Spooky Reads: Halloween Reading Recommendations 2020.

 Hello! 

& 

Happy Halloween! 

Whether you celebrate Halloween or not, I think this a good time to read some good old horror novels and watch some scary films and get scared good and proper.

So I figured I'd share some good spooky books I've read this year. 

Some are thrillers.

Some are horror. 

And others have a clear spooky vibe but aren't exactly scary. 

So I am hoping there is something for everyone here. 

Cool, let's get started. 

1. My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix: This is one of my more recent reads, I read this in the very beginning of the month and it was everything it promised to be. Scary. 80s. Female friendships. And what I loved best about it was how realistic it felt, like the reactions of the characters and how they handled certain situations was just spot on. 

Pick it up if you enjoy some 80s pop-cult references and if possessions are your jam. 

I really enjoyed it and I enjoyed that this book was peppered with little extra bits of 80s paraphernalia- like odd ads and pamphlets and cassette covers. 

4/5 

2. Watch Over Me by Nina Lacour: Now, this one isn't exactly a horror novel. It has ghosts, quite a few of them actually but it's not exactly scary. It's unsettling and atmospheric and moody but not very spooky. This  is a perfect read for anyone who is easily scared and not horror's biggest connoisseur. This is story full of heart and tragic pasts and moving on. 

And ghosts. 

A lot of ghosts. 

I read this in one sitting. I think under two hours, it is a fairly short read, so it's something you'll breeze through. 

4/5 

3. The Patient by Jasper Dewitt: This one is a straight up horror. 

It's quite scary. 

A mental asylum, a strange patient who belies any kind of diagnosis and several mysterious deaths that occur around him. 

Really creepy and atmospheric and a perfect read for this time of year. 

I especially liked the wonderful marriage between psychiatry and mental asylums and spooks. 

Perfect really. 

And soooo freaking creepy. 

I enjoyed this immensely and read it on a particularly rainy day in Bombay. 

4/5 

4. Rules for Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson: This book just made me giddily happy. 

A book about books, more specifically a book about a bookshop that sells thriller books! 

I mean, come on, what's not to love? 

Plus, I do enjoy most of Peter Swanson's books and this one full of references and hat tips to classic thriller fiction was an absolute delight to read. 

Not perfect. 

But good. 

And it will give a mile long recommendation list too. 

What else do you need?! 

Serial killers. 

Thriller Books. 

Cold cases. 

Yes. Yes. Yes. 

4/5 

5. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James: This one was also a pleasure to read. I read this back in March I think and it was perfectly spooky and kept you guessing. It's a perfect blend of a thriller and a horror. So if you're a fan of one or both genres this is a perfect read for you. 

There are ghosts and a haunting and a serial killer.

All good things really! 

Plus there is a time split narrative about a missing woman in the 80s and someone in present day looking for her. So there is so much to keep you hooked and invested. I remember being so sucked into this world that I had a hard time putting this book down. 

Good fun! 

4/5 

6. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager: This was one of my most awaited releases of this year and for good reason. This one has some very Amityville Horror vibes and is a hat tip in a big, big way. 

This is a time split story too, the action moves back and forth in the same house but decades apart. 

A hunted house. 

A missing girl.

A family with a secret. 

And a young woman trying to make sense of her family's infamous exit from a famous haunted house.

It was fun and just what I hoped it would be.

The ending and the big reveal I saw coming but it was still good time. 

3.5/5 

7. The Shadows by Alex North: Another horror + thriller mix that I enjoyed quite a bit this year. 

A group of friends and an unleashed evil that changes their lives forever. 

And a grown man coming back to his hometown to make sense of it all.

25 years apart in the same small town that has something odd going on, this was a very pacy and atmospheric read. It wasn't as good as The Whisper Man, which I read last year and LOVED. But it was sufficiently fun and creepy, even though several of the big twists were easy to guess. 

3/5 

Apart from these, this is also a great time to read some Agatha Christie and let her magic do it's thing. 

:) 

Happy Reading Folks. 

And a Happy Halloween to you! 

I am about to go see something spooky and celebrate in the only way I know how. 

:) 

Friday Favourites: Books & Bookmarks

1. Beautiful bookmarks from KartikeyShrutii that I've been loving so much. 

Such gorgeous works of art. 

2. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham: My read for this Halloween. How gorgeous is this book cover? 

And it's creepy and strange and odd and spooky. 

3. A Man Called One by Fredrik Bachman: My sister recently read this book and fell in love, I knew she would, it's just the thing that she is drawn to. It's heart-warming and kind and sad and lovely. 

:) 

Full review coming soon.

But do pick it up, if you need something full of kindness and goodness. 

 

4. Ringa Ringa Roses by Neil D'Silva: My current read, a collection of three horror short stories which is fun and spooky enough. 

I am reading this for free via Kindle Unlimited. 

Stationery Sunday: Bookmark Haul from Rimjhim Artopia.

Hello! 

Subho Navami. 

Today has been so gorgeously rainy here in my small town. 

It's been raining allllll day and it's properly cold and lovely. I've spent most of my day on the terrace watching the rain and soaking up the joy of a blissful rainy day. 

Today for Stationery Sunday I want to share some beautiful bookmarks I bought a while back from this Instagram shop called Rimjhim Artopia. These are gorgeous works of art and each bookmark is stunning and painted with so much love and brilliance. 

:) 

I was so happy when these arrived. 

Uff, so beautiful.  

Love these winter cottage scene bookmarks. Makes me long for winter days and nights and being in the middle of nowhere with a fire burning and a book to keep me company. 

And now some absolute floral beauties. 

These guys were love at first sight. 

This peach one might just be my favourite. I think I used to own a Fabdindia kurta in the same print. So this reminds of happy summers and memories. 

Aren't these just beautiful? 

More floral loveliness. 

The work is so neat and precise. 

Go check out Rimjhim's shop and get yourself something beautiful and making your reading a little more colourful. 

Pujo Diaries: Subho Ashtami. Coffee, Quiet Small-town Afternoons, Flowers and What I am Reading.

Hello! 

Subho Ashtami! 

Today is supposed to be the biggest day of the festival. The day we reserve our best outfits for. The day we eat the best food. Offer Anjoli to the Goddess. It's basically the highpoint of the festival. 

Of course, this was before. 

Today was dramatically different.

For one, I have stayed home.

Didn't dress up. 

But...I ate yum Ma made food. 

The weather has been a thing of beauty. 

I am home with my family and that is celebration enough. 

:) 

My local Pujo Pandal from two years ago. 

Quiet afternoons in my small town by a pond. 

Little balcony gardens. 

I love that my parent's home has a terrace and its full of plants and a perfect spot to see the world go by. This whole isolation situation is made infinitely better by having a terrace and a small window to the rest of the world. 

Evening coffee to sip while watching Pujo pandals on the News and some very strange Bengali TV shows. 

As for what I am reading this Pujo, it's this true crime book about real life cases from Calcutta. 

I am a couple of stories in and really enjoying it. 

Pujo Diaries: Subho Shoshti/// Jewellery Haul from Renaisa Official.

 Hello! 

Subho Shoshti to my fellow Bengali readers. 

Today is the sort of official beginning to Pujo. 

We wear new clothes. 

Welcome Maa Durga. 

And get ready for a whirlwind 4 days that follow.

Of course, all this was in the before times. 

This year is whole other ball game. 

I am still not sure if I'll be able to go to a pandal at all this year.

Might just go to my local Pujo pandal on Ashtami, but for most part, I am staying home and away from the crowds. 

Today has been slow and quietly festive. 

All morning, I've seen people going by my home in brand new, bright and shiny clothes. 

I wore something new too, at home, but still. 

And I unboxed a package that has made me so happy. 

Something handmade and absolutely gorgeous. 

From Renaisa Official, an Instagram Shop that I found recently and I fell in love with her art and jewellery, 

I cannot even with how utterly beautiful this is. 

This is the Savitri Set. 

Look at the darling details like the samba paula, the gold earrings and the beautiful faces. 

I am so smitten! 

Ki shundor! 

This makes me Bengali heart so happy. 

The necklace is nice and long and will go perfectly with plain kurta or sarees. 

It's so well-made and light weight and will be a breeze to wear. 

Honestly, I cannot wait to wear it. 

This beauty right here is Parvati. 

Ma Durga in her Parvati version in a lal paar shada saree. 

Uffff! 

This one was love at first sight. 

:) 

I love everything about this necklace.

The art, the colours and the attention to detail. 

What a happy, happy box of goodies. 

Do check out her shop and get yourself something special and one of a kind. 

What a great way to start my Pujo! 

:) 

Book Review: The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline

 Book: The Exiles

Author: Christina Baker Kline 

Pages: 370

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: 3.5 hours

Plot Summary: Seduced by her employer’s son, Evangeline, a naïve young governess in early nineteenth-century London, is discharged when her pregnancy is discovered and sent to the notorious Newgate Prison. After months in the fetid, overcrowded jail, she learns she is sentenced to “the land beyond the seas,” Van Diemen’s Land, a penal colony in Australia. Though uncertain of what awaits, Evangeline knows one thing: the child she carries will be born on the months-long voyage to this distant land.

During the journey on a repurposed slave ship, the Medea, Evangeline strikes up a friendship with Hazel, a girl little older than her former pupils who was sentenced to seven years transport for stealing a silver spoon. Canny where Evangeline is guileless, Hazel -- a skilled midwife and herbalist – is soon offering home remedies to both prisoners and sailors in return for a variety of favors.

Though Australia has been home to Aboriginal people for more than 50,000 years, the British government in the 1840s considers its fledgling colony uninhabited and unsettled, and views the natives as an unpleasant nuisance. By the time the Medea arrives, many of them have been forcibly relocated, their land seized by white colonists. One of these relocated people is Mathinna, the orphaned daughter of the Chief of the Lowreenne tribe, who has been adopted by the new governor of Van Diemen’s Land.

In this gorgeous novel, Christina Baker Kline brilliantly recreates the beginnings of a new society in a beautiful and challenging land, telling the story of Australia from a fresh perspective, through the experiences of Evangeline, Hazel, and Mathinna. While life in Australia is punishing and often brutally unfair, it is also, for some, an opportunity: for redemption, for a new way of life, for unimagined freedom. Told in exquisite detail and incisive prose, The Exiles is a story of grace born from hardship, the unbreakable bonds of female friendships, and the unfettering of legacy.

Things I Liked:

1. I read and enjoyed Christina Baker Kline's The Orphan Train and was so excited to read her next book! She has the ability to weave really moving stories with memorable characters set against the backdrop of real historical events. If you are someone who enjoys historical fiction, then I would highly recommend that you try her work! You won't be disappointed! 

So, back to this book, the premise seemed really interesting. I have read a few books set in Australia at various points in its early colonial history and so, I was quite excited to read a book that focused on the lives of these exiled prisoners right from their sentencing to their gruelling journey by sea all the way from England to Australia. 

2. The level of research and detailing in this book is really impressive. At 370 pages, it has just the right level of historical detailing- a lot of great information about that era without going into unnecessary details! It was really heartbreaking to see Evangeline's life at Newgate Prison as well as the plight of these women aboard the ship that transported them to Australia. The sheer unfairness of the punishment, which was often so disproportionate to the crime. Hazel, for instance, is exiled for stealing a silver spoon! I mean, how is this an appropriate punishment for such a petty crime! 

3. The characters are beautifully etched and brought to life. You feel Evangeline's confusion at her turn of fortunes and her determination to make the best out of her bad situation once she is in prison and then exiled. Hazel, again, is someone who is so plucky and strong. She has to take on a new role when something sudden and tragic happens and she rises to the occasion beautifully. 

Mathinna and her journey will just break your heart. It was so heartbreaking to read about how she was plucked out of her home and community by a white woman, who fancied having her as some kind of an experiment and didn't really care about her happiness. 

4. More than anything else this is a book that deserves to be read because it tells the story of how the Aboriginal people were brutally killed and sent away from their land to live in environments they are not familiar with. We also see the awful plight of the women prisoners in England and Australia- the horrible, unsanitary state of the prisons, how their babies were separated from them and how so many of them felt lost and scared in an unfamiliar land. 

5. Finally, this is a book also about women being able to make a place for themselves in a male dominated world. Their struggles to get a job, to study and to just be seen as equal members of the society are themes are we come across in this book. As women, we owe it to our predecessors to bear witness to their struggles even if it is in a fictionalised account. I really like Hazel's journey and how one decision taken by her impacts the lives of the next two generations of women. Such an inspiring story in spite of its tragic beginnings! 

Rating: 4.5/ 5

Highly recommend this book! It will move and inspire you! 

Book Review: Remnants of a Separation by Aanchal Malhotra.

 

Book: Remnants of a Separation 

Author: Aanchal Malhotra 

Pages: 456

Publisher: Harper Collins 

Read On: Hardback Edition 

How Long it Took Me to Read: 3 days 

Plot Summary: Remnants of a Separation is a unique attempt to revisit the Partition through objects that refugees carried with them across the border. These belongings absorbed the memory of a time and place, remaining latent and undisturbed for generations. They now speak of their owner's pasts as they emerge as testaments to the struggle, sacrifice, pain and belonging at an unparalleled moment in history. 

A string of pearls gifted by a maharaja, carried from Dalhousie to Lahore, reveals the grandeur of a life that once was. A notebook of poems, brought from Lahore to Kalyan, shows one woman's determination to pursue the written word despite the turmoil around her. A refugee certificate created in Calcutta evokes in a daughter the feelings of displacement her father had experienced upon leaving Mymensingh zila, now in Bangladesh. 

Written as a crossover between history and anthropology, Remnants of a Separation is the product of years of passionate research. It is an alternative history of the Partition - the first and only one told through material memory that makes the event tangible even seven decades later. 

Things I Loved: 

1. I had been meaning to read this book since it first came out some three years ago. It sounded allllll kinds of incredible. If you've followed Aanchal Malhotra on Instagram, you would have been familiar with her writing and her incredible story telling skills and the unique snippets of history she shares. This book was promising to be more of this and I was allll for it. Strangely, for no real good reason, it took me a year to finally buy it and then another whole year went by before I read it. Well, better late than never. I read this book back in August and it was everything and more. It exceeded my expectations and broke my heart and moved me all at once. 

2. The writing in this book was an absolute pleasure to read. Each chapter, each story was brought to life with such heart and warmth that it made my heart swell. The writer is truly gifted in creating these rich, layered, yet simple stories that hit you right in the feels. I smiled, I cried (a fair amount) and felt uplifted and hopeful at the end these stories. 

3. I have read quite a few books centred around the Partition and the aftermath of this catastrophic event. And each of these books and stories, whether fictional or non-fictional, have gotten under my skin and made me pause and think about the havoc we wreck on each other. How cruel people can be and the savagery we can unleash, all in the name of religion and vengeance. The history of our subcontinent and even our present has been affected by this event. The scars of this divide is something we have had to live with and endure. For better or worse, this is our history. These stories give us a glimpse of the personal stories and fates behind the Partition. 

4. The people in this book was just...gosh..the urge to somehow magically jump inside the pages and give them a hug was overwhelming. We meet some amazing people from both sides of the border in this book and all of these people have lived through such difficult times and have gone on to live full lives, while nursing a homesickness that refuses to go away. They are inspiring and incredible people to get to know. 

5. Home. Such a funny word no? Simple enough, yet mired in such complex feelings. What is home? Is it a piece of land? Walls and bricks and a gate? A place? Or people? Home is all of that and then some. It's easy to imagine that one would get over a separation that happened over 70 years ago. But how does one stop missing a place that was your own, a slice of your childhood and a land and a people that are entwined in your very soul. These stories, these people and their personal histories bring across this point so poignantly. 

6. Whenever I've read or watched anything related to the Partition, I always pause for a moment or two and look around my home and wonder, if I was in that situation, what would I take with me? What would I save? My precious books. 

My silver jewellery. 

My clothes. 

My stationery.

 Every time I go down this path, I find myself getting worked up, because nothing is enough. I would never be able to take all that I need and all the things that make up my home. So reading these personal tales of material memory really resonated with me. I love stuff, if I were to put it simply, so the idea of leaving my things behind, things that hold memories and sentimental value, or things that I have bought with so much love and heart, is just too harrowing to even comprehend. 

7. I loved the range and scope of the stories and people, from both sides of the border and people having very varied experiences of the exact same event. Some made a run right in the middle of the madness, others made the move a few years after 1947, some moved before the carnage began. But each person lost a part of themselves and no matter the exact nature of their exodus, this remained constant. 

8. This book is a gem. I wish every person on this sub-continent read it. It really should be an essential read. Just so that we can bear witness to these stories, learn from the past and acknowledge the horrors of the partition. It will break your heart, move you, get under your skin and stay in your heart long after you've put the book down. 

Rating: 5/5 

Please, read  this book if you haven't already. It's brilliant. 

Monday Moods: Stuff I've Watched and Loved Recently.

 Hello! 

Since I've been home, since the beginning of the month, I've spent most of my time watching things with my Dad. Web-series for most part and I figured I'd share some of my recommendations. 

Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story 

If you grew up in the 90s, Harshad Mehta is a name that was all over the headlines. He was a stock broker credited with the largest bull runs in the Bombay Stock Exchange. His antics brought the term 'scam' into the Indian lexicon. This show tells the story of Harshad Mehta's rise and fall and it is so richly nuanced and wonderfully directed and acted! 

Highly recommend! This show is streaming on Sony Liv. 

Bad Boy Billionaires- India 

Apart from my objection to the term 'boys' used to describe these men and their calculated, greedy and heinous acts, everything about this Netflix documentary is just FABULOUS! 

Over three episodes we see some of the biggest scams, cons and thefts committed by three (they took off the Satyam episode for God-knows-what reason!) of India's biggest corporate crooks- Vijay Mallya, Subrata Roy (of Sahara India) and Nirav Modi. 

Each episode tells us a bit about the men themselves, their meteoric rise to fame and fortune and then the nitty-gritties of their scam/ con/ fraud. It is very nicely done and very gripping! 

Highly recommend! 

Crackdown

A thrilling, edge-of-your-seat ride involving a team of secret agents working against the clock to stop a terror attack. Yes, we've seen shows like this on OTT platforms over the past couple of years starting with the brilliant 'The Family Man', so you may not find the premise unique, but the show itself is good!

It is well paced with strong performances and a solid storyline. Crackdown is streaming on Voot. 

The Head 

The Head is another suspenseful and intrigue-filled series streaming on Hotstar. The Head tells the story of a team of ten scientists + support staff living in a research station in Antarctica through their brutal winter. After the summer team does not hear from these folks for three weeks, they show up to investigate.

Things are very wrong. Seven dead bodies are found. Who snapped and killed everyone? Will the summer team be able to solve this mystery and save themselves?

Highly recommend this multi-lingual show with a great storyline!

Pariwar 

A hilarious story of a dysfunctional family! Do I need to say any more? An old father in Allahabad is desperate to see his children, so he fakes his illness, which makes his two warring sons- Badke and Chutke rush home. His only daughter- Chutki- also comes home from the US. 

Also, look at the cast! Super talented actors and hilarious dialogues! 

Pariwar is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. 

Weekend Reads: What I'm Reading and Watching This Weekend.

 

Hello! 

How is this weekend treating you? 

My reading for this weekend is all wrapped up in this collection of short stories. 

Best Indian Short Stories Volume-I Selected by Khushwant Singh: I have had this book for over a year now and I got it along with me to read while I am in the hometown. 

I started reading it a couple of days ago and I've been dipping in and out of these stories written by a host of writers. Many of whom, I've never read before, so this has been a treat. It also features some of favourites too. 

Here is a list of the writers in the collection. 

I am a few stories down and I'm having a really having a good time with this book. 

Apart from reading this has, so far been a slow and lazy.

I've honestly, spend most of today sleeping, I didn't get to bed till after 4:00 AM and didn't get out of bed till after 1:00 PM. 

Oh well! 

Since then I watched a web-series on Sony Liv called Avrodh, based on the Uri attack and the resulting surgical strike. 

The show was decent enough and fast paced too. They did go on a tangent about Media and News Channels going rogue and chasing stories at the cost of putting at risk the lives of our Army men. This while important was a dragged out for way too long. 

Overall, this was a decent watch and one I think you might enjoy. 

I also made a tamarind chutney for Baba who is a chatori and completely obsessed with this sweet and spicy tamarind and dates chutney. 

The plan for the rest of the my day to is share another Scary Story on my IG, something I've been doing for close to a month now and thoroughly enjoying. Then cook some dinner for the rents and maybe watch a movie. 

Hope your weekend is lovely too. 

:) 

Friday Favourites: A Whole Bunch of Stationery Loves.

 

1. Pouch from Pitaara: I am currently using this as a my journal pouch. 

It stores my traveller's notebook, a spare journal insert, stickers and my pens. 

Roomy and so pretty, it's the perfect size. 

2. Notebook from The Ink Bucket: My current journal insert. Floral and field notes sized, it is quite lovely. 

3.  A Kindle Sleeve from Label Mira: Well, it was meant to be a Kindle Sleeve but it's a bit small, so now it holds some A6 notebooks and some sticker sheets. It's too pretty to not be used. I love the colours and the gorgeous embroidery. 

4.  Book Marks from Karubasona: Tintin and Feluda. Both in Calcutta being fabulous. 

These bookmarks are a thing of joy and I use them as decor in my Bombay flat. 

5.  Stationery Filled corners of home and this customised pouch of mine. 

6.  Hufflepuff House Colours! 

Such a happy colour and for some reason the Hufflepuff editions are cheaper than the other houses. Go figure. 

Book Review: Breathless by Jennifer Niven.

 

Book: Breathless 

Author: Jennifer Niven 

Publisher: Penguin 

Pages: 390 

Read On: Kindle 

How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 days 

Plot Summary: You were my first. Not just sex, although that was part of it, but the first to look past everything else into me. Some of the names and places have been changed, but the story is true. 

Before: With graduation on the horizon, budding writer Claudine Henry is making plans: college in the fall, become a famous author, and maybe--finally--have sex. She doesn't even need to be in love. Then her dad drops a bombshell: he's leaving Claude's mother. Suddenly, Claude's entire world feels like a lie, and her future anything but under control.

After: Claude's mom whisks them away to the last place Claude could imagine nursing a broken heart: a remote, mosquito-infested island off the coast of Georgia. But then Jeremiah Crew happens. Miah is a local trail guide with a passion for photography--and a past he doesn't like to talk about. He's brash and enigmatic, and even more infuriatingly, he's the only one who seems to see Claude for who she wants to be. So when Claude decides to sleep with Miah, she tells herself it's just sex, nothing more. There's not enough time to fall in love, especially if it means putting her already broken heart at risk.

Compulsively readable and impossible to forget, Jennifer Niven's luminous new novel is an insightful portrait of a young woman ready to write her own story.

Claudine Henry was not supposed to spend her summer on this remote island off the coast of Georgia.

She was supposed to be on a road trip with her best friend, spending every last minute together before they go to college.

But after her father makes a shock announcement, she is exiled with her shaken mother, with no phone service and no one she knows. She is completely cut off.

Until she meets Jeremiah. Free spirited, mysterious and beautiful, their chemistry is immediate and irresistible.

They both know that whatever they have can only last the summer, but maybe one summer is enough.

Things I Liked: 

1. I read All The Bright Places back in 2015 and it moved me and broke my heart and has stayed with me, like it has for millions of other readers. It's a wonderful book and since then I've read all of Niven's books. Her second book, Holding up the Universe was different and heart felt too. So when this book came out, I knew I wanted to read it too and my hopes were quite high. 

2. Jennifer Niven is a gifted writer. She always does good job of bringing her characters to life and making their journey and their struggles palpable and relatable. Her people are special and wonderful and this book is no different. 

3. The aftermath of a broken marriage, a couple drifting apart and the toll it takes on not just couple but also any children involved in this marriage, has been shown with such sincerity and sensitivity here and I am sure for people who've been through it, it will resonate deeply. 

4. One of my favourite things about this book has to be the friendship between Claude and her best friend Saz. This girl gang of two was everything that friendships in your late teens are like. Also the angst that comes with the end of one phase of your life, the end of high school and the start of the rest of your life seems so real and took me back to when I was in that phase of my life. 

5. This is an imminently readable and easy book to lose yourself in. Summer love, coming of age and an island with an interesting backstory all make for a fun and engrossing read. 

6. The love story was so much fun to read. And I am not a big romance fan, not by a long shot. There is something special and dreamy about summer love, and when written well, like it is here, it is a pleasure to read.

7. The island bits of the story were my favourite bits in this book. The eclectic mix of people and the island life was fun to read. Plus, given we've all been homebound for months now, the island was a good way to virtually travel. 

8. The book, even  if though it's largely a romance, is very realistic, especially the end. 

Rating: 3.5/5 

Thank-you, Penguin India for the review copy.