Reading Wrap-Up: September 2022.

 Hello Loves! 

September comes to an end. 

It was a month of many unusual reading sojourns for me. 

For one I read some Russian Literature. 

Then for one week straight, I read a romance novel every night. 

I also didn't read a single book from India this month. Not one. And if you know me at all, you know that is not common around these parts. At all. I don't even have a specific reason for doing so, it's just something that happened. 

I also didn't buy a single book. 

I read a book on my iPad after years and was reminded of how much I love it. 

I read 19 books in total and had a very happy reading month. 

So let's just jump into it. 

Here is everything I read in September and my thoughts and little reviews. 

BOOKS OF SEPTEMBER 2022: 

1. The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky: I started my month with a classic. My first proper foray into Russian Lit. My first full length novel from a Russian master. I have, so far in life only ever read short stories from the Russian Lit and I have been meaning to delve into a novel. I started with The Idiot and I was surprised by how easily I slipped into this world, the writing is so accessible, so if like me you were worried about it being a little too difficult to navigate, fear not. I had no problems slipping into this story and find my footing. 

I won't say too much about the book itself, because I don't know if I have the wherewithal to talk about this book. I haven't read anything quite like this, but I did like how a seemingly simpleton walks into the lives of people and leaves an impact, makes them rethink their way of looking at people like him and the world at large. I love how it talks about not making judgements on people and think more deeply than just first impressions. I like the view the author took on women and how harshly they are judged and often for the misdeeds of men. 

I loved my time with this book and I loved how I read it slowly through the month, studied it (like I was back in Lit class) made notes and did a deep dive. Here on out, I hope to do this every month, read a classic and make a little project out of it. 

4/5 

2. I'm Glad My Mother Died by Jennette McCurdy: I read this very buzzy memoir in the very beginning of the month. I am not a Disney of Nickelodeon fan at all, I don't think I've ever watched any of the big shows on either channels. I had never even heard of the show that made the writer a household name, I had no clue. But what I do find endlessly fascinating is child-stars and how fame and money affects someone so young. I have often wondered what it does to a child when they go from being a child to the person who puts food on the table? I won't lie, I have some pretty strong ideas about how detrimental growing up too early does to the psyche of person. I don't think it's a great idea to have children work in adult environments and work full time. It can't be good. And it's unsurprising how so many former child stars have nothing nice to say about their early days in showbiz. 

This book further cements my opinion. 

Add to that a mother who is truly, truly messed up. 

She is a nightmare and I cannot believe she went on unchecked and was allowed to make her young daughter's life a living hell. 

This book was startling and infuriating and sad and so good. 

I always find books (both fiction and non-fiction) about messed up families, especially mothers very interesting, maybe because these relationships are often put on such a pedestal and society shies away from thinking or acknowledging those outlier units that don't fit into our ideas of motherhood. 

TWs for Sexual Abuse, EDs and Emotional Abuse. 

4/5 

3. The Missing Word by Concita De Gregario: My next read was about another mother, this one is someone who is left without her children. An abusive and controlling, soon to be ex-husband does the unimaginable thing and abducts the couple's twin daughters and they are never seen again, presumed dead And now our protagonist must go through life being a person without a word for it- a mother who has lost her children.

Is she still a mother? 

This book will break your heart and enrage you and it brings home so many things we live with and know as women. Men, even vile men are so often not blamed for the things they do and the damage they inflict. Women are blamed for not doing enough, not being enough and in this case not being vigilant enough or worse still provoking her ex into harming her kids! 

This was short and powerful and profound. 

4/5 

4. The Pachinko Parlour by Elisa Shua Dusapin, Trans. Anissa Abbas Higgins: Back in March I read Winter in Sokcho by the same author and really enjoyed it. It's the kind of book that's not very plot heavy but mostly is very atmospheric and what the kids call full of vibes. I liked it. I liked the writing and when this book came out I was very interested in reading it. One for the writing itself but also the setting in a familiar (thanks to Pachinko) world, that of Koreans living in Japan and running Pachinko parlours. So I stepped in expecting good things and in part said good things were delivered. This book is heavy on the vibes. It took us along with our protagonist, who is spending her summer with her old grandparents and is very keen on going to Korea to re-connect with their roots. She is also spending the summer teaching French to a young girl. There is a lot going on here, some summer sadness, some racism and someone trying to find her roots and who she is. A lot of it worked. A lot of it was perfectly nice. Then there was some bits that had me zoning out. 

So eventually this one was a very average read for me. 

2.5/5 

5. Lord of the Fly Fest by Goldy Moldavsky: I read the author's previous book last year, it was called The Mary Shelley Club and I LOVED it. So much. So I went into this book with my excitement off the charts! Plus this one seemed like a mix between Lords of the Flies (obvs) and the whole Fyre Fest mess. So I was allll in. 

Sadly, this one was a colossal let-down. 

It was not fun. Just not. 

Meh. 

1/5 

6. Bunny by Mona Awad: Guys, I finally read a TikTok famous book...or a BookTok book. Bunny has a few things I like a lot, a college setting, a girl group, some magic, some magic going wrong and possible mental illness. All good things. 

This book was sooooooo weird and odd and just...oodles of strangeness. 

Read it just for the strange quotient. And if you'be studied liberal arts. 

This book is a curious mix between Secret History and Donny Darko. 

Fun. Odd. And leaves you a lot to think about. 

3.5/5 

7. Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie: Read some good old Christie when we had a few very rainy days. Right around her birthday. Read this and loved it and watched a bunch of Christie TV adaptations too. 

Always a good time. 

4/5 

8. Marple, 12 New Stories: I was quite excited and a little nervous for this new release. As much as I love Poirot, I ADORE Miss Marple, so I was low key very excited to see what these 12 authors would do with a beloved character. 

And...this was such a mixed bag. 

A full review is coming soon because you bet I have a lot to say. So stay tuned for that. 

9. Carry The One by Carol Anshaw: My next read is an old one from my shelves. One I read mainly so I could be good and read older books from my shelves. And I am so happy I did and found my way to this book. 

I love books like these. Books about how one night, one incident, one accident has the ability to alter lives forever. Change people and change destinies. 

Three siblings. From 1983 to 2008. 

One night in 1983 and one reckless night of celebration of drinking, drugs and an accident in which a child is killed in an accident. And this death and it's shadow follows them through the years. 

Marriage, love, relationships, addiction and family and everything else is touched by this. 

I really enjoyed this book. 

4/5 

10. Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller: Another oldie from my shelves. This one has won a bunch of awards and I had heard quite a few things about it. I am so happy I read this, finally! Another book that's set in the 80s, I guess I was really feeling the 80s this month huh? This one is about a young girl who's abducted by her survivalist father and spends nine years living in the forest, cut off from people and thinking the rest of the world doesn't exist anymore. A very interesting premise that I loved reading, I don't think I've read anything like it. We see the world from the point of view of our protagonist, before, during and after her living in the forest. We see her life and the author does a phenomenal job of taking us right into this world and we walk along our main character and feel everything she's going through. 

So good. 

3.5/5 

11. Unmissing by Minka Kent: I have read a few books by this author and I usually enjoy her thrillers. This one was decent-ish. The premise was intriguing, a woman was went missing and was presumed dead, comes back after 10 years and throws off her husband and his new wife's lives. Told from two perspectives, of bot the wives, old and new, this book was nicely paced and well-written but the big twist is very easy to guess and so obvious. 

3/5 

12. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld: September felt like the perfect time to read a book about a boarding school. I have had this book for a while and for years I've heard people tell me how much they loved it. I was happy to finally dust it off and give it a read and honestly fall in love. 

Alas, that didn't happen. 

For the first 200 pages I got what the fuss was about. I got it. The author does a bang on job of really getting what it feels to be 14 and lost and trying to make friends, be cool and find your place in the world and belong. So much of that is pitch perfect. 

Then..I really, really began to dislike Lee, our main character. I think the main thing is my teenage self was so dramatically different from her. And so much of her painful insecurity and her desperation to be cooler was getting on my last nerve. I can see why people love this book, it was just not for me. By page 303 I was kinda done. 

Not for me. 

2/5 

13. First Term at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton: After Prep I wanted to read the OG and I wanted a little comfort. I don't think I've actually read this series in it's entirety. I was more of a Famous Five girl when I was little. So these stories are pretty much all new to me. I am excited to read the rest of the series slowly. This was fun and warm and fuzzy. 

3/5 

Oh and then...I went on a full romance bender! 

Like full on. 

I made the most of my Kindle Unlimited subscription and read a LOT OF ROMANCE. 

6 Romance Reads. 

I had some stressful days in September and I found a lot of comfort and distraction in romance. 

I haven't read this much romance/smut since I was a teenager. 

:) 

Here are the books I reads in a frenzy. 

14. Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas: This book started off my romance kick. A YA/New Adult romance. Two pen pals meet in real life and don't quite get along...till they do. 

Steamy, sweet and fun. 

Just what you need when you want something sexy and fun. 

4/5 

15. and 16. The Confidence of Wildflowers and The Resurrection of Wildflowers by Micalea Sheltzer: Next I read this duology. I found out quite a bit this month about alll the many kinds of romance genres that exist now. So this genre of age difference romances is quite popular and these books fall under that genre. Normally, in real life, I am not too fond of romances with huge age differences. Yes, age is just a number but age also means so much more. 

This book has a 18 year old girl falling for a 31 year old man, which can be skeezy but here it's handled quite well. And in the second book there is a five year leap when the age thing isn't that bad...ish. Seriously though in this book, this couple makes sense. I quite enjoyed it. It was hot and steamy and sweet. 

4/5 

17. June First by Jennifer Hartman: Another romance genre that's kinda in vogue right now is a Taboo Romance. So relationships that are frowned upon and kinda inappropriate. This one is about two people who were raised in the same household...as siblings..but aren't biologically related. So taboo...but not as bad as some other books I came across. Man...people are into some very taboo things. 

This one was a little too long drawn and starts from when our leads are kids. In fact even before the girl is born. So there is a lot of character development and we really get to know the people in this world. This one wasn't too skeezy, something I was concerned about...this had it's heart in the right place. 

3.5/5 

18. Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas: This was a mix of the age-difference genre and the taboo romance genre. There is a 20 year difference between the couple and the man is the girl's boyfriend's dad. 

Yup. 

Dad. 

Kinda weird. 

3/5 

19. My Best Friend's Sister by Q.B. Tyler: This one was short and hot and fun. Didn't exactly love the writing. But at 107 pages, I didn't mind. 

2.5/5 

That's everything. 

Mostly good reads. 

I am happy to have read some classics, literary fiction, a thriller, a memoir and so many old books off my shelves and so much romance. 

A good reading month. 

Hope September was good for you too. 

Book Review: The Murder List by Jackie Kabler

 

Book: The Murder List 

Author: Jackie Kabler 

Pages: 338

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~3 hours 

Plot Summary: 

When Mary receives a blank diary as a present, she thinks nothing of it. Until she opens the diary, and sees it’s not blank after all…

1st January MURDER LISA, OXFORD
1st February MURDER JANE, BIRMINGHAM
1st March MURDER DAVID, CARDIFF
1st April MURDER MARY, CHELTENHAM

Is this a sick joke? But…it’s the end of January now. And a woman called Lisa was murdered in Oxford on 1st January.

Could there really be a killer out there, planning to commit a new murder each month? And is the Mary due to be killed on 1st April her?

The clock is ticking for Mary to uncover the truth, before she becomes the next victim on the killer’s list. 

Things I Liked: 

1. Imagine a serial killer sending you a diary with the names and locations and dates of his planned murders. Except, the names are first names and super common ones at that and the last name on the list could be yours! Interesting, right? So, that's what this book is all about. Crime feature writer- Mary- receives a diary as a New Years' present from an anonymous sender. Since she doesn't use paper diaries, on January 30th, she adds it to the pile of gifts she is about to donate to a charity shop. Before chucking it in the pile, she opens it to see if there is clue as to who it is from so that she can send them a 'thank you' note. Instead, she finds a post-it on the first page asking her to read the diary. That's when she finds these names and takes the diary to the police. 

2. I liked how realistic this book was! The cops have first names, dates and locations and not much else to go on, so, they wait to see if someone called Jane is killed in Birmingham on February 1st before taking this diary seriously. Also, once they know this killer is not kidding, they start trying to find some connections between the first two victims and come up with potential victimology and try to warn as many Davids in Cardiff as possible that fit this profile... I mean, in such a situation what else could the cops even do without causing mass panic?

3. There is some mystery about Mary's past- her father and best friend died in a fire in her home, which burnt off a part of her face. So, there is that mystery that is teased throughout the book. So, you wonder what her deal is!

4. The book is pretty fast-paced and the narrative keeps you engrossed throughout. Always a good thing in crime fiction. 

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. The big mystery about Mary's past is very guess-able. I am sure almost everyone would've guessed it. I wish it wasn't so obvious!

2. The killer's identity is a bit strange and his/her motivations are not the clearest or very sensible.. It is almost like the author thought, "Hmmm, how do I have a not-obvious killer?" and BAM! came up with this weird rationale for the killing! Some may enjoy the reveal of the killer, but I was a bit stumped and annoyed with it! 

Rating: 3.5/5 

Book Review: The Retreat by Sarah Pearse

Book: The Retreat 

Author: Sarah Pearse 

Pages: 361

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~3 hours 

Plot Summary: 

They couldn't wait to stay here.
An idyllic wellness retreat has opened on an island off the coast of Devon, promising rest and relaxation - but the island itself, known locally as Reaper's Rock, has a dark past. Once the playground of a serial killer, it's rumored to be cursed.

But now they can't leave.
A woman is found dead below the yoga pavilion in what seems to be a tragic fall. But DS Elin Warner soon learns that the victim wasn't a guest - she wasn't meant to be on the island at all.

And they would do anything to escape . . .
The longer Elin stays, the more secrets she uncovers. And when someone else drowns in a diving incident, Elin begins to suspect that the old stories about the island are true.

Because history seems to be repeating itself - and the guests might not make it home alive. 

General Thoughts: Sarah Pearse's first book The Sanatorium was massively disappointing for me! It was also a "bestseller" so make of that what you will! It was with a lot of trepidation that I picked up her second book. Honestly, I am a sucker for punishment! However, I do like giving any author, at least, two chances, so, that's why I ended up reading this book. 

Things I Liked: 

1. The premise of the book is quite interesting- a little island off the coast of Devon, where a serial killer preyed on kids at a summer camp and now it has been made into a fancy resort. So, when several members of a group of guests start dying one by one, you start to wonder if the serial killer is back or if this is something related to the deaths years ago or something that's got nothing to do with anything but a whole new thing. So, that was quite interesting. 

2. We also have the dynamics of a very messy sibling relationship being played out at The Retreat. Sisters - Hana, Jo and Bea- are not really close and are drifting apart every day. Jo, an influencer of some sort, has managed to get a free stay at The Retreat and so, her sisters and their partners (minus Hana's, whose boyfriend died one year ago) head out there. So, we have various members of this group dropping dead along with a look at some of the reasons that made these girls drift apart and *gasp* there is a sociopath in their midst. So, that was interesting. 

Things I Didn't Like:

1. I have come to the conclusion that Sarah Pearse does little to no research about.. well.. anything! Her book is based in Devon and she makes it sound like it is based in the Caribbean.. you know, with water that is all shades of blue and wooden decks and even a hurricane! Also, the way guests were just allowed to be by themselves after 3 murders happened makes little to no sense! 

2. Just like in The Sanatorium, the motive for the killings in this book makes not much sense but it is still better than what it was in The Sanatorium. People's motivations for being on the island in spite of the shared trauma they've had in the past with the place! Anyway, basically, this author is not for me. Her books are set in atmospheric place and the premise starts off well but nothing else really works after that. Her motives are weak, the research on police procedures and forensics are non-existent and she just loses the plot after some point. 

3. A few things are so predictable in this book! You can easily guess a few of the "big secrets" that the sisters are grappling with and also some other "twists" in the tale, which is unfortunate! It takes away the fun of reading a crime thriller! 

 

Rating: 2.5/5 

Not Worth the Hype! 

Book Review: Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

 

Book: Daisy Darker

Author: Alice Feeney 

Pages: 338

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~3 hours 

Plot Summary: 

Daisy Darker’s family were as dark as dark can be, when one of them died all of them lied and pretended not to see . . .

As the leaves of Autumn are falling Daisy Darker is arriving at her grandmother’s house, for eightieth birthday celebrations. Seaglass, the Darker’s ancestral home, is a crumbling Cornish house perched upon its own tiny private island and is at one with the granite rocks it sits on.

The Darker family haven’t all been in the same place for over a decade, and when the tide comes in they’ll be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours. When the tide goes back out, nothing will ever be the same again, because one of them is a killer. 

Things I Like: 

1. This book's premise is very interesting! A mix of some deep, dark family secrets meets And Then There Were None! So, what's not to like, eh? A dysfunctional family meets for a Halloween/ 80th birthday celebration of grandma and one by one they all are killed! Fun times! 

2. The book is taut, well written and fast-paced. It is a quick read and something you can pick up to read during a flight or your commute or on a Saturday. Just get yourself some nice coffee, some yum treats and you can cozy up in bed with this spooky family saga and enjoy! 

3. The characters are all well etched out. Through the book we get to know each member of the Darker family- the absentee dad, the self-entered mum, the smug oldest sister, the flaky middle sister.. the grandma, who is long-suffering of all of these people and, finally, Daisy- our protagonist- who suffers from a heart condition, which led to her not being sent to school and so, all she knows is how to read and so, she volunteers at old people's homes to keep them company. She is the only one Grandma Darker likes apart from the middle daughter- Lily's- daughter, Trixie. 

4. The messed up family dynamics, which we get to see both in present day (which is 2004, btw) and over the 80s, is really nicely done and gives the reader a sense of who these people are and what are the issues that have driven a wedge between them. If you enjoy reading about dysfunctional family units (as I do), then you'll love this book. 

5. The murders are nicely done with each family member dying every hour. Some of the murders are a bit far-fetched, I'll give you that, but it is still interesting enough to keep reading. Plus, with a storm and the little house on a tidal island being cut off from the world, things are super atmospheric and spooky and I just ignored the little voice in my brain saying "how did the killer do this?" and just enjoyed the proceedings!

6. There are a few twists and reveals in the book and some you will guess (as I did) and some you may not but those are nicely done as well. 

Rating: 4/5 

Book Review: The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club Book #3)

 

Book: The Bullet That Missed (Thursday Murder Club Book 3) 

Author: Richard Osman 

Pages: 400

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~3 hours 

Plot Summary: 

It is an ordinary Thursday, and things should finally be returning to normal.

Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club are concerned. A local news legend is on the hunt for a sensational headline, and soon the gang are hot on the trail of two murders, ten years apart.

To make matters worse, a new nemesis pays Elizabeth a visit, presenting her with a deadly mission: kill or be killed...

While Elizabeth grapples with her conscience (and a gun), the gang and their unlikely new friends (including TV stars, money launderers and ex-KGB colonels) unravel a new mystery. But can they catch the culprit and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again?

General Thoughts: I have really enjoyed the previous two books in the Thursday Murder Club Series, They've been reviewed on the blog and so, click HERE- The Thursday Murder Club and HERE- The Man Who Died Twice to go see what they're all about because this book's events are, to a great extent, linked to that of the previous book in the series. 

Things I Liked: 

1. Goes without saying that I already really like all the septuagenarian characters in the book. If you are new to the series, these books are set in a "luxury" retirement village in England and our four protagonists are men and women in their 70s living in this village. So, we have Elizabeth Best (retired MI6 agent), Ibrahmin Arif, a psychiatrist, Joyce Meadowcraft, a housewife and Ron Ritchie, an ex-union leader and fighter for workers' rights. Each of these characters are kooky and fun and smart and you'll grow to love them with each book. I was so happy to spend time with all of them again in this book. 

2. These books also add new characters to the OG gang in each instalment. So, we have the local cops- Donna and Chris- as well as the Bogdan, a Polish immigrant, who works in construction and helps the gang with a lot of the (literal) heavy lifting during their investigation. All of these characters are very well etched out and you grow to like them as much as the main cast. I certainly have! 

3. This particular book has two cases going on in tandem. First, as per the norm with these books, is a cold case. The Thursday Murder Club, started with these 4 oldies meeting up every Thursday to go through cold cases and pick one to investigate. This time it is a 10-year-old case, which involves an up-and-coming local journalist being killed (body not found) when her car was shoved over a cliff. Bethany Waite was working on a tax evasion case and she had stumbled upon something huge when she was killed by someone. So, the gang start investigating this case, going through all her documents, speaking to the woman currently in prison who was indicted for this crime- all the good stuff. The investigation in these books is very nicely and realistically depicted. It is the kind of stuff four septuagenarians can do on their own and nothing very outlandish!

4. The second case/ dilemma that Elizabeth has to deal with involves a mysterious adversary asking her to kill an old KGB colonel she used to know back in the day, else he will murder Joyce! So, now, Elizabeth has to make the difficult choice of killing an old friend or letting a new one die whilst she works to figure out the identity of this new, mysterious, adversary! This particular plot was also nicely done. 

5. The book is fast-paced and there is never a dull moment plus it is full of cheeky humour and cheekier characters, which makes reading it really fun! 

6. The resolution for both the cases- Bethany Waite's murder and Elizabeth's new adversary- are very satisfactory and nicely done! Not spoiling it for anyone by spilling more details! 

Rating: 4.5/5

Monday Moods: Life & Weekly Goals.

 Hello Loves! 

It's a drizzly and rainy Monday in my part of the world, so I am making the most of it and reading something thriller-y and drinking lemon tea. 

Here some moments of joy to brighten up your Monday morning. 

Sunshine and these beautiful blooms. 

These pictures were clicked on a crisp and cold November morning. 

Up close and lovely. 

Art lighting up corners of my home. 

Pages and Bookmarks. 

Journaling in bed. 

A second favourite, close after reading in bed.

Have a good week ahead folks. 

My plans this week include~ 

Reading a whole lot. Making more progress on The Idiot, which I am reading very slowly the month. 

Read some Christie, I've been in such a mood for Christie all of last week and most of this past weekend was spent re-watching some Marple episodes. They are streaming on Sony Liv. 

Clean the house and prep for Pujo. 

Enjoy the rains. 

Eat Waffles. I haven't had waffles in over two years at this point. 

Just chill and have a good week and hope you have a good one too. 

General Whimsy: Things I Love.

Here are some things I love...

 

A good book and a beautiful bookmark. 

The book here is Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri. 

The embroidered bookmark is from Tori. 

Books with art. 

This is Sapiens, illustrated and wonderful. 

Planners. 

This is my sister's Traveler's Company insert for the first half of 2022. 

Light and gentle nights. 

Kid Lit. 

This is Volumer II of the Kakababu Adventures. 

Flowers. 

TV and Movie Recommendations: Recent Stuff We've Loved!

 Hello, hello,

Over the past couple of weeks, we've watched a few things and thought we'd recommend some of our favourites here! 

Let's get into it, shall we?!

1. Thor: Love and Thunder (Disney+ Hotstar)

The latest instalment in the Thor series of films, Thor: Love and Thunder continues Thor's journey in dealing with his grief and loss after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Directed and written by Taika Waititi, the movie has the hallmark Waititi wit and zany humour that made Thor: Ragnarok such a hit with Marvel fans! It is a fun ride and if you are a Marvel fan, then this is definitely worth watching! 

2. End of the Road (on Netflix)

When a recently widowed (and deeply in debt) mother decides to leave LA to move back home (Houston, Texas) with her teenaged kids and her younger brother, she never thought that a simple cross-country road trip will end up becoming a nightmare when they unwittingly witness a murder at a motel. 

Queen Latifah helms this action-adventure thriller where a hapless family has to overcome dangerous odds to save themselves from racists and criminals during the drive through the "Bible Belt". 

A fairly engrossing movie that's definitely worth a watch. 

3. Tirandaj Shobor (on Hoichoi) 

The third movie in the Shobor series, Tirandaj Shobor, is an interesting case about a murdered man in a cab and the process of untangling what led to this murder and who committed this murder makes up this movie. 

All three Shobor movies are on Hoichoi and all of them are worth watching if you enjoy classic murder mysteries. 

4. Tamil Rockerz (on SonyLiv)

If you've ever looked for *ahem* pirated content online, you'd have definitely heard of TamilRockerz, a top piracy site for South Indian films! 

This thrilling and gripping web series on SonyLiv, follows a team of cyber crime and police detectives as they try to stop these infamous pirates from releasing a big budget blockbuster online a day before its theatrical release. 

Full of twists and a great deep dive into the world of piracy, movie making and all the various stakeholders associated with it, Tamil Rockerz is a really fantastic series.  

5. Once Upon a Small Town (on Netflix) 

A vet from Seoul moves into a small semi-rural community for two months. He is distant, cold and totally unused to the interfering warmth and sense of community that a small town has. Chaos (of the good kind) ensues when he runs into the local policewoman, her peach-growing best friend and a whole gaggle of 'aunties' hell bent on setting him up!

If you love K-dramas like Hometown Cha Cha Cha, then this one, with its heartwarming premise and quirky characters, is a total must-watch! 

Have a great week, folks! 

Monday Moods: The Weekend That Was.

 Hello Loves! 

How was the weekend for you? 

In my corner of the world it was a long weekend. It was Visarjan on Friday and that meant we had a three day weekend. 

It's always sad to see Ganpu leave. 

We got some laddoos fro Ganpu before he left. 

:) 

My main weekend read was Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie. 

It was a re-read but one I came back to after a while, so a lot of the little details I had sorta forgotten. And it's been such a thundering and midly rainy weekend that it felt nice to find comfort in a Christie mystery. 

The rest of my weekend was spend chilling out. 

Watching quite a few funny films..older ones. I have found a lot of comfort in watching films I watched a decade or so ago. 

Set up my planner pages for the next three weeks. I am mostly using Washi Tapes to do up my pages because I really missed having my stash when I was away from home. Plus, I do want to use up some of my older tapes. 

I am trying to make the most of the glorious grey days. The rains will leave soon and I am not looking forward to the heat fest that is October. 

I hope to read some thrillers, watch some spooky films and enjoy these rainy days. 

:) 

Book Review: The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) (Cormoran Strike Book #6)

 

Book: The Ink Black Heart 

Author: Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) 

Pages: 1024

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~9 hours over 2 days 

Plot Summary: When frantic, dishevelled Edie Ledwell appears in the office begging to speak to her, private detective Robin Ellacott doesn't know quite what to make of the situation. The co-creator of a popular cartoon, The Ink Black Heart, Edie is being persecuted by a mysterious online figure who goes by the pseudonym of Anomie. Edie is desperate to uncover Anomie's true identity.

Robin decides that the agency can't help with this - and thinks nothing more of it until a few days later, when she reads the shocking news that Edie has been tasered and then murdered in Highgate Cemetery, the location of The Ink Black Heart.

Robin and her business partner Cormoran Strike become drawn into the quest to uncover Anomie's true identity. But with a complex web of online aliases, business interests and family conflicts to navigate, Strike and Robin find themselves embroiled in a case that stretches their powers of deduction to the limits - and which threatens them in new and horrifying ways.

General Thoughts: This is the sixth book in the Cormoran Strike series and I was so excited to get reading over the weekend! This book delves into the world of online trolling, the rise of right-wing, Neo-Nazi groups targeting liberal voices, especially, women. We have all seen this happen, especially, on Twitter, which is a cesspool in general but is now a filthy cesspool full of all these intolerant, disgusting cretins, who can say and do what they please with very little consequence! So, in that sense, this is a very timely book. 

There has been some controversy around this book saying that this book is about the murder of someone who mis-gendered a trans person. It is not. This is not what this book is about. So, if that's what was holding you back, then now you know. Let's get on with the review. 

Oh, also, must be said, this blog is a safe space for trans people. We believe trans women are women and trans men are men. We just separate the art from the artist when it comes to JKR because we love her writing. We hope that JKR learns to empathise more with our trans brothers and sisters and lives up to the values of kindness and inclusion that she so vociferously espoused in her Harry Potter books.

On with the review, then! 

Things I Liked: 

1. Like I've already said, online trolling, bullying and the rise of the far right, alt right, Neo-Nazi types on social media platforms is a truly concerning and making this the focus of this book was, in my opinion, a welcome move! So, the premise seemed really interesting, very rooted in reality and something that must be talked about on a much wider scale and actions must be taken to stop online trolling. The impact of online trolling on the mental health of the targeted person is tremendous and can lead to really tragic consequences. In the book, we have two deaths by suicide of young women, who were mercilessly trolled online for their political/ socio-political views, but, like I said, that is not the murder mystery that Strike and Robin are hired to solve. 

2. Edie Ledwell and her ex-boyfriend, Josh Blay co-created an online animated series called The Ink Black Heart- a kooky, satirical, dark comedy type series with a niche following. The series attracted a series of dedicated fans and over the years, this solidified as a vocal, opinionated fandom. The fandom centred around an online game co-created by two anonymous people- Anomie and Morehouse. The fandom played the game, used the chatrooms provided by the game, to discuss their love for the comic and also, eventually, to trash the creators, especially, Edie. 

Anomie, the co-creator of the online game, for some unknown reason, takes a real dislike towards Edie and for the past 5 years has been targeting her online with some really nasty, vitriolic attacks. At the end of her tether, Edie reaches out to Robin at the agency. 

Through this book, JKR dives deep into the world of 'fandoms'. If you've been a part of any fandom, you'll understand how each fandom has some really toxic, fringe elements that are unnaturally obsessed with the author/ movie star/ singer etc. They have this poisonous sense of ownership over the work or the star and strongly oppose, what they think, are things that are not in sync with what the art/ artist etc. supposedly stand for. So, it was really interesting to read about how the Ink Black Heart fandom was obsessed with what they felt was right for the book and the characters and even the hint of any changes to the material elicited strong and horrible responses from them. 

3. A bulk of this book's investigation is focused on tracing old tweets, trying to unearth the real identities of various online trolls and then following them around to find out more about them. All this was nicely done and was quite gripping. Strike and Robin didn't have anything as a good starting point as they start delving into unearthing Anomie's true identity, but the way they went about identifying the people around "him" was really nicely done. 

4. What happens when an author or a creator dies just before their creation is about to hit the big league? In this case, Netflix has acquired the rights to the comic and wants to make a movie out of it. Edie's death leaves a lot uncertain and her estranged uncle jumps in to take advantage of his niece's death. This man, who in spite of having a cushy job, never helped Edie when she was struggling and homeless, now behaves like he is the sole custodian of Edie's work and legacy. All this greed of long-lost "relatives" suddenly showing up is done really well in this book. 

The push-and-pull between what Edie's uncle, the film executives and the fandom wants is brought out really well and is very interesting to read. 

5. The book continues with the almost-romance between Strike and Robin, which, slight spoiler, goes nowhere even in this book. I think anyone who thinks these two will get together should give up hope. They won't get together until the last book in the series! *grin* The will-they-won't-they is a key hook to get the romance-loving readers into the franchise and JKR won't give us what we want on that front quite so easily! 

6. There are, as usual, a couple of other small cases that Strike and his team are investigation. Most of these are quite fun and it is good to see them get resolved as well. 

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. While I'd even read a phone directory re-written by JKR, but a crime fiction book at 1024 pages is a LOT! And, unlike Troubled Blood, this book did not need to be this length! The story, at the end of the day, is pretty straightforward, a woman is stabbed to death and her killer is a suspected online troll. This book did not need to be this long-winded! It could've easily been wrapped up in ~600 odd pages. 

2. Charlotte, Strike's toxic ex, is back! Ugh! She is a recurring theme in all of these books and I don't understand why! She thrives on ruining Strike's happiness and gets in the way of his relationships and this trope is getting real old! I wish JKR would just stop with inserting Charlotte and her nonsense in every book! 

Rating: 4/5 

Stationery Sunday: Daily Journal for September 2022.

 Hello Loves!

A quick post today to share my Daily Journal for September. 

I finally finished my previous journal, one I had been using since May sometime in August, then I used a teeny tiny journal for the rest of the month and now I started this journal. 

It's a traditional Indian Journal, a Bahikhaata. One used to keep accounts. 

I bought this from Anokhi a few years ago and love the aesthetic of it. 

This is what she looks like. 

Look at her sitting pretty with Ganpati Bappa. 

A little sunkissed moment. 

The first page has a gold foil image of Ganpu, perfect for this month. 

:) 

Front page decor. 

In shades of brown and gold. 

Have Faith. 

Some more low key collage-ing. 

This is how I like starting my month, by setting up my planner and journals. 

The inside is kept clean and functional and it's all about just venting my thoughts and feelings. 

:) 

The supplies used are from: 

Amazon. 

Classiky. 

Meraky Store. 

Book Review: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. (Booker Prize 2022 Long-List).

 

Book: Small Things Like These 

Author: Claire Keegan 

Pages: 118

Read On: Kindle 

How Long it Took Me To Read: 1 day 

Publisher: Grove Press 

Plot Summary: It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.

Already an international bestseller, Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers.

Review: I'll be honest, I am not, at least no longer, one of those readers who read the entire Booker Prize Long List and then make predictions and really invest (in more ways than one) into the winner. I keep my eye on the proceedings. Look up the books on the list. See how many I've already read in a given year. I usually pick up the winning book...if it sounds like it's something I want to read. 

I was super busy, moving back home and getting back to normal life, the list came out this year. And so many of the titles seemed like something I would enjoy. Others not so much. One I had already read- Night Crawling by Leila Mottley and some I already owned (on my Kindle). 

Out of all these books, this one caught my attention and I had to read it. 

And I did. 

Back in July. It had oddly taken me this long to talk about it. 

First things first. at a 118 pages this book is a masterclass in how to write deftly about a people, a country, it's culture and it's perils. This slim little book packs a punch. At the end of it, I did want more. I wished we have a 100 or more pages to tell us about the lives of these people we had gotten to know. I wanted more time, more answers and just more...yet...this book felt complete. Enough. Perfect. 

I loved it, let's just get that out of the way. I really, really loved it. 

On the face of it, this is a simple and atmospheric tale. Winter of 1985, the days leading up to Christmas in a small-town in Ireland. Times are hard (as they were), people are being laid off, there is uncertainty in the air and amidst this there is our main man Bill Furlong. He has a nice wife and  five lovely daughters he loves very much. He grew up an anomaly in this town, a child born out of wedlock in a very conservative country. So having a happy  family and a home and enough, is big deal to him. It means more to to him than the next person for sure. Life is going well, well enough. There is Christmas cheer in the air and festivity looming large (this book would make an excellent Christmas read) and yet..right under the surface something is very wrong. Injustice and cruelty and exploitation are closer than you think and not all is idyllic. 

Bill is a good man. A solid good man who I immediately just felt connected to and rooted for. He is kind and helpful and something happens in this seemingly peaceful and gentle world that really makes him stop in his tracks and make him think about what is the right thing to do..or should he do this thing at all? Rock the boat? Bring trouble into his world? Jeopardize his own well-bring and that of his family? You felt his dilemma. His inner struggles with keeping mum or trying to do the right thing. I loved this aspect of the novel and books like this, that deal with the inner struggles about right v. wrong. 

There is so much we don't know enough about in this world of ours. So many dark chapters in our recent history. Especially as women, there is so much that other women have endured that we know scant about. The thing this book delves into (I am trying to be vague so as to not spoil it) is one such injustice and a gross violation and exploitation of young girls and women, all in the name of culture and propriety and sanctioned by religious dogma and the State itself. I knew a little (very little) about what went on in Convents in the Ireland, how young mothers were shunned and sent off, forever in most cases, to have their babies (out of wedlock) and how so many women died and so many babies died and so many children were taken away from the mothers and adopted out and the mothers had absolutely no agency or voice in this entire operation. I have read a few books, mostly all thrillers, centered around this slice of history and it left me stunned. This book showed me another side to this sordid mess and I promise you, you will be enraged. I think it's very important to read about these stories. To bear witness. To know and learn about what people have endured, what women have endured. 

I am so glad I picked this book off the list and I can't recommend it enough. It's a curious mix of warm Christmas vibes, a gentle bunch of people and something slightly sinister going on a man trying to make sense of it all. 

Highly Recommend. 

Rating: 5/5