{"id":3539,"date":"2024-07-30T03:47:16","date_gmt":"2024-07-30T03:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3539"},"modified":"2024-07-30T03:47:21","modified_gmt":"2024-07-30T03:47:21","slug":"july-2024-wrap-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3539","title":{"rendered":"July 2024 Wrap-Up!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PXL_20240728_123523921-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=678%2C900&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3540\" style=\"width:342px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PXL_20240728_123523921-1-1-scaled.jpg?w=1928&amp;ssl=1 1928w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PXL_20240728_123523921-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1020&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PXL_20240728_123523921-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1157%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1157w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PXL_20240728_123523921-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1542%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1542w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PXL_20240728_123523921-1-1-scaled.jpg?w=1356&amp;ssl=1 1356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\u00a0Hi Readers! After a reading lull in June, I finally got my mojo back this month. Despite the tremendous work load, I was able to read a lot. I think probably because there was tremendous work load, I just had to put myself in a fictional world more often to destress. <mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>I read SEVEN BOOKS across 1921 PAGES in JULY!<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~BOOKS I LOVED~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~DAYTRIPPER by F\u00c1BIO MOON AND GABRIEL B\u00c1~~<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">I read this graphic novel in a day, but I know I will keep going back to it. It\u2019s such a wonderful book with a profound message about life, dreams and death. Grief is talked about in a very delicate way. Artwork is just brilliant. We are able to feel the emotions of all the characters, almost be in the same environment as them. The twin brother writers are so talented. This was unlike any book I have read before and it will hold a special place in my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>I have rated Daytripper by F\u00e1bio Moon and Gabriel B\u00e1 at 5\/5 stars!<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~MURDER IN MAHIM by JERRY PINTO~~<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Usually when I read a book, I like to read the core genre content for 85% of the novel and prefer some kind of social commentary for the remaining 15%. And, I absolutely love it when the two are gelled together in a way that still stays true to their respective qualities. I found that brilliance in Murder in Mahim.&nbsp;There are multiple murders, sex workers and corruption, and revolving it all are the sentiments of the people who are labelled different, all happening in the underbelly of Mumbai, the city that really never sleeps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>I have rated Murder in Mahim by Jerry Pinto at 4\/5 stars!<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-mindscape-in-words wp-block-embed-mindscape-in-words\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"5utyYQdHOO\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/2024\/07\/book-recommendation-murder-in-mahim.html\">Book Recommendation: Murder in Mahim<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Book Recommendation: Murder in Mahim&#8221; &#8212; Mindscape in Words\" src=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/2024\/07\/book-recommendation-murder-in-mahim.html\/embed#?secret=R1oFvXvPCr#?secret=5utyYQdHOO\" data-secret=\"5utyYQdHOO\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~TARA by KORAL DASGUPTA~~<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">I love how in all the five books of the Sati series, the original text is all about the men, which is why it only made sense to have the retelling all about the women. In the fifth book of the Sati series, we get to know Tara, the wife of Bali and Queen of Kishkindha and also the pishachini she was known to be before Bali even entered her life. Unlike passing references in Ramayana, in this short book, we are introduced to her as&nbsp;a brilliant woman-monkey with a sharp presence of mind and an empathetic heart.&nbsp;We read about the enemies to lovers story between Tara and Bali, which I was not expecting but enjoyed nonetheless. We read about Bali\u2019s death with a new light to it. And we read about conversations between Bali and Tara after his death. This book had everything to it: poetic writing, an actual retelling which did not shy away from taking a bold view, emotions written with feelings to make it a truly worthwhile read.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\">I have rated Tara by Koral Dasgupta at 4\/5 stars!<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-mindscape-in-words wp-block-embed-mindscape-in-words\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"2HkkHPgz8r\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/2023\/08\/indian-mythological-retelling-the-sati-series-by-koral-dasgupta.html\">Indian Mythological Retelling: The Sati Series by Koral Dasgupta<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Indian Mythological Retelling: The Sati Series by Koral Dasgupta&#8221; &#8212; Mindscape in Words\" src=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/2023\/08\/indian-mythological-retelling-the-sati-series-by-koral-dasgupta.html\/embed#?secret=GIFfdCNr35#?secret=2HkkHPgz8r\" data-secret=\"2HkkHPgz8r\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~BOOKS I LIKED~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~OUTLINE by RACHEL CUSK~~<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">I think it is impossible for to have different opinions for different books of Rachel Cusk\u2019s. While reading Outline, I felt the same way as I did when I read Second Place. The writing is both brilliant and frustrating. If you are not in the mood, it is impossible to forcefully read her books. But, if you are in the right mood, you will be struck with multiple epiphanies, perhaps just in a few pages. Because I love structure, I wasn\u2019t able to wholeheartedly love the book, but I appreciate the lessons I learnt from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\">I have rated Outline by Rachel Cusk at 3\/5 stars!<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~SEEK YOU: A JOURNEY THROUGH AMERICAN LONELINESS by KRISTEN RADTKE~~<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If you read the Goodreads blurb, you will be fascinated by it. I had to rethink why I didn\u2019t like the book, because if any readers read through this gist, they might feel like picking it right away. I think the major problem I had was ironically how disjointed the chapters and sub-chapters were from each other. At times, there didn\u2019t seem to be any immediate relevance to a few pages being remotely related to loneliness. At other times, it felt that the exhaustive research wanted to see the light of the day, because that seemed like the only reason to include it. As for the art, it was beautiful. I loved the use of different colors for different chapters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\">I have rated Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke at 2\/5 stars!<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~BOOKS I HATED~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~MORE DAYS AT THE MORISAKI BOOKSHOP by SATOSHI YAGISAWA~~<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This one is a sequel and that can be tricky. There are books where nothing happens but you are still moved. And, then there are books where actually nothing happens at any level whatsoever. This book was in the latter category for me.&nbsp;Simply the absence of content in the story was astounding. This book, on an iota of surface level tries to talk about grief, escapism, individuality, trauma and perspectives.&nbsp;But, the part of the story leading up to these themes is written in a disjoined manner with the profound epiphany lasting only a paragraph. And, it is always called out, so you don\u2019t really get a chance to read between the lines. Even if it wasn\u2019t called out, you wouldn\u2019t be able to understand what the hell was going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\">I have rated More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated by Eric Ozawa at 2\/5 stars!<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-mindscape-in-words wp-block-embed-mindscape-in-words\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"nNHD2MjwQH\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/2024\/07\/more-days-at-the-morisaki-bookshop-an-unnecessary-sequel.html\">More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop: An Unnecessary Sequel<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop: An Unnecessary Sequel&#8221; &#8212; Mindscape in Words\" src=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/2024\/07\/more-days-at-the-morisaki-bookshop-an-unnecessary-sequel.html\/embed#?secret=L4Df1oK5hW#?secret=nNHD2MjwQH\" data-secret=\"nNHD2MjwQH\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~NEVER LET ME GO by KAZUO ISHIGURO~~<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This book has been on my TBR for years, and after it was recognised in NY Times Top 100 books of the 21<sup>st<\/sup> century, I picked it up. It was utterly disappointed and bored by death. The concept was brilliant, of course, but the slow burn with minimal plot was too much bear. It was only 288 pages, but I decided to give it up halfway through. So, it\u2019s a DNF!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\">I have rated Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro at 1\/5 stars!<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~JULY READING STATS AND MORE~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A lot of short books, a combination of physical and e-books, an average 3 stars rating. But one thing I am proud of are the diverse genres of the books this month!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1205\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3545\" data-id=\"3545\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_182750_925.webp?resize=678%2C1205&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_182750_925.webp?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_182750_925.webp?resize=768%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_182750_925.webp?resize=864%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 864w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"848\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3541\" data-id=\"3541\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Picsart_24-07-28_17-41-47-683.jpg?resize=678%2C848&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Picsart_24-07-28_17-41-47-683.jpg?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Picsart_24-07-28_17-41-47-683.jpg?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"848\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3542\" data-id=\"3542\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Picsart_24-07-28_17-43-48-221.jpg?resize=678%2C848&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Picsart_24-07-28_17-43-48-221.jpg?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Picsart_24-07-28_17-43-48-221.jpg?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1205\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3547\" data-id=\"3547\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/July.png?resize=678%2C1205&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/July.png?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/July.png?resize=768%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/July.png?resize=864%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 864w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1205\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3546\" data-id=\"3546\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_185427_265.webp?resize=678%2C1205&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_185427_265.webp?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_185427_265.webp?resize=768%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_185427_265.webp?resize=864%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 864w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1205\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3544\" data-id=\"3544\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_184124_830.webp?resize=678%2C1205&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_184124_830.webp?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_184124_830.webp?resize=768%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_184124_830.webp?resize=864%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 864w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1205\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3543\" data-id=\"3543\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_185003_796.webp?resize=678%2C1205&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_185003_796.webp?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_185003_796.webp?resize=768%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_20240728_185003_796.webp?resize=864%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 864w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~LIFE LATELY~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The entire month was spent indoors aside from work commute. But, I spent it well, consuming a lot of content in the form of books, movies and tv shows and also consuming delicious food. I made <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Mexican Burrito Bowl, Spaghetti in Pesto sauce and Zucchini Fritters with Tzatziki sauce<\/mark><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"848\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3549\" data-id=\"3549\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Picsart_24-07-26_22-21-12-4292.jpg?resize=678%2C848&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Picsart_24-07-26_22-21-12-4292.jpg?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Picsart_24-07-26_22-21-12-4292.jpg?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"837\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3553\" data-id=\"3553\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NYT-Ballot_MiW.png?resize=678%2C837&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NYT-Ballot_MiW.png?w=1170&amp;ssl=1 1170w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NYT-Ballot_MiW.png?resize=768%2C948&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"821\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3552\" data-id=\"3552\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot_20240712-225939.jpg?resize=678%2C821&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot_20240712-225939.jpg?w=1035&amp;ssl=1 1035w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot_20240712-225939.jpg?resize=768%2C930&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"823\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3550\" data-id=\"3550\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot_20240712-225953.jpg?resize=678%2C823&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot_20240712-225953.jpg?w=1045&amp;ssl=1 1045w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot_20240712-225953.jpg?resize=768%2C932&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"848\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3551\" data-id=\"3551\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot_20240722-141021-1.jpg?resize=678%2C848&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot_20240722-141021-1.jpg?w=961&amp;ssl=1 961w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot_20240722-141021-1.jpg?resize=768%2C961&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"848\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3548\" data-id=\"3548\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PXL_20240721_040924986-1-scaled.jpg?resize=678%2C848&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PXL_20240721_040924986-1-scaled.jpg?w=2047&amp;ssl=1 2047w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PXL_20240721_040924986-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PXL_20240721_040924986-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1228%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1228w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PXL_20240721_040924986-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1638%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1638w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PXL_20240721_040924986-1-scaled.jpg?w=1356&amp;ssl=1 1356w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\">Until next time,<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"176\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/sign.jpg?resize=200%2C176&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3295\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0Hi Readers! After a reading lull in June, I finally got my mojo back this month. Despite the tremendous work load, I was able to read a lot. I think probably because there was tremendous work load, I just had to put myself in a fictional world more often to destress. I read SEVEN BOOKS [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3554,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4,23,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-review","category-books","category-book-reviews","category-mindscape-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/PXL_20240728_123523921-1-2-1.jpg?fit=2500%2C2500&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":358,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=358","url_meta":{"origin":3539,"position":0},"title":"July Reads: 15 Books in 31 Days.","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"August 1, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 I hadn't decided on setting a record by reading 15 books in a month. It just happened. After I read the first four books in about 10 days, I thought about reading more and more. So, as I finished a book yesterday, I realised that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;books&quot;","block_context":{"text":"books","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2183,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=2183","url_meta":{"origin":3539,"position":1},"title":"Books Read in July 2022!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"July 30, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! How was your July? Did you get a lot of reading done? Did you get time to spend with your family & friends? Did you get time to spend with yourself? I really hope you did! \ud83d\ude0a My July did not start off well. In fact, I had\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;books&quot;","block_context":{"text":"books","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/PSX_20220730_123338-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/PSX_20220730_123338-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/PSX_20220730_123338-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/PSX_20220730_123338-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/PSX_20220730_123338-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2897,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=2897","url_meta":{"origin":3539,"position":2},"title":"Books Read in July 2023!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"July 30, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! You all know that July was not my best reading month. It was not a good month in any way, for that matter. But, it somehow redeemed itself towards the end. I read THREE books across 1036 PAGES in July. For the longest time, I thought it would\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book review&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/PSX_20230729_211004-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/PSX_20230729_211004-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/PSX_20230729_211004-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/PSX_20230729_211004-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/PSX_20230729_211004-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=52","url_meta":{"origin":3539,"position":3},"title":"July Book Haul!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"July 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Hello Readers! July is coming to an end at last. I think this was the month that actually felt as long as a month since April! I wasn\u2019t able to buy any books from Amazon for the past 2 months because apparently they are non-essentials. But, in this month I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;books&quot;","block_context":{"text":"books","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-NtMjPGlq5r0\/XyE6TCci_zI\/AAAAAAAAji0\/JRnuuCHjYrocnycII1rnXPBy5QuU0viewCLcBGAsYHQ\/w464-h640\/IMG_20200729_132537-01-01-01.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1372,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=1372","url_meta":{"origin":3539,"position":4},"title":"Books Read in July 2021!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"August 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! July is already done and dusted! It was the best month for me reading wise. I read NINE BOOKS this month & I'm super proud of myself. I read THREE CLASSICS, ONE MYSTERY, TWO FANTASY, ONE ROMANCE, ONE AUTOBIOGRAPHY & ONE NONFICTION. Quite a range, am I right?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;books&quot;","block_context":{"text":"books","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/PSX_20210731_232056-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/PSX_20210731_232056-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/PSX_20210731_232056-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/PSX_20210731_232056-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/PSX_20210731_232056-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4278,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=4278","url_meta":{"origin":3539,"position":5},"title":"June 2025 Recap!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"June 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! June was long, let\u2019s be honest! So much happened in only one month, with still a day (Monday, ugh) to go. For the most part, June was an okay month. The highlight was my dad\u2019s book being published! (Yayyy) I also met extended family and my friends as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book review&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/PXL_20250629_040437083-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/PXL_20250629_040437083-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/PXL_20250629_040437083-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/PXL_20250629_040437083-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/PXL_20250629_040437083-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3539"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3539\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3557,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3539\/revisions\/3557"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}