The Mango Book Tag

It’s been quite a while since my dearest friend Dini created this amazing tag and tagged me in it. But I kept postponing it because I hadn’t gotten to eat any mangoes yet. And now the season might be almost over in India, but I’m finally getting to eat some very very yummy mangoes here in the US and this is also the week we are all having fun participating in the Indian Lit Readathon, I thought this was the perfect time to do this tag. And I’m gonna try and answer everything with only books by desi authors.

Rules of the Mango Book Tag

1. Please tag a few friends to spread the mango love.
2. Please mention the inspiration behind this tag, The Tiger at Midnight series by Swati Teerdhala, in your post
3. Please link back to this original post @ Dini’s blog Novels and Nebulas so that she can read your wonderful answers.

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Raw Mango

Your Most Anticipated Release

Raw Mango with some salt and red chilli powder is an absolute delight, but only when the mango itself is sour. And I have some amazing memories eating them. But these days, I mostly enjoy making dal with raw mangoes because it’s super tasty.

This was my highly anticipated release for this year but now that it has gotten postponed to 2021, my anticipation has only grown higher. I just know this book will be explosive and possibly break my heart into itty bitty pieces but I’m totally here for it.

Banganapalli

Longest Book on your TBR

Banganapalli is my absolute favorite fruit in the whole wide world and I can do anything for it. It’s just the sweetest and yummiest thing you’ll ever eat in your life and I promise I am not exaggerating.

I have way longer books on my TBR but among the desi books, this one is a tome. But this is book five of the Hastinapur series and I’m still yet to start the fourth one. Hopefully soon.

Alphonso

A Hyped Book you Love

Alphonso is probably the one mango type that is most known across all regions and while it’s tasty, I won’t consider it my top choice. But it surely is worth the hype.

I always used to be scared about the hype for this series but now that I binge read it a couple months ago, I was amazed to see how much it lives up to all the praise and acclaim. A truly unputdownable series and I can’t wait to read the finale.

Totapuri

A Book with a Green or Yellow Cover

Totapuri is another one which is pretty yummy and I would probably consider it my second favorite kind. But I do miss it these days because I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in the US.

Reading Ramayana from Sita’s perspective always feels like a revelation and this one is definitely a very good read. One also realizes how much the story feels different when read from a woman’s POV.

Neelam

A Rainy Day Book Recommendation

To be honest, I’m actually not that aware of this kind of mango. Or maybe it just has a different name in my region.

Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know is the perfect example of a book that you can curl up with in a cozy nook on a rainy day. It’s beautifully written, has two lovely female protagonists and the aesthetic of Paris and art is just wonderful.

Mango Pickle

A Book that makes you feel Nostalgic

Ahhhh the yummy mango pickle !!!!! There are multiple varieties that my grandma, mom and aunt make and I love every single one of them. My whole life is full of memories of eating it and I’m so glad I still get to have them.

It’s not just this book, any version of the Mahabharata is perfect for this prompt because my whole life is again full of memories of reading the tales from the Mahabharata, watching the TV shows and discussing with various family members about it. It’s such an inherent part of growing up that I can’t even imagine my life without going back to it from time to time.

And if you want to read about all my favorite versions of the epic, checkout this post of mine from last year.

Mango Kulfi

A Feel-Good Book Recommendation

I probably would have liked this prompt to have been Mango Lassi instead because thats another absolute favorite of mine, but my husband does love his Mango Kulfi.

There’s Something About Sweetie is an absolute delight and it will make you feel good on any day.

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I Tag:

Leslie || Caitlin || Tova || Dany || Anyone else who loves mangoes or would love to try them.