Donna's Reading Archives and more.

Reader & Writer

[donna-reads]

Cytokine Therapy- Interferons against Viral infections

Cytokine Therapy- Interferons against Viral infections

The language of cells is one that we are still learning. For any group of individuals to work efficiently, communication is essential. Of late, there has been a lot of conversation about immunity. Yet there remains a cloud of obscurity around how it is that some individuals mount a successful immunological response and come out stronger, where some others fail. One way to understand this…

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[donna-reads]

A Life in Bio-molecules: Rituximab

A Life in Bio-molecules: Rituximab

Since 2010, I have been studying about biomolecules in great detail. It began with understanding the different types of biomolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. These are the building blocks of life. I believe that in order to make sense of the outside world, we must learn to understand the inner self first. So, while it is important to explore space and be excited by the…

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[donna-reads]

Every potterhead during lockdown be like

[donna-reads]

Rediscovering more Vikram Seth poems.

[donna-reads]

Found a poem that fits with the times.

[donna-reads]

Update on A Tale of Two Cities.

Very subtly Dickens describes the unhappiness of the French people with the upper class. The snobbishness of the ruling class and the despicable circumstances of the poor are well captured. The end of the Marquis takes place so suddenly, yet the clues and hints that Dickens has peppered all over the preceding events is truly masterful writing. While I am mid way into the book, the events in the story have once again grabbed my attention and I am reading it like the first time again.

[donna-reads]

I began rereading A Tale of Two Cities today. I'm about a hundred pages in. In bits and pieces, the memories I have carried of the book from my childhood have been reawakening like a long lost dream. Familiar scenes and phrases are aiding me relive the story I had once known so well. The scene where Sydney Carton helps acquit Charles Darnay will remain one of my favorites in the book. That is when it is brought to the reader's attention that the two are alike. Yet Carton's introspective thoughts reveal how different the two men in fact are.

Carton is a bright young man. He could be hardworking too, if he's working for someone else. But he seems to have no personal motivation. He doesn't think highly of himself and has a general pessimistic take on life. Which is what sets him apart from Charles Darnay. In another life, he could have been like Darnay, he ponders, but his cynicism has made him a different sort of man and he knows it.

[donna-reads]

Book Review on Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Book Review on Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Once in a while, I come across books that are highly appreciated in the literary circles, even winner of awards such as the Booker or a Nobel, but fail to impress me. This is one such book. I had heard much about it so I thought why not read it and find out what all the fuss is about. Here’s what I found.

Lincoln in the Bardo is about Abraham Lincoln’s young son William a.k.a Willie being stuck…

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[donna-reads]

Empty dark hallways in the middle of the night

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Ikigai and the Art of Cell Cycle Maintenance

Ikigai and the Art of Cell Cycle Maintenance

It’s 1800 hrs on a rainy monsoon evening in Ahmedabad, India. And I am looking outside my window at an expanse of buildings and dust, questioning myself, what am I doing here in a place far away from the comforts of home. As I sit and contemplate, my focus on the scenery in front of me shifts from the concrete and the brown to the speckles of green and the grey clouds promising rain. This change…

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[donna-reads]

There's a concept called the Petri Dish Theory which says that all across the galaxy, civilizations have been planted on selected planets just like a microbiologist inoculates petri plates. This is done by super intelligent, pan-dimensional beings to study the growth patterns of lower life forms such as us. Just as we study the growth curve of bacteria in culture. Now, imagine a group of young boys crash land on a deserted island at the time of the great war with no means of communication. There are no adults on the island to guide them. Just young boys running amuck in a lawless land. The things that can happen can mortify you. Lord of the Flies is a study on the survival versus savagery instinct innate to us humans. It provides a glaring look into group dynamics, mob mentality, psychosis and fear through the microscope of the author's pen. It is for anyone who has the stomach to accept that the world is a twisted place. And an eye-opener for those who still believe otherwise. #bookstagram #books #livres #bookstagramindia #readers #reading #readersofinstagram #bookblogging #bloggersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #bookphotography #bookworm #igbooks #instareads #lategram #bibliophile

[donna-reads]

In my opinion, Sundays should be about doing that which brings you peace. All week long I yearn to find the time to read. The 'reading on the bus' stint failed, as it gives me severe headaches. Reading on the metro or on a regular train is smooth, but doing so on a bumpy bus puts a lot of strain on your eyes. Sigh. A lot of bookstagrammers have said that they couldn't get through The Ministry of Utmost Happiness as they couldn't relate to it. These are mostly people who are unaware of the political situation in India, and/or are not directly affected by it. I would call it a very brave book, becase Arundhati Roy has spoken aloud, once again, of the things that our media shies away from and the public turns a blind eye to. She captures various perspectives, portrays a diverse group of protagonists and does so with the elegance that the lady herself emanates. P.S Notice the very distinctive bookmark that graces the picture? It's pure art by none other than @prant.art.amuli. He's brought a whole new dimension to what bookmarks can look like! Check out his account for more awe-inspiring artwork ♥️ #bookstagram #bookstagramindia #books #bookblogging #bookblogger #readersofinstagram #reading #bibliophile #livres #booksofinstagram #instabooks #instareads

[donna-reads]

Environment. Surroundings. Habitat. A lot is said about the internal blueprint of the unit of life. Genes are attributed, often blamed, for all that a cell does. While the code of life does determine how a cell works, it is not the only contributor. The external factors are just as important, if not more, for how a cell would behave. When we coax cells to grow in a laboratory, we try to provide it with the same environment that it is naturally adapted to. Giving it warmth, care, nutrition. Take these essential things away from the cells, and they become subjected to stress. Some succumb, some survive. I am currently undergoing a stressful change, where the environment is proving really hard to adapt to. Food, water, air is all so radically different. I fear not surviving. I fear succumbing. I fear for my safety. In the span of 9 days, I have experienced sexism, racism and casteism, to name a few of the different discriminations. If adapting means accepting these discriminations, I would prefer not to adapt at all. (at Ahmedabad, India)

[donna-reads]

Environment. Surroundings. Habitat. A lot is said about the internal blueprint of the unit of life. Genes are attributed, often blamed, for all that a cell does. While the code of life does determine how a cell works, it is not the only contributor. The external factors are just as important, if not more, for how a cell would behave. When we coax cells to grow in a laboratory, we try to provide it with the same environment that it is naturally adapted to. Giving it warmth, care, nutrition. Take these essential things away from the cells, and they become subjected to stress. Some succumb, some survive. I am currently undergoing a stressful change, where the environment is proving really hard to adapt to. Food, water, air is all so radically different. I fear not surviving. I fear succumbing. I fear for my safety. In the span of 9 days, I have experienced sexism, racism and casteism, to name a few of the different discriminations. If adapting means accepting these discriminations, I would prefer not to adapt at all. (at Ahmedabad, India)

[donna-reads]

Environment. Surroundings. Habitat. A lot is said about the internal blueprint of the unit of life. Genes are attributed, often blamed, for all that a cell does. While the code of life does determine how a cell works, it is not the only contributor. The external factors are just as important, if not more, for how a cell would behave. When we coax cells to grow in a laboratory, we try to provide it with the same environment that it is naturally adapted to. Giving it warmth, care, nutrition. Take these essential things away from the cells, and they become subjected to stress. Some succumb, some survive. I am currently undergoing a stressful change, where the environment is proving really hard to adapt to. Food, water, air is all so radically different. I fear not surviving. I fear succumbing. I fear for my safety. In the span of 9 days, I have experienced sexism, racism and casteism, to name a few of the different discriminations. If adapting means accepting these discriminations, I would prefer not to adapt at all. (at Ahmedabad, India)

[donna-reads]

Environment. Surroundings. Habitat. A lot is said about the internal blueprint of the unit of life. Genes are attributed, often blamed, for all that a cell does. While the code of life does determine how a cell works, it is not the only contributor. The external factors are just as important, if not more, for how a cell would behave. When we coax cells to grow in a laboratory, we try to provide it with the same environment that it is naturally adapted to. Giving it warmth, care, nutrition. Take these essential things away from the cells, and they become subjected to stress. Some succumb, some survive. I am currently undergoing a stressful change, where the environment is proving really hard to adapt to. Food, water, air is all so radically different. I fear not surviving. I fear succumbing. I fear for my safety. In the span of 9 days, I have experienced sexism, racism and casteism, to name a few of the different discriminations. If adapting means accepting these discriminations, I would prefer not to adapt at all. (at Ahmedabad, India)

[donna-reads]

Environment. Surroundings. Habitat. A lot is said about the internal blueprint of the unit of life. Genes are attributed, often blamed, for all that a cell does. While the code of life does determine how a cell works, it is not the only contributor. The external factors are just as important, if not more, for how a cell would behave. When we coax cells to grow in a laboratory, we try to provide it with the same environment that it is naturally adapted to. Giving it warmth, care, nutrition. Take these essential things away from the cells, and they become subjected to stress. Some succumb, some survive. I am currently undergoing a stressful change, where the environment is proving really hard to adapt to. Food, water, air is all so radically different. I fear not surviving. I fear succumbing. I fear for my safety. In the span of 9 days, I have experienced sexism, racism and casteism, to name a few of the different discriminations. If adapting means accepting these discriminations, I would prefer not to adapt at all. (at Ahmedabad, India)