Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: July 2022.

 

Hello Loves! 

July was a strange month, reading wise it was a month marked by impatience. In the sense, I read a decent amount of books but there was also several bouts of reading something and then stopping and picking something else up and feeling disconnected with a lot of what I read. 

A strange month. 

I read a lot of thrillers. Something about the monsoons makes me want to read as many twisty and dark stories as possible. 

I read some literary fiction. 

A fair amount of re-reads. I am so happy to be re-united with my books and so happy to re-visit some much loved books. This trend of re-reading is going to be something I stick to the rest of the year too. I want to re-connect with my shelves and find some old loves to read. 

So..overall not the best and oddly impatient (dude I DNF-ed close to 10 books) but some gems were read. 

Oh, and I also bought some seven books! After months of stopping cold turkey. 

:) 

Let's jump into it. 

JULY READING WRAP-UP: 

1. Mother of Manipur by Teresa Rahman: Started my month with some non-fiction and something very, very important and a book I meant to read for a while. This isn't an easy read, but it's one I think more people need to read. The writer speaks to the mothers who protested and caught national attention and made it papers all over the world. I remember this incident and reading this book taught me so much and I am so glad I finally read this book. 

I hear it's unavailable on Amazon, so please check Zubaan Book's website to order it directly from them. 

4/5 

2. Dollar Bahu by Sudha Murty: Re-read this slim little novel after six or seven years and I loved it just as much. Murty talks about Indian families with such nuance and so much of her tale is rooted in reality, you'll find yourself slipping into this world and knowing almost every character here. This book does a great job at showing how middle class families are often swayed and changed when money, especially the dollar makes an appearance. So good. 

4.5/5 

3. The Complete Maus by Art Spielgelman: Another re-read and another all time favourite. If you haven't read this incredible book, please do. It is pretty much one of my favourite graphic memoir/novels of all time.

5/5 

4. Our Sister, Again by Sophie Cameron: A story set in the near future when loved ones can be brought back from the dead thanks to an AI robot, one that looks and acts and talks like your loved one. An interesting premise and a thought provoking read I enjoyed very much. I stopped and thought and wondered what I would do if (God forbid) I found myself in this situation. What is right or wrong? I am surprised by how much I loved this book. 

4/5 

5. A Place Called Home by Preeti Shenoy: Home and making of homes and finding your place in the world. Alka is the daughter of a domestic worker, she grew up in a small, dingy room in the home of the woman her mother worked for. She is educated and as a grown woman, she hides this secret about her identity, because she doesn't want to be treated differently just because she comes from a particular social strata. 

I liked this book, for most part the premise is interesting. But overall..I don't think I quite liked Alka and that was the worst part of this reading experience for me. 

3/5 

6. Five Go to Smuggler's Top by Enid Blyton: What is summer without some Blyton? These books just take me back to simpler times. 

Fun. 

4/5 

7. Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey: This one is a horror novel. A girl comes back to her childhood home, a home where her serial killer father did horrible things to his victims. She is back after years to look after her terminally ill mother. 

Things begin to happen. Are they real? Is she having a breakdown? 

This one was so blah. I didn't enjoy this as much as I hoped I would. 

Not scary enough. 

1/5 

8. The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell: I head the first book in this duology when it came out and I loved it. The Family Upstairs is an incredible book and a look into what happens to a family when they invite a charismatic charlatan in. I loved the book, though TBH I barely remembered the details when I picked this sequel up. But most of it came back. 

This was a fun read. It was nice to be back in this world and visit with these characters. 

A decent read. Not as brilliant as it's predecessor but not bad. I am happy to have read it. If you loved The Family Upstairs you have to read this. If you haven't, well you can't read this. 

3.5/5

9. The It Girl by Ruth Ware: Between my sister and me, we've read most of Ruth Ware's books. They are usually a good time. 

This one we've reviewed here. 

4/5

10. Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone: This one is different sort of thriller, not the kind I'd usually pick up. I am all for the murdery sort of thriller. This one is a little bit different. Some legal, political intrigue type thing. Different and if you like this sort of book...you might like this. 

3/5 

11. Night Crawling by Leila Mottley: This one made it to the Booker Prize Long-List! Wow! The author was only 19 when she published this. This got on my radar thanks to Oprah's Book Club and I picked this up. 

I liked it very much. 

Full review will come soon. I am still mulling over things. 

4/5 

12. Horse by Geraldine Brooks: Another lit fic read this month. This one is part historical fiction and partly set in the present day-ish 2019 to be precise. It's a story about people and horse, a tale connected by a racing horse from 1850s. A story about race and it's ramifications then and now. 

So good. So glad I picked it up, even though I don't even like horses! 

4/5 

13. Five Go Off in a Caravan by Enid Blyton: More fun and nostalgic reading. 

4/5 

14. After We Were Stolen by Brooke Beyfuss: This book had everything I love in a thriller/mystery. A cult. Life in a odd sort of family. Abduction. Siblings. Finding your place in the world again. 

Loved this book and breezed through it. 

4/5 

15. Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier: A woman with a secret in her past. A husband, who is older, richer and more successful and now dead. 

This one was a fun read. There is a lot going on and  so many secrets to unveil. I did guess quite of few of the plot twists..but I usually do...so there's that.

3/5

16. The Omen by David Seltzer: A childhood favourite..OK I know how odd that sounds. But this film was my introduction to horror and it's a love that has endured. So chuffed to finally have read the book. Loved it. 

4/5

17. Any Other Family by Eleanor Brown: I really enjoyed this book, I do tend to enjoy books about family dynamics and messy family stories are some of my favourite things ever. This one has a unique family at the heart of it, a family connected because they've adopted biological siblings. A unique mix of people who are brought together and don't always see eye to eye...well like any other family really. 

3.5/5 

18. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan: My second read from the Booker Long List and one I ABSOLUTELY loved. Pick this up and read it in one sitting, it's the shortest book on the list and it's so good. 

I will be doing a full review very soon. 

4.5/5 

19. The Girl who Survived by Lisa Jackson: A young girl survives her family massacre, one that was apparently done by her half-brother, who has been in prison serving time ever since. 20 years later, he's out and now she's wondering what really happened that night all those years ago? 

A very fast paced book that will keep you hooked from start to finish. 

4/5

20. The Last one to Vanish by Megan Miranda: A small town on the Appalachian trail where seven people have vanished into thin air over the last 25 years. Abby works in a lodge in town and is wondering is there someone in this small-town who could be connected to these tragedies? 

A book I breezed through in one sitting. This was so atmospheric and had so much going on. Some things easy-ish to guess, others not so much. 

3.5/5 

~~~

Phew!

Done!

20 books and most of them rather good. 

I hope you found something you'd like to pick up at some point.   

Hope July was good for you Behens. 

What to Binge This Weekend

Hello, hello!

It is Friday afternoon (here in India) and the weekend is almost here! 

If you are looking at a rainy or cozy weekend in, then we've got you covered! Sharing some of our recently watched and loved series and movies that you could, potentially, watch over the weekend! 

Let's get into it, shall we?

1. Suzhal: The Vortex on Amazon Prime Video

Set in a small town in Tamil Nadu, Suzhal tells the story of a crime (or two or more) committed during a popular local festival. As the police begin investigating one crime, more and more secrets (past and present) rise up to the surface. 

A really interesting, not-so-easy-to-guess and absolutely brilliantly acted series. Highly recommend! 

2. Kaiser (Hoichoi) 

Two young women are found brutally murdered in their apartment. Gaming addict and brilliant cop- Kaiser Chowdhury- gets on the case and even before he has started properly investigating it, someone attacks him and warns him to not dig into this case. 

Who were these two girls? What were they involved in that was so dangerous? 

This is, once again, a very gritty and suspenseful Bangladeshi show and we highly recommend watching it! Available with subtitles on Hoichoi.  

3. Girl in the Picture on Netflix 

An exotic dancer is found dead on the side of the highway in what looks like an apparent hit-and-run. As the police delve into her life and try to find out more about her, the heartbreaking and shocking true story of who she is and what all she's had to endure in her life is revealed. 

This is one of the saddest cases I've ever come across and that is saying something because I am a huge true crime aficionado! 

Do watch this documentary! 

4. The Broken News on Zee5

A really nicely made show about the state of news channels in India. 

The Broken News is the story of two rival news channels- one that believes in reporting the truth and the other that is more interested in sensationalism. The show goes behind the veil of how news organisations are run and the pressures that they are under and how truth is not always a priority. 

Stellar performances from a great ensemble cast, this is a must-watch series. 

5. 12th Man on Disney+ Hotstar 

11 friends head to the hills for a bachelor party. They play a game where each of them has to read out any WhatsApp messages that they receive and put all personal calls on speaker for 1 hour. At the end of this game, devastating secrets are revealed. One of them is dead. 

The 12th man at the resort has to solve this case. 

A slightly slow-burn but very interesting movie about old friendships, secrets and privacy and, of course, murder. 

Highly recommend!

6. Operation Java on Zee5

Operation Java follows the exploits of the Kochi Cyber Crime team as they work relentlessly to solve cases ranging from movie piracy to sextortion to financial scams and murders! 

A fast-paced and smart movie with a lot of heart!

Available with subtitles on Zee5. Do watch! 

7. Forensic (Hindi) on Zee5 

Forensic is the Hindi adaptation of the Malayalam movie of the same name. We've recommended the original (Malayalam) Forensic, along with a bunch of other really great Malayalam thrillers in this post. Do check it out. 

The Hindi adaptation, thankfully, is pretty different even within the broad same premise. Young girls are being killed in Mussoorie and the team of cops and forensic scientists must race against time to find and stop the perpetrator. 

A nicely done adaptation, which retains the basics of the original but adds its own little twisty twist. Do give it a watch! 

Have a great weekend y'all! 

If you do watch any of these shows or films, do tag me on Instagram @whimsybookworm and we can discuss. 

Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: June 2022.

 Hello Loves! 

I have been soooo good about getting my wrap-ups  up on the last day of the month all of this year. 

But June rolled around and threw my carefully maintained schedule for a toss. I had just come back home after being away for nearly two years and cleaning and sorting and organizing took over my life. 

In fact, all of June was one thing after the other. Packing, planning and sending off boxes full of stuff to Bombay. I spent most of June anxious and on edge. 

Ugh! Not my favourite. 

I don't think I read a whole lot, most of my reading was done in a blur and in a bid to distract myself. There was one week when I was resting and I read one thriller after the other, because we had a rainy June back in the hometown. And rainy days are just meant for staying in bed and reading thrillers. I hoped to include some Pride Reads since it was Pride Month. And I wanted to read the books I was going to leave behind in the hometown..

June was an OK reading month..not the best, not the worst. 

But let's talk about everything I read in June. 

:)

JUNE READING WRAP-UP: 

1. Here, There and Elsewhere by Sudha Murty: Started my month with some Murty.  A collection of her best loved stories...well reminiscences, this was a non-fiction read. A re-read for me, since I had read all of these before but I didn't mind a re-visit. Sudha Murty is always a good idea in my world. I liked reading these stories again and spending some time with the wisdom of Sudha Murty. 

Review can be read here. 

4/5 

2. The Beauty of All My Days by Ruskin Bond: I went from one comfort author to another. Ruskin Bond and his life story and being back in the familiar comfort of his words and the hills and a simpler world. I loved this so much, especially since it was full of beautiful pictures from his life, especially his childhood and youth. 

I did a review for this, you can read it HERE. 

4/5 

3. Dear Seraphina by Avery Bishop: This novella was a such a quick and satisfying read. I read it in under two hours and loved it so much. It's about an obsessed fan writing to this young star and how slowly her obsession escalates into something darker and dangerous. It's such a ride and soooo well done. Cannot recommend it enough. 

4.5/5 

4. Colpetty People by Ashok Ferrey: This was my second time reading something from the author, I must say this collection of short stories was so much better than the previous book I read by him- The Good Little Ceylonese Girl. This one I enjoyed quite a bit and given everything that's been going down in Sri Lanka, this felt like an oddly timely read. Set in Sri Lanka and with Sri Lankans outside of the homeland, these are stories of people and places and loves and coming of age and home and identity. Enjoyable for most part. 

3/5 

5. Eve Green by Susan Fletcher: This was such a lovely read, one that came across so randomly. This is why I love buying second hand books, you find little gems you wouldn't have read otherwise. This is a story set in a tiny town in Wales, a story of a young girl making sense of her life and the grown-ups around her and what it means to belong and be comfortable in your skin. There was also the slightest hint of a mystery. I really enjoyed the time I spent with and I am so glad I found my way to it. 

3.5/5 

6. Yerba Bueana by Nina LaCour: I have read a few books by this author, all YA and all quite lovely. So when I knew she had written her first adult novel, I knew I had to read it. This one is such a moving and deep story about two women, growing up and finding their way to each other. Each with very different lives and backgrounds and each with struggles and pain of their own. I loved this so much. Nicely written and you find yourself loving both these young women. 

4/5 

7. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender: I know this book is a huge deal for a lot of people and it's very loved and very popular. I really wanted to love it just as much but sadly..somewhere half way through I was not quite feeling it. This just didn't work for me. I don't even know why...I guess mainly because I didn't really like Felix very much, I found him to be slightly annoying. 

:( 

2/5 

8. Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler: I adore Anne Tyler and this is my second novel of hers I've read in 2022. She has this incredible ability to make the ordinary come alive. Mundane lives and everyday concerns are infused with some genius levels of life and understanding. I adore her writing and the worlds she takes you to. So of course, I wanted to read the book which won the Pulitzer Prize. So I picked up a very battered copy of Breathing Lessons (which I found second hand). I liked it. Didn't love it. And between you, me and the four walls..I am frankly surprised this won the Pulitzer? It's perfectly nice, not great. 

It's about this older couple on a day trip and the many detours and old memories and other grievances that surface unexpectedly. The main character has the same energy as a nosy Indian aunty, who thinks she knows better and wants to poke her nose into matters that concern her or don't. After a point I begin to see why her husband and her son were so annoyed with her. She is real, far too real in so many ways and maybe that's why she got under my skin like she did. 

This was a decent read, just not nearly as incredible as I had thought it would be. 

3/5 

9. The Garden of Broken Things by Francesca Momplaisir: This author was being compared to Toni Morrison while this book was being promoted, so of course I wanted to read this and see for myself if this very high praise was anywhere close to true. Well, I think Toni Morrison they are not. Not quite. This book set in Haiti, before and in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake was powerful and moving and deeply affecting, I will give it that. But overall it was alright, nothing earth shattering (pun not intended). 

3/5 

10. The Henna Wars by Adiba Jagirdar: I enjoyed this book for most part, it was fun and enjoyable and about culture, henna, coming out and coming of age and falling in love and friendships and family. Plus Bengali-ness and queer love. Good fun and heart warming. 

3.5/5 

11. Hide by Kiersten White: I had such high hopes from this one. It's set in an abandoned amusement park and it's part thriller and part horror and part reality show-esque. It was supposed to be fun and spooky but sadly it just wasn't. For one there were tooooo many characters and too many back stories and it wasn't done so well and it made everything seem like a lot and too crowded and too muddled. I didn't grow to care about any character and even the big reveal was such a big surprise. Bit meh overall. 

1/5 

12. The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill: I was supposed to love this. I mean a murder in a library and two writers, a law student/journalist and a psychology student are on the case. I mean it had to much that I would just eat up. 

Yet. 

Somewhere it just kinda fell so flat and there is this whole correspondence that comes at the end of each chapter and it frankly got on my nerves and took away from the main action and ruined the pace of the book. I am sad this wasn't better. 

2/5 

13. The Sickle by Anita Agnihotri, Translated by Arunava Sinha: This book. Just broke my heart. We see these stories on the News, stories and images of droughts, famines and unimaginable suffering, we know of how our farmers suffer. We know they are let down, taken for granted and hurt and struggling. We know. We all do. Yet when you read something like this, read about the lives and walk a mile in their shoes and see their lives laid bare, it stays with you. It crawls under your skin and breaks you heart and stays there. It's a book that will make you pause and think and look at your own life and hopefully give thanks to those that work so hard to put food on our table. 

4/5 

14. The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray: Some books just sound like so much fun and you just want to partake in this world of make belief. Jane Austen is such a mood. I adore her books..well maybe adore is small word to convey how much I love her books and what they mean to me. They were some of the earliest "grown-up" books I read and ones I have re-read over the years. So to read a murder mystery set in the Austen-Verse was just a good time. Mr. Wickham is killed and everyone had reason to kill him. 

Fun. Not life changing or anything but just fun. 

3/5 

15. Listen to Your Heart by Ruskin Bond: More Bond to end my month. A beautiful illustrated memoir of his UK days. 

Did a review for this one too, you can read it here. 

5/5 

16. Bombay Time by Thrity Umrigar: A Parsi wedding. A slew of guests gather to celebrate and look back at their own lives and memories. Inter-connected short stories are something I tend to enjoy and I liked this one too...till some where in the middle where I kinda began to lose patience. It felt too dense and too much and a tad bit boring. I was so done. Not my thing, even though I usually enjoy this sort of thing. 

2/5 

Book Review: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

 

Book: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow 

Author: Gabrielle Zevin 

Pages: 383

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~5 hours 

Plot Summary: Two kids meet in a hospital gaming room in 1987. One is visiting her sister, the other is recovering from a car crash. The days and months are long there. Their love of video games becomes a shared world -- of joy, escape and fierce competition. But all too soon that time is over.

When the pair spot each other eight years later in a crowded train station, they are catapulted back to that moment. The spark is immediate, and together they get to work on what they love - making games to delight, challenge and immerse players, finding an intimacy in digital worlds that eludes them in their real lives. Their collaborations make them superstars.

This is the story of the perfect worlds Sadie and Sam build, the imperfect world they live in, and of everything that comes after success: Money. Fame. Duplicity. Tragedy.

Things I Liked:

1. This book is about video games- at the surface, most obvious, level. A world about which I know very little simply because I have never played any kind of a video game. Not even the basic 'Snake' that came with the most basic Nokia phones in the early 2000s. So, this world of gaming- the creative process behind it, the art of it, the science of it- seemed really interesting to me when I read the premise of this book and it made me want to learn more about this world. 

The book does delve in a fair amount of detail into the creative process that goes behind creating a game. Especially, the philosophical, moral, artistic, cultural and aesthetic process that goes behind it. It does not dwell that much into the technical or political (e.g., the discrimination and derision faced by female game designers/ coders/ gamers) aspects of this world and for that I will deduct 0.5 stars from the rating, simply because these are important conversations around the whole gaming world and culture that needed to be included in a book like this. 

2. At a deeper level, this is a book about human beings. Especially, young human beings, who are forming their identities, getting a grip on their ideals and learning to navigate the adult world. Sadie and Sam re-connect when they are 20 years old and college Sophomores in Boston. They build a game, which earns them a ton of money and fame. However, what they struggle to navigate are the emotional aspects of "adulting", if you will. 

Sam, an orphaned, semi-disabled/ differently abled, young man, is full of complexes and insecurities. He is half Korean-half Jewish and somewhere there is massive angst stemming from not belonging to either of the two worlds. He is inexpressive, emotionally stunted and, often, very, very selfish. I am not sure if I fully liked him. I am not sure if I (as a reader) am supposed to like him. His reticence, pettiness, inability to clearly communicate anything just grated on my nerves. Maybe it was supposed to!

Sadie, raised in a wealth Beverly Hills Jewish family, also has issues of her own. She is not assertive at all, she struggles with setting boundaries and is a weird people pleaser. As in, she wants to please the a$$holes in her life! Through the course of this book, which spans 20 years since they first meet, there are multiple times when Sadie is upset about something Sam has inadvertently done but she prefers to seethe rather than share her feelings with him. 

So, as you can probably tell, there comes a point when the best friends fall out. And this whole process of how they got to this point is so beautifully crafted in this book that it took my breath away! A lot of friendships, probably, die like this or, at any rate, develop large rifts/ cracks in them! 

3. The writing is beautiful and there are several places in the book where you'd want to stop and think and ruminate. 

4. Oh and there are some really lovely supporting characters in this book. Marx, Sam's roommate and future business partner, was my favourite! Sam's grandparents, Sadie's grandma and their colleagues Simon and Ant were also lovely. 

5. This is a (kind of) coming-of-age book. It is about handling success and failure and toxic relationships, setting boundaries, dealing with grief and disability and all of that. It is messy and it is life and the book brings out all of this really beautifully! 

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. As mentioned above, I felt that it was a bit of a cop out that the author did not get into the discrimination and derision faced by female game designers/ coders at all! Especially, when, in this book, Sadie was the one conceptualising, coding and designing the games. 

Rating: 4/5 

Stationery Sunday: Planner Pages Lately.

 Hello Loves!

It's been forever and a day since I did a Stationery Sunday post. 

I've missed it. 

Truth be told since my wrist got all messed up thanks to De Quervain's Syndrome my planning and journaling has been quite minimal, because it hurts something special to write. This is my version of hell you guys. I can't wait for my damn wrist to get better and get back to regular programming. 

Today I want to share pages from my planner in the last few weeks.

A rain themed spread for this very rainy week. 

I love these abstract washi tapes from Classiky. 

A food and cooking theme spread. 

Rains and cleaning. 

This was the week I came back home and it was daysss of cleaning and dusting and fretting. 

This spread was all about summer and summer colours and well..some sweeties. 

I used to Pet Stickers and some Washi Tapes layered. 

Some pages from May. 

I like picking a colour scheme of sorts and then go on and stick to it and find elements that go together. 

Some weeks the spread is super clean and with ample space to write. 

Other weeks is a bit heavy on decor and little space to write, this is usually when I fill in my planner later. 

~~~

I hope my wrist goes back to normal and I can go back to my planner life with a vengeance. 

:) 

Weekend Reads: Three Books I am Reading this Weekend. (Christie, Blyton & More.)

 Hello Loves! 

It's been forever since I did one of this posts and documented my weekend reading on the blog. 

Let's fix that shall we? 

I've been in such a mood to re-read lately, maybe it has something to do with being reunited with my books after nearly two years. I am looking at my shelves and picking old loves to spend time with. I am loving it. 

:) 

This is the lot I am hoping to read these next few days. 

Five Go To Smuggler's Top by Enid Blyton: It's been two years since I read any Famous Five. So I am more than ready to jump back into this world. I remember pretty much nothing about this book, not surprising since I read this when I was ten. So this will feel brand new. I am all set to get cozy and read this adventure filled caper and hang out with some old faves. 

Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie: This is also a re-read. My Dad is finally watching all the Agatha Christie shows (its available on Sony Liv) and I had to pick up a book to keep the vibe going. I adore this story and the TV adaptation is good too, really nicely done as usual. Plus it's got a dog, what's not to love? 

Horse by Geraldine Brooks: This one is a strange pick and not something I'd usually pick up. I mean I don't really even like horses. I started on this and before I knew it, I was some 20% through. It's so well written, not surprising, since the author is a Pulitzer winner. I am so glad I found my way to this book and I hope to pick up more by the author. 

Plot Summary: A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner tells a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history

Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union. On a perilous night, he reunites with the stallion and his groom, very far from the glamour of any racetrack.

New York City, 1954. Martha Jackson, a gallery owner celebrated for taking risks on edgy contemporary painters, becomes obsessed with a 19th equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance.

Washington, DC, 2019. Jess, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia, and Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse-one studying the stallion's bones for clues to his power and endurance, the other uncovering the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success.

Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred, Lexington, who became America's greatest stud sire, Horse is an original ,gripping, multi-layered reckoning with the legacy of enslavement and racism in America.

Here's what my weekend will look like. 

Oh, here's my adorable Sloth Tote from Stem Daisy Embroidery. 

I am using it as my Reading Tote. 

Ah! 

So freaking cute! 

:) 

Hope you guys are having a good weekend. 

Happy Reading my Loves. 

Book Review: The It Girl by Ruth Ware

 

Book: The It Girl 

Author: Ruth Ware

Pages: 431

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~4 hours 

Plot Summary: 

Everyone wanted her life
Someone wanted her dead

It was Hannah who found April’s body ten years ago.
It was Hannah who didn’t question what she saw that day.
Did her testimony put an innocent man in prison?
 
She needs to know the truth.
 
Even if it means questioning her own friends.
Even if it means putting her own life at risk.
 
Because if the killer wasn’t a stranger, it's someone she knows.

Things I Liked: 

1. This is a split/ dual timeline book based within the hallowed halls of Oxford University. The narrative moves between the events of present day and the events of 10 years ago leading to the murder of 'it girl'- April. If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time you'll know that cold cases, friendship group dynamics and split timeline narratives are some of my favourite tropes in crime thrillers. Picking up this book was an absolute no-brainer for me! :)) 

2. The author does a good job of bringing the six key characters in this story alive. I wouldn't say a 'great' job because there could've been more done to flesh out characters like Ryan, Will, Hugh and Emily, but Hannah and April (the eponymous 'it girl') are fairly well developed. You felt like you understood both of them and their friendship and the power dynamics of it was quite interesting to me as well. 

3. The setting of Oxford is quite well exploited in the narrative. The grand old buildings, the typical culture of the elite university, the subtle (or not) divisions between the haves and the have-nots, the group dynamics of a new group of friends, where some are more confident and surefooted than the others are all interestingly done. There will be someone in the group of six that you can relate to, which will make the book that much more interesting to read. 

4. The murder mystery itself is quite nicely done. It is almost a locked-room sort of a mystery and you'll keep wondering if the guy in prison is innocent then how could anyone else have killed April?! I really enjoyed figuring out that part of it. There are not that many breadcrumbs, but if you really pay attention, then you'll find them! 

The 'how was it done' bit was interesting but it has already been done by Agatha Christie. But then what has not been done by the Grand Dame of Crime Fiction?! :) I can forgive Ms. Ware for using this trope quite nicely in this book!  

5. The book is fast-paced and fairly unputdownable. There are no unnecessary chapters or random musings, which is always a good thing in a crime thriller. 

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. There could've been a little more focus on the group dynamics between the six friends back in college instead of Hannah and Will's struggles in present day. There was quite a lot that went down in that one academic year at Oxford and when I finished the book, I wished there was more that the author had told us about these six young people and their friendship, then just some bits and pieces here and there. 

Rating: 4/5 

Book Review: Listen to Me by Tess Gerritsen (Rizzoli & Isles #13)

 

Book: Listen to Me (A Rizzoli & Isles Book 13) 

Author: Tess Gerritsen 

Pages: 302

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~3 hours 

Plot Summary: 

Rizzoli & Isles return, in the nail-biting new thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.

The murder of Sofia Suarez is both gruesome and seemingly senseless. Why would anyone target a respected nurse who was well-liked by her friends and her neighbours? As Detective Jane Rizzoli and Forensic Pathologist Maura Isles investigate the baffling case, they discover that Sofia was guarding a dangerous secret -- a secret that may have led the killer straight to her door.

Meanwhile, Jane's watchful mother Angela Rizzoli is conducting an investigation of her own. She may be a grandmother, not a police detective, but she's savvy enough to know there's something very strange, perhaps even dangerous, about the new neighbours across the street. The problem is, no one believes her, not even her own daughter.

Immersed in the hunt for Sofia's killer, Jane and Maura are too busy to pay attention to Angela's fears. With no one listening to her, and danger mounting in her neighbourhood, Angela just may be forced to take action on her own. 

General Thoughts: I read my first Rizzoli & Isles book way back in the mid-2000s. I really enjoyed Tess Gerritsen's writing, the way she structured her mysteries and how her plot provided enough breadcrumbs to keep the reader guessing but always threw in a twist or two at the end. She is a really great author that you simply must read if you enjoy crime fiction! Her Rizzoli & Isles series is terrific. I've read every single book in the series and can't recommend them enough! Seriously! 

Also, if you didn't know, there was a TV series based on her characters- Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles- called Rizzoli & Isles and even that was very nicely done! Unfortunately, it is not streaming in India. Sigh. But, if you are a reader from the US, then you must watch this show on TNT or Prime Video! So good! 

Check out some other great books from the Rizzoli & Isles series that we've reviewed here:

Playing with Fire

Die Again

I Know A Secret 

Anyway, enough meandering, let's get into the review, shall we? 

Things I Liked: 

1. There are FOUR different mysteries in this book. Some of these are related to each other and some are not. Each mystery is nicely done- detailed in just the right amount and each has enough meat to keep the reader engrossed and guessing. 

2. At the heart of this book is the brutal murder of ICU nurse- Sofia Suarez. Sofia is 52, widowed and lives a quiet life in a quiet suburban neighbourhood. She, seemingly, has no enemies and no one has a bad word to say about her. Then how did she end up brutally killed in her own home? Was it a breaking-and-entering/ robbery-gone-wrong? Or was there some connection between Sofia's recent mysterious phone calls and internet search results? Why was she looking into a cold case from Maine that happened 19 years ago? Did something from the past come calling at her door? 

Now, Sofia's case is the most interesting one- obviously!- and there are so many interesting revelations and new twists and turns that I immensely enjoyed! 

3. The second case is what is going on in Jane's mom- Angela's- neighbourhood. A mysterious couple has moved in next door and Angela is worried that something dangerous and unsavoury may be going on. Is she right? Then, a teenager goes missing and a gunshot is heard. What is happening in Angela's neighbourhood?! 

This mystery was also interesting and as you read it you can't help but wonder if this and Sofia's death are connected in some way? 

4. The writing is great, as always, and the narrative is fast-paced with no unnecessary segues- something I always appreciate in crime fiction books! 

5. The ending is nicely done and, like I said, there is a nice little twist or two thrown in! 

Rating: 4.5/5 

Friday Favourite: Haul from Kuuuusum--- Painted Circle Bag and Pouches.

 Hello Loves! 

Hope this Friday is treating you well. 

:) 

It's a rainy one in my corner of the world. 

For this week's Friday Faves, I want to share a small but beautiful haul from a small shop. One that I came across on IG and bought from back in April I think. The shop is called Kuuuusum and it's owner makes some truly lovely thing. 

I love the things we got from the shop and I am so in love with the gorgeous painted creations. 

We got three things in total. 

Two pouches, that are quite large and roomy. 

And one circle sling. 

Here is everything. 

This Maa Lokhi Sling was love at first sight. 

Look at how utterly stunning this is. 

I can't wait to carry this out, might just save it for Pujo. 

:) 

So so so pretty. 

The painting is flawless. 

The bag itself is fairly roomy. 

If you know us, you know how much we love pouches and can't pass up a beautiful pouch. 

This one we loved and my sister is already using to store her work journal and a couple of pens. It's such a nice size and fits quite a lot. 

Now this one is just tooooooo stunning for words. 

I love, love, love this one so much! 

:) 

I could stare at this all day. 

I loved all the things I got from Kuuuusum and you must go check out her shop and get yourself something beautiful from her. 

Book Review: Listen To Your Heart by Ruskin Bond.

 

Book: Listen to Your Heart 

Author: Ruskin Bond 

Illustrator: Mihir Joglekar 

Pages: 104

Publisher: Puffin India 

How Long it Took Me to Read: A couple of hours 

Plot Summary: Shortly before his eighteenth birthday, Ruskin embarks on a literary journey and reaches England after charting unknown waters. Greeted by the uncertainties of a new city, he muses over his loneliness, switches jobs, falls in love, befriends the ocean and relentlessly chases a big dream!

What follows next is the metamorphosis of a journal entry into a novel as we time-travel to the fascinating events that led to the making of his iconic book, The Room on the Roof.

Capturing memorable experiences from young Ruskin's life, Listen to Your Heart is an inspiration for aspiring young writers, a meditation on embracing fears, seizing every opportunity but most importantly living one's dreams.

Things I Loved: 

1. Reading Ruskin Bond feels like coming home. Reading his stories, both fictional and ones about this own unique life are always a treat. So this book was no different. It's words and the world we step into were just as comforting and familiar as I had hoped. This is a quick little read that pulls you in and keeps you invested. 

2. Those of us who know of Bond's personal story, those of us who've read his work extensively, will slip into this episode of this life easily. We know of his stay in the UK, his homesickness for India and ultimately his decision to come back home. So even this, his final installment of his boyhood memoirs, can be read without having read the earlier installment. Of course, reading the whole series is advisable and enjoyable. But if you just want to read about this chapter in his young life, you could pick this book up on it's own and not feel lost. 

3. I think so many people will identify this particular tale. Anyone who has moved away from home at an young age will relate to this tale of homesickness and trying to find your place in the world. The feelings and emotions that Bond grapples with are something we've all had to deal with at some point. 

4. While is a book for young readers, it will appeal to pretty much everyone. I enjoyed it very much. 

5. I also loved reading about the process of Bond writing his first book and everything that went into it. I love reading about writers and their process and so this particular aspect of the book really appealed to me. 

6. The art in this book is truly beautiful and adds so much to the story. I am a huge fan of books with art in them and this book was made a million times better (if that's even possible) with the gorgeous art in it. 

Here are a few examples. 

Rating: 5/5 

I absolutely loved this book and I am so grateful to the publishers for sending this my way. 

The thoughts and opinions are all my own. 

Book Review: The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley

 

Book: The Murders at Fleat House 

Author: Lucinda Riley 

Pages: 473

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~5 hours 

Plot Summary: The sudden death of a pupil in Fleat House at St Stephen’s – a small private boarding school in deepest Norfolk – is a shocking event that the headmaster is very keen to call a tragic accident.

But the local police cannot rule out foul play and the case prompts the return of high-flying Detective Inspector Jazmine ‘Jazz’ Hunter to the force. Jazz has her own private reasons for stepping away from her police career in London, and reluctantly agrees to front the investigation as a favour to her old boss.

Reunited with her loyal sergeant Alastair Miles, she enters the closed world of the school, and as Jazz begins to probe the circumstances surrounding Charlie Cavendish’s tragic death, events are soon to take another troubling turn.

Charlie is exposed as an arrogant bully, and those around him had both motive and opportunity to switch the drugs he took daily to control his epilepsy.

As staff at the school close ranks, the disappearance of young pupil Rory Millar and the death of an elderly classics master provide Jazz with important leads, but are destined to complicate the investigation further. As snow covers the landscape and another suspect goes missing, Jazz must also confront her personal demons.

Then, a particularly grim discovery at the school makes this the most challenging murder investigation of her career. Because Fleat House hides secrets darker than even Jazz could ever have imagined.

Things I Liked: 

1. The premise was so interesting! Murders happening at a boarding school! Disappearing suspects and multiple people with motive! What is not to love, eh? 

2. This is a very nicely written and atmospheric book. You get sucked into the world of St. Stephen's and rural Norfolk- of both the present and the past. There are some lovely inter-connected events and stories that really make this book very engaging and give us readers enough red herrings to keep us guessing. 

3. The boy who died in the school under mysterious circumstances was a known bully. He was not well liked and there were more than enough people who wanted him dead. So, the author gives us many, many reasonable suspects at the very outset. Then, the book goes back in time to explore connections between various people associated with the school, whose lives were, unknown to them, inter-connected. So, from all these motives, we can now form some solid theories, which is something any true-blue crime thriller reader really enjoys doing. 

4. The big reveal is not very guess-able, which is always a good thing. Plus, all the loose ends are nicely tied up in the end- also a good thing. 

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. Whilst Jazz is a nice enough character, I didn't particularly enjoy the detailed chapters on her personal life, her ex and her struggles with ageing parents. Don't get me wrong, I am all for character building, but I felt this was not needed in a crime thriller book, whose pages could've been put to better use in showing us the events of the past that connected to those of the present. 

Rating: 4/5 

A very unputdownable crime thriller. Perfect for the rainy days we've been having these days!