#shivangi's reading adventures

[hedevimaiyya]

Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma

Kareena Mann dreams of having a love story like her parents, but she prefers restoring her classic car to swiping right on dating apps. When her father announces he’s selling her mother’s home, Kareena makes a deal with him: he’ll gift her the house if she can get engaged in four months. Her search for her soulmate becomes impossible when her argument with Dr. Prem Verma, host of The Dr. Dil Show, goes viral. Now the only man in her life is the one she doesn’t want.

Dr. Prem Verma is dedicated to building a local community health center, but he needs to get donors with deep pockets. The Dr. Dil Show was doing just that, until his argument with Kareena went viral, and he’s left short changed. That’s when Kareena’s meddling aunties presented him with a solution: convince Kareena he’s her soulmate and they’ll fund his clinic.  

Even though they have conflicting views on love-matches and arranged-matches, the more time Prem spends with Kareena, the more he begins to believe she’s the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. But for Prem and Kareena to find their happily ever after, they must admit that hate has turned into fate. 

Kiara Advani as Kareena Mann Aditya Roy Kapur as Dr. Prem Verma

[alwaysfirst]

Tushar Kalia strikes a pose with 'Khatron Ke Khiladi 12' winner trophy

Sep 26, 2022 11:07 IST New Delhi , September 26 (AF): Bollywood choreographer Tushar Kalia, on Sunday, shared a picture with the 'Khatron Ke Khiladi 12' winner trophy. Taking to Instagram, Tushar shared the picture which he captioned, "THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT." Tushar was announced as the winner of Rohit Shetty's adventure show 'Khatraon Ke Khiladi Season 12', on Sunday. The action-packed finale episode of the show had three men, Tushar Kalia, Faisal Shaikh and Mohit Malik going through various obstacles. Jannat Zubair and actor Rubina Dilaik were also among the finalists of the show. Tushar, won prize money of Rs 20 lakh and a car. Actor Faisal Shaikh was declared the runner-up. Soon after the choreographer shared his picture with the trophy, fans flooded the comment section with congratulatory messages. KKK 12 finalist Faisal Shaikh wrote, "Congratulations brother." Director Shashank Khatian wrote, "Congrats bro." "Congratulations on your well-deserved success!" a fan commented. In the finale episode of KKK 12, former contestants of the show and the team members of Rohit Shetty's next directorial film 'Cirkus', including Ranveer Singh, Pooja Hegde, Johnny Lever, Varun Sharma and Sanjay Mishra arrived. The 12th season of the adventure show gathered positive responses from the audience. Shot in Cape Town, South Africa the show featured some breathtaking stunts. Rubina Dilaik, Erika Packard, Jannat Zubair, Aneri Vajani, Shivangi Joshi, Chetna Pande, Kanika Mann, Sriti Jha, Pratik Sehajpal, Nishant Bhat, and Rajiv Adatia were also a part of the show. (AF) Read the full article

[rivaco]

I got 99 problems but tech ain’t one!

The rise and rise of digital nomads in the workplace

It’s after a multi-hundred years of working as employees, employers and middle men, that the world is finally coming out of the bubble we casually call the 9–5.

Over the last decade I’ve noticed a huge spike in the number of people opting for change and choosing remote work over office work. In 2015, 23% of employees reported working remotely according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics. Earlier this year the World Economic Forum reported that 39% of people reported working remotely at some point, and have cited this new trend as one of the biggest transformational changes to happen in the workplace. And I’m not surprised.

The truth is undeniable: We’re a generation of digital nomads.

Forbes has also reported on the top 100 companies that allow you to work from home. With big names like Amazon, Xerox, Dell and American Express backing up the trend, the attraction of remote work is not going to go away.

One of the key reasons for the uptake and acceptance of digital nomads?

Technology.

Technology has been crucial in helping promote the life of a digital nomad as a sustainable one. Tech enables the life of a remote worker, and will also enhance it in future. A freelancer needs his tech tools as his side ally.

As someone who’s flying from one part of the world to another while stealing some time to work, I have to anticipate unexpected adventures. I also need tools that are less clunky and more capable of seamlessly integrating.

So, what tech tools are there exactly that help make my life easier as a digital nomad?

The right laptop

First and foremost, before you even start to get into the nitty gritty of software, you need the right physical tools.

This one really depends on what type of work you’re doing, so make sure you research and invest in the right laptop that works for you and what you need to be able to deliver.

For me, a long battery life is crucial for remote working and travelling. Along with being lightweight, and highly compatible with travel.

The best support tools

Once you’ve got the right laptop in your hands, you’re going to need the right support tools.

This includes things like a wireless mouse, USB adaptors, and USB battery packs. Being charged and ready to work, anywhere, at any moment is so important for me. Making sure I’m prepared and able to charge my devices no matter is key to this.

Project management tools

Trello is a collaboration tool that organizes your projects into ‘boards’ — you can color code, assign boards to team members, and allow editing by different team members. It’s the perfect project management tool! In one glance, Trello lets me see what’s being worked on, who’s working on what project, and where something is in a process. Full notification capacity allows me to follow up and address individuals to keep everyone on track.

Online storage tools

Let’s face it, paper filing has been dead for a long time and thank goodness! Better for the planet, and much better for your team. Online storage facilities, like Dropbox and Google Docs means teams can share, review, edit, download and collaborate on documents anywhere in the world, any time, any day!

The virtual helpdesk

Web-based help-desk services such as Zendesk allow me to keep track of all my customer service queries via an online system of tickets. Customers can submit their tickets to you through whichever medium works best for them including telephone, email, online chat, email or social media! Your entire team can have access and have the capacity to add notes as they go, so everything is up-to-date and streamlined to support your business and more importantly the customer.

The best focus tools

Working remotely, it’s easy to get distracted. Especially when I’m spending a lot of my time on my laptop!

This is where software like StayFocused comes in handy. With StayFocused, you can block distracting websites and social media for set periods of time. Just what I need when I’ve got deadlines to smash out!

The all encompassing communication & collaboration tool

Like Flock. With nifty apps like shared to-dos, polls, rich note and code sharing Flock is the ultimate tech tool for digital nomad teams. It’s a diverse platform of apps for all teams, and better yet it syncs seamlessly on all devices. Flock delivers a much lighter and comfortable UI to help navigate faster and get work done. Video and audio calling capabilities allow you to connect with your team from any part of the world.

With so many new advancements in the world of tech, it is only fair the whole workforce enjoys the benefits. Working remotely has eliminated the apprehensions of the ‘presence paradox’.

Authored by Shivangi Gautam, who’s love for travel has landed her and her laptop somewhere in the middle of Amazon jungle. Also, a Content Marketer at Flock.

Got a minute? Consider these for your next read:

Flock + Freshdesk = Amazing customer experiences all the time!

Want to be productive? Stop thinking about productivity!

I got 99 problems but tech ain’t one! was originally published in Flock Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

[hedevimaiyya]

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it. But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between her and Cyrus. Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom—or doom them all.

[hedevimaiyya]

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering. Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead. Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all. But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…

[hedevimaiyya]

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Jenna Coleman as Celia Bowen Jonathan Bailey as Marco Alisdair

[hedevimaiyya]

One Last Stop by Casey McQuinston

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures. But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train. Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.

Nicola Coughlan as August Landry Lee Joo Young as Biyu “Jane” Su

[hedevimaiyya]

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne

Distraction (n): an extreme agitation of the mind or emotions. Ruthie Midona has worked the front desk at the Providence Luxury Retirement Villa for six years, dedicating her entire adult life to caring for the Villa’s residents, maintaining the property (with an assist from DIY YouTube tutorials), and guarding the endangered tortoises that live in the Villa’s gardens. Somewhere along the way, she’s forgotten that she’s young and beautiful, and that there’s a world outside of work—until she meets the son of the property developer who just acquired the retirement center. Teddy Prescott has spent the last few years partying, sleeping in late, tattooing himself when bored, and generally not taking life too seriously—something his father, who dreams of grooming Teddy into his successor, can’t understand. When Teddy needs a place to crash, his father seizes the chance to get him to grow up. He’ll let Teddy stay in one of the on-site cottages at the retirement home, but only if he works to earn his keep. Teddy agrees—he can change a few lightbulbs and clip some hedges, no sweat. But Ruthie has plans for Teddy too. Her two wealthiest and most eccentric residents have just placed an ad (yet another!) seeking a new personal assistant to torment. The women are ninety-year-old, four-foot-tall menaces, and not one of their assistants has lasted a full week. Offering up Teddy seems like a surefire way to get rid of the tall, handsome, unnerving man who won’t stop getting under her skin. Ruthie doesn’t count on the fact that in Teddy Prescott, the Biddies may have finally met their match. He’ll pick up Chanel gowns from the dry cleaner and cut Big Macs into bite-sized bits. He’ll do repairs around the property, make the residents laugh, and charm the entire villa. He might even remind Ruthie what it’s like to be young and fun again. But when she finds out Teddy’s father’s only fixing up the retirement home to sell it, putting everything she cares about in jeopardy, she’s left wondering if Teddy’s magic was all just a façade.

Pınar Deniz as Ruthie Midona Can Yaman as Teddy Prescott

[hedevimaiyya]

Dating Makes Perfect by Pintip Dunn

The Tech sisters don’t date in high school. Not because they’re not asked. Not because they’re not interested. Not even because no one can pronounce their long, Thai last name—hence the shortened, awkward moniker. But simply because they’re not allowed. Until now. In a move that other Asian American girls know all too well, six months after the older Tech twins got to college, their parents asked, “Why aren’t you engaged yet?” The sisters retaliated by vowing that they won’t marry for ten (maybe even twenty!) years, not until they’ve had lots of the dating practice that they didn’t get in high school. In a shocking war on the status quo, her parents now insist that their youngest daughter, Orrawin (aka “Winnie”), must practice fake dating in high school. Under their watchful eyes, of course—and organized based on their favorite rom-coms. ’Cause that won’t end in disaster. The first candidate? The son of their longtime friends, Mat Songsomboon—arrogant, infuriating, and way too good-looking. Winnie’s known him since they were toddlers throwing sticky rice balls at each other. And her parents love him. If only he weren’t her sworn enemy.

Tontawan Tantivejakul as Orrawin “Winnie” Tech Thanapob Leeratanakachorn as Mat Songsomboon

[hedevimaiyya]

To Covet a Countess by Sapna Bhog

Nicholas Delmore, the Earl of Hawksley, was not expecting a snowstorm-sieged London evening to end with a dagger held to his throat. Nor did he anticipate his spirited attacker to have glossy black tresses and lush red lips that might invite a lesser gentleman to steal a kiss. But before he can demand his beautiful assailant to identify herself, she faints dead away in his arms. Sania Aaryan has no choice but to trust the breathtakingly handsome Earl of Hawksley with both her life and her sister’s. Trusting him with the truth, however, is out of the question. Because fleeing India for the icy shores of England was rash. Impulsive. And it might have saved her life—only to land her into the arms of a man who poses an entirely different kind of danger. Now Sania is experiencing a world filled with luxury and opulent decadence. But starry nights and fairy-tale balls cannot chase away the shadows of Sania’s secrets. Especially when her terrible past arrives in London with an eye for icy vengeance…

Simone Ashley as Sania Aaryan Jonathan Bailey as Nicholas Delmore

[hedevimaiyya]

The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala

Esha is a legend, but no one knows. It’s only in the shadows that she moonlights as the Viper, the rebels’ highly skilled assassin. She’s devoted her life to avenging what she lost in the royal coup, and now she’s been tasked with her most important mission to date: taking down the ruthless General Hotha. Kunal has been a soldier since childhood, training morning and night to uphold the power of King Vardaan. His uncle, the general, has ensured that Kunal never strays from the path—even as a part of Kunal longs to join the outside world, which has been growing only more volatile. Then Esha’s and Kunal’s paths cross—and an unimaginable chain of events unfolds. Both the Viper and the soldier think they’re calling the shots, but they’re not the only players moving the pieces. As the bonds that hold their land in order break down and the sins of the past meet the promise of a new future, both rebel and soldier must make unforgivable choices.

[hedevimaiyya]

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret--she's a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt. But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead--her gumiho soul--in the process. Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl--he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to humans. He's drawn to her anyway. With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous . . . forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon's.

Kim Hye Yoon as Gu Miyoung Rowoon as Ahn Jihoon Cho Hye Jung as Song Nara Kim Da Mi as Lee Somin Kim Hyun Mok as Oh Changwan Song Hye Kyo as Gu Yena Woo Do Hwan as Junu Yoo Ji Tae as Detective Hae Ko Du Shim as Jihoon’s halmeoni

[hedevimaiyya]

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Bhumi Pednekar as Dimple Shah Dev Patel as Rishi Patel

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

[hedevimaiyya]

waaaaaaw okay the prologue has already the-complete-opposite-of-impressed me hahahaha they changed the names of some of the characters because they did not like the sound of them and this book is an AU... i already hate this so much

[hedevimaiyya]

A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev

Sanaya Irani as Mili Rathod Barun Sobti as Samir Rathod

Mili Rathod hasn’t seen her husband in twenty years—not since she was promised to him at the age of four. Yet marriage has allowed Mili a freedom rarely given to girls in her village. Her grandmother has even allowed her to leave India and study in America for eight months, all to make her the perfect modern wife. Which is exactly what Mili longs to be—if her husband would just come and claim her.

Bollywood’s favorite director, Samir Rathod, has come to Michigan to secure a divorce for his older brother. Persuading a naïve village girl to sign the papers should be easy for someone with Samir’s tabloid-famous charm. But Mili is neither a fool nor a gold-digger. Open-hearted yet complex, she’s trying to reconcile her independence with cherished traditions. And before he can stop himself, Samir is immersed in Mili’s life—cooking her dal and rotis, escorting her to her roommate’s elaborate Indian wedding, and wondering where his loyalties and happiness lie.

Heartfelt, witty, and thoroughly engaging, Sonali Dev’s debut is both a vivid exploration of modern India and a deeply honest story of love, in all its diversity.

[hedevimaiyya]

the amount of cringe i am cringing wtf 🙈🙈🙈🙈