratings

61,958

date pub

Jan 04, 2022

date pub edition

Jan 04, 2022

PorshaJo's rating

really liked it

my rating

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review

None

notes

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votes

8

# times read

1

date started

Apr 24, 2022

date read

May 28, 2022

date added

Jan 08, 2022

owned

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Hardcover

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The Henna Artist (The Jaipur Trilogy, #1)

title

The Henna Artist (The Jaipur Trilogy, #1)

author

Joshi, Alka *

isbn

0778310205

isbn13

9780778310204

asin

0778310205

num pages

384 pp

avg rating

4.19

num ratings

188,933

date pub

Mar 03, 2020

date pub edition

Mar 03, 2020

PorshaJo's rating

really liked it

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Honestly, I saw the book cover, the title, and I was sold. I love to read anything that takes place in India or dives into Indian culture. I was on th Honestly, I saw the book cover, the title, and I was sold. I love to read anything that takes place in India or dives into Indian culture. I was on the longest wait from my library (always a good sign) and then I happened to find the audio on Hoopla so I jumped right in.

The story takes place in 1950's India in Jaipur. Lakshmi works as a henna artist, one that is highly sought after by the wealthy ladies of Jaipur. She's alone and working very hard for a new home that she is building. And one day, her 13 year old sister shows up on her door step. This would be a sister she did not know existed. Lakshmi was married to an abusive man who she ran away from ending up in Jaipur. Her family were outcasts due to the shame and her sister was shun (she was bad luck so said the gossip eaters). After the parents pass, Radha goes to find her sister Lakshmi and the story takes off. Lakshmi is a strong woman who has been on her own for some time, taking care of herself, doing what she must to survive. And her sister can throw that all away for her actions.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked hearing about the culture during the 50's, hearing about a 'single' woman working to support herself, the herbs and teas that Lakshmi used to help people, and the stress brought on by an arrival of a sister she didn't know existed. You can say this was a character study of one woman. The audio narration was great! I laughed each time the narrator voiced the 'bird' that was owned by of the ladies that Lakshmi served. I see there is a follow-on book coming next year picking up where this one left off and I can't wait. I'm very glad I read this and look forward to more from this author. ...more

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votes

101

# times read

1

date started

Oct 31, 2020

date read

Nov 08, 2020

date added

Oct 31, 2020

owned

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Mother Land

title

author

isbn

0062938843

isbn13

9780062938848

asin

0062938843

num pages

384 pp

avg rating

3.71

num ratings

2,439

date pub

Jul 14, 2020

date pub edition

Jul 14, 2020

PorshaJo's rating

liked it

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

add to shelves

review

Rating 3.75

notes

Notes are private!

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0

votes

11

# times read

1

date started

Dec 22, 2021

date read

Dec 26, 2021

date added

May 02, 2020

owned

format

Hardcover

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The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

title

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

author

Moggach, Deborah *

isbn

isbn13

asin

num pages

336 pp

avg rating

3.48

num ratings

12,574

date pub

2004

date pub edition

Mar 20, 2012

PorshaJo's rating

really liked it

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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review

I watched the movie adaptation of this book and loved it. At the time, I had no idea it was based on a book. Browsing during my library book sale I ca I watched the movie adaptation of this book and loved it. At the time, I had no idea it was based on a book. Browsing during my library book sale I came across this book and snatched it up. Where it sat for months and months. So now, I'm trying to read the books I own and picked this up. What a fun read. I love reading anything about India and Indian culture. Obviously a bit different from the movie version, but I enjoyed both.

The story follows a number of elderly people who have it rough in the UK with health care and retirement home prices. A doctor, from India, who wants to get rid of his annoying father in-law and the doctor's cousin, who is always looking for a new business. Which comes, the Marigold Hotel, a retirement home where the elderly can leave the dreary weather and high costs in the UK to move to India. I enjoyed reading this one and getting more detail on each of the guests at the hotel. Now, I feel I need to watch the movie again. Though, I'm most happy that I read a book that was on my shelves instead of buying new ones. Progress! ...more

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comments

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votes

49

# times read

1

date started

Nov 19, 2018

date read

Dec 17, 2018

date added

Nov 19, 2018

owned

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Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

title

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

author

Jaswal, Balli Kaur *

isbn

0062645129

isbn13

9780062645128

asin

0062645129

num pages

304 pp

avg rating

3.93

num ratings

104,772

date pub

Mar 09, 2017

date pub edition

Jun 13, 2017

PorshaJo's rating

really liked it

my rating

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review

Rating 4.5

Oh my! This one was completely unexpected. The title....I thought, surely it does not contain erotic stories. But it did...and I listened to Rating 4.5

Oh my! This one was completely unexpected. The title....I thought, surely it does not contain erotic stories. But it did...and I listened to this one via audio! Thankfully, I was home alone cleaning while I listened. I so enjoy reading anything about India and Indian culture and when I saw this one, I knew I had to read it.

Nikki is a young, modern Punjabi Indian girl living in London. Her parents, immigrants, want the best for her. Her father wanted her to be a lawyer and go to law school. But Nikki didn't know what she wanted, but knew it was not law school. So she drops out. She lives above a bar where she tends bar but she needs money for her now widowed mother. Her sister wants a traditional Indian marriage that is arranged, she asks Nikki to place an add for her on a community center board at the Punjabi temple in Southall. Here she instead finds a job add for someone to teach creative writing to Sikh widows. Nikki takes the job, well, no one else really applied to teach it either. During class, Nikki finds that many of these widows are illiterate. But what they really want is to tell stories....erotic stories. It makes them feel bold, strong, and a bit naughty. Nikki is thrown into the Sikh community and their rules. This is forbidden. There are a bunch of young local Sikh men, The Brotherhood, who go around keeping all the women in community inline, branding themselves the morality police. It's all quite scandalous. Women are so afraid to do anything and someone is threatening women in the community. But as more women hear about these stories told at class, more want to join. They begin to step out from behind their fear, and now their husbands (it's not all widows in the end), and do things for themselves. They stand-up for themselves.

Oh I enjoyed this one. It is funny, a bit tense, there is murder, jealousy, scandal....and more than I wanted to know about ghee and aubergines (in the stories). One passage I so enjoyed was the telling of the phrase 'book regret'...where Nikki saw a book and wanted it so bad, but decided not to get it. And since then she has suffered from book regret as she can no longer find the book in print. I learned so much about the Sikh culture also. It's not heavy on the erotic stories (that's not my thing) but a few are weaved into the story, it's more about the culture of these women and how they bond together and grow from the strength to actually tell these stories, their fantasies. The audio was wonderful and I loved every minute of it. I had to knock it a 1/2 star just for some predictability. I do highly suggest this one if you want a fun story, to learn about Indian culture, and want to listen to a fabulous audio. I just suggest....maybe some earbuds for the more racy parts. ...more

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comments

1

votes

299

# times read

1

date started

Dec 20, 2017

date read

Dec 23, 2017

date added

Dec 20, 2017

owned

format

Hardcover

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The Last Queen of India

title

The Last Queen of India

author

Author Moran, Michelle *

isbn

178206561X

isbn13

9781782065616

asin

178206561X

num pages

368 pp

avg rating

4.05

num ratings

11,565

date pub

Mar 03, 2015

date pub edition

Apr 02, 2015

PorshaJo's rating

really liked it

my rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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review

Rating 4.5

I don't remember when I put this in my TBR pile but I do know it's another that sat there. Recently, I started adding it in my library queue Rating 4.5

I don't remember when I put this in my TBR pile but I do know it's another that sat there. Recently, I started adding it in my library queue, then some new book I've been on hold forever would come in and I'd push it aside. Finally I started it, was immediately drawn in and again said....aarrgghhh why did I wait so long to read it. (This is generally my book life.)

The Last Queen of India (also known as The Rebel Queen) tells the story of in 1850s India how the British began their takeover. At this time, India is bunch of kingdoms and the focus is on the Kingdom of Jhansi, ruled by Queen Lakshmi. The queen has built her army of guards, where she has male guards, but her closest are her female guards, the Durgavasi. The story is told from the point of view of one of her guards, Sita. You start when Sita is very young and her mother has just died in childbirth. Her wicked grandmother, feeling that they can't afford another female child, makes plans to give Sita to a brothel. Her father has other ideas and trains her to become part of the Durgavasi. You follow along as she trains, becomes a guard, and then watch the ultimate crumble of the Kingdom of Jhansi and their Rebel Queen to the hands of the British.

I went with the audio and loved it, a narrator I've heard before. I loved the story, historical fiction based on a true story, real person (Queen Lakshmi) with some added details/story. Afterwards, I did some research and found this history fascinating. While a great read, it also has heartbreak - hearing more about the castes of India, how women are treated, some of the culture from so long ago, and how you could clearly see as plain as day what was happening but the Queen could not until it was too late. Why only 4.5? I thought it was a bit long in certain places and then the ending felt rushed to me. Overall so glad I've read this one and now looking at others from this author. ...more

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comments

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votes

36

# times read

1

date started

May 16, 2021

date read

May 27, 2021

date added

Nov 14, 2013

owned

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