A get-together of mango diversity and books – The Mango Tag

Mangoes and books – how could I resist doing this tag? I first saw the Mango Tag at Zezee, on her blog Zezee with Books.

The tag was created by Nandini at Novels and Nebulas, and was inspired by one of the characters of “The Tiger at Midnight” series by Swati Teerdhala.

This tag was super educational and fun to write, as I learnt so many things about mangoes in India! ❤ For most sections, the explanations of each type of mango were taken in a shorten format from the original tag written by Nandini.

Raw Mango – Your most anticipated release

No comments needed – raw mango means that mango season is approaching!

My most anticipated release at the moment is the “Climate Quartet” by Maja Lunde. I already read the first book – “The History of Bees” – and soon I hope to read the second one – “The End of the Ocean”. The third books is not yet translated in English, and the fourth book is still in progress of being written.

Banganapalli – Longest book on your TBR

Banganapalli mango is nicknamed the ‘king of mangoes’, the tastiest and biggest mango available in India.

My longest book on the TBR is “Invisible Women” – approx. 400 pages. It is by no means very long, but I keep my list of books to read as short as possible (I have around 8 at the moment).

Alphonso – A hyped book you love

Alphonso is a hybrid variety of mango, popular for its sweet taste; it is also one of the most expensive types of mango in India, often exported.

I’ll go with “Girl, Woman, Other” by Bernardine Evaristo – I think it is hyped and I know I love it!

Totapuri – A book with a green or yellow cover

Totapuri is recognizable by its shape – it resembles a parrot’s beak (“tota” means parrot in Hindi).

“Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro has both green and yellow on the cover!

Neelam – A rainy day book recommendation

Neelam mangoes are mostly available in June, when in South India is the monsoon period.

On a rainy day I would re-read “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt.

Mango Pickle – A book that makes you feel nostalgic weird

This is the first time I hear about mango pickles, I cannot even imagine how they taste. So I chose a very weird book for this section 🙂

“Galapagos” by Kurt Vonnegut is surely a book that makes you feel weird while reading it!

Mango Kulfi – A feel-good book recommendation

Kulfi is a traditional Indian ice cream, but denser and creamier.

For the feel-good dessert I pick “The Secret Lives of Colour” by Kassia St Clair.

Dried mango – A book you cannot stop reading

This is my own addition to the tag 🙂 Dried mango is one of my guilty pleasures, perfect for those moments when you’re in need for something nibblish.

My choice for this section – “The Cemetery of Forgotten Books” series by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Once you start reading any of the books (you can read them in any other), you cannot leave the others unread!

If you like mangoes, please fell free to tag yourself! It is a super playful tag, as you blend literature (choosing books) with culture (learning about mangoes in India)!

‘Till next time … happy eating mango! 🥭

Georgiana

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Cover image by Avinash Kumar on Unsplash