Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: January 2015.

1. Another Country by Anjali Joseph: My first read of the year. Sadly. it was a disappointing one. Boo hoo! I put a lot of pressure on myself while choosing my first read of the year, I eventually picked this book up because I loved Saraswati Park by the same author. This book was a about a young girl called Leela who is in her 20s and her coming of age. It was a very meh read. I didn't warm up to Leela or to any other aspect of the book. In fact, I found Leela downright infuriating! The writing was alright, not nearly as good as Saraswati Park. A bit of a let-down. 

Rating: 2.5/5 

2. Third Girl by Agatha Christie: A Poirot mystery. My only Christie read of the month. I liked this book but didn't love it. It is a later day Christie book, set in the 1960s. I definitely prefer the books set in the 20s-30s-40s. Some of the usual magic was missing. Still enjoyable enough. 

Rating: 3/5 

3. 1/7 Bondel Road by Gautam Benegal: Loved this book. Lovely short stories set in a locality in Calcuta. Wonderful and nostalgic and pretty amazing. Easily my favourite book I've read this month. Reviewed HERE. 

Rating: 4/5 

4. The Red Carpet by Lavanya Sankaran: Another short-story collection. All of them set in Bangalore. I enjoyed this book a fair amount. Reviewed it HERE. 

Rating: 3/5 

5. The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-Mi-Hwang: A fable. A story of a feisty hen who wants to live free and do what she pleases. I didn't quite react to this book like I think I was meant to. It didn't move me . It didn't affect me as much as I think it should have. Overall, I didn't really enjoy it to be honest.

Rating: 2.5/5

6. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark:  A book about an influential woman, an empowered woman, a confused woman and a woman who lives life as she chooses and as she pleases. A woman with influence over her young students.
I had heard great things about this book and I am very curious to see the film adaptation starring Maggie Smith- a role for which she won her Academy Award.

I didn't quite like this book. I didn't like the writing style to be honest. And Miss Jean Brodie seemed a bit off to me.
I still want to watch the movie. And I want to read more Muriel Spark...but this book was a disappointing read!

Rating: 2/5

7.  A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri: I enjoyed this book. And will do a full review soon. 

Rating: 3.5/5 

8. 666 Park Avenue by Gabriella Pierce: I used to watch the TV show of the same name. It was cancelled within a single season. The show was very different. VERY different and honestly it was a better and spookier story. This book is about 24 year old French girl, Jane Boyle who falls madly in love with a rich man from Manhattan. His family, his mom especially is a evil witch. 

The book was funny in parts and an enjoyable read. A good easy read. A good holiday read for me. 

Rating: 3/5 

January wasn't the best reading month. By my standards it was pretty darn bad. I mean, I read just 8 books! Normally, I read over 20 books in a month. But January was a month of travel and seeing people and being with family. So I don't mind a reading slow down. 

January at a glance...

Books Read: 8

                Books Bought: 0 (Yay!) 

I didn't buy a single book this past month and it is a good way to start the year. Now, a lot of bookish people are going on book buying bans. I am not one of those people. Buying books make me happy. And I am not about to stop doing something that makes me happy. So book buying will start once again at the earliest chance I get. Once I am back in Bombay..my monthly book hauls will start-up again! 

Hope you had a nice reading month!