#raeta

[asterrise]

Hey! This is my sona

I am on a mission to make myself real (aka make a plushie of me) so I’ll be blogging about it for a bit!

Here’s my progress so far

Making a paper version first to test the sizing, all but one of my fabrics have arrived

[moplayspoke]

She has arrived (FINALLY) 🥹

Such an amazing book with a gorgeous hardcover.

[moplayspoke]

Also one of my favorite authors started as a fanfiction writer (I think they wrote NaLu funnily enough) soooooooo I will just leave it at that.

[moplayspoke]

So I ordered the hardcover edition of Ladybirds and IMMEDIATELY AFTER I discovered this book box edition exists.

And now I am SAD because it is out of stock as of last MONTH. I missed it by a MONTH.

SAD AF.

The hardcover is still gorgeous (pictured above) but damn it to hell I would have loved the custom art and everything.

Kicking myself for reading this a month late. Time to wallow in pity.

[moplayspoke]

Non-spoilery review for Ladybirds by R. Raeta

5⭐️ (may even end up a 6⭐️?)

Oh my god I INHALED this. Devoured. Left no crumbs. Licked the proverbial plate CLEAN.

This was so stinking adorable, wholesome and enchanting and by the end I was left feeling satisfied with a full, happy heart. The pacing was perfect with just the right amount of slow-burn and tension.

It was truly so lovely and my only real gripe is not being able to read it for the first time again. This is one of those reads that I would be begging folks at graphic audio to be picking up asap for a dramatized version. Unf! Seth with a good VA and his quips would be magical.

That being said I could NOT put it down. I sacrificed 3 hours of sleep just to finish this and I do not regret it. This is clearly underrated and needs more exposure ASAP.

[moplayspoke]

Peaches & Honey spoiler-free review

4.5⭐️

This was surprisingly good as far as story telling but some who like action may be a bit disappointed with it. It’s a journey unlike any other but not everyone is keen for these types of adventures.

The story as a whole was unexpectedly charming and an innate reflection of the world we live in. I appreciated that the love story also felt like a gradual journey to a peaceful moment time time. Slow and sweet but left me wanting more.

I did feel there were some elements that felt missing but personally I am drawn to strong emotionally-charged works and this had a sample of that but could be much more. I am hoping the sequel meets that mark.

[bookishly-andy]

This book is the definition of a late October read. It’s definitely a moody one, given the topics at hand, and if you’re looking for a cheerful romance, then it may not be exactly this one, but it’s still a beautiful read with soft and lyrical writing. And in my opinion, the less you know about it before going in, the better.

For that same reason, I don’t want this to be long and spoil anything. The basics are that there’s a girl sitting on her bench every single night, her only company pen and paper. Then there’s a selfless boy who changes her life forever.

It’s an easy read, and I zoomed through it once I got to the second half, wishing that I could somehow melt in the pages so I could have all the knowledge of the words in my brain at once.

The book is character-driven for the most part, and there is some conflict to solve at the end. But as is with this writer, her books are an invitation to reflect, in this case, about life and the beauty of its end. Nothing lasts forever, but it’s in this that we find comfort hiding in the little moments, and we learn to make the most of each and every second.

[sayattheexplorer]

He squeezed it in his palm and topped it with chutneys and raeta!

A magical thing happened when I came to the Thane train station in Mumbai after my first visit to the kitchen I'll be working at. 

It wasn't the first food stall that I came across in my long commute to Thane this morning but it was the only one with a line -- it was past lunch time. I approached it and started eating through the displayed food. 

I had some pani puri, a samosa, and something that I never tried before, a kachori. This is a chaat, Indian savory snack, that is usually filled with meat and spices. This was filled with potatoes cooked in a coconutty brine with garam spices and black cumin, and most prominently with sugar. It was very spicy! 

The vendor squeezed it in his palm and topped it with a mint chutney, some sweet raeta, and tamarind chutney. The now squished ball, sucking in all the juices, was alive and succulent. The sweet, spicy and zesty balance was to die for. Well, a rather spicy imbalance is perhaps more accurate.

I'll start taking photos tomorrow -- I start work at the restaurant on Tuesday!