What to Watch: October 2nd Long Weekend

 Hello, hello,

I hope your long weekend has gotten off to a great start! 

After a busy week, mine has been slow and lazy, exactly as I wanted it to be! 

In case you are planning to be home this long weekend, here are a few series and movie recommendations for you! 

1. Destined With You is a Korean series that is a romance but with elements like reincarnation, mystery and magic. It is funny and sweet and totally worth bingeing this weekend. Streaming on Netflix.

2. Wilderness is a suspense/ thriller domestic drama about a woman, who decides to kill her cheating husband during a road trip through the US West Coast National Parks. It is gripping and worth watching. Streaming on Prime Video. 

3. Athidhi (The Guest) is a Telugu (dubbed in 7 languages) horror/ suspense series about a man living with his wife in a beautiful home when random strangers start showing up on a stormy night. Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. 

4. No Hard Feelings is a comedy movie about super helicopter parents hiring a woman to date their shy, nerdy, awkward son. Hilarity ensues when 32 year old Maddie starts dating 19 year old Percy. Streaming on Netflix. 

5. Love at First Sight is the movie adaptation of a beloved romance novel by Jennifer E. Smith. A boy and a girl meet on a flight and immediately fall for each other. When they are separated at Heathrow, will they meet again? Streaming on Netflix. 

6. Talk to Me is a horror movie, which is quite fast-paced and scary (in parts). When a group of teenagers use an embalmed hand to summon spirits, little do they know of the consequences of their dumb actions. Can be rented on Prime Video.

7. The Wonderful life of Henry Sugar is a quirky and heartwarming story of a wealthy man's quest to learn how to cheat at cards and what happens when he is finally successful. Streaming on Netflix. 

8. Blue Beetle is a fun enough superhero movie from DC Comics. It is the first Latinx/ Mexican superhero and the entire cast and is a fun little movie. Streaming on Prime Video. 

9. Scam 2003: The Telgi Story is a wonderful web series made on the stamp paper scam of 2003. If you've wondered (like me) what that scam was all about, then do watch this show. Streaming on SonyLiv. 

10. Sad Cypress is an adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel and is just so, so good! It is streaming on SonyLiv. 

Have a great weekend, guys! I am hoping it is a rainy one here in Mumbai! 

Book Review: The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

 

Book: The Christmas Guest 

Author: Peter Swanson 

Pages: 111

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~1 hour 

Plot Summary: When Ashley Smith - a bright-eyed but lonely American studying in London - is invited to spend Christmas with her classmate's family at their Cotswolds manor house, it seems like a perfect country idyll.

And for Ashley - who records it all in her diary - there's the added romantic potential of her friend's twin brother, Adam, who she thinks could be her wildest dream come true.

But is there something strange about the old house, both stately and rundown? What could the motives of the mysterious Chapman family be? And what holiday horrors might be lying in wait?

Things I Liked:

1. The premise of this novella was very interesting. A lonely American girl in London being invited to a friend's home in the country for Christmas. When she gets there, she finds the family and home strange and even stranger when she learns that she resembles a murdered girl in the village. Nice, right? You know from the get-go that things are not as they seem and a sense of dread keeps building as you hurtle through the 100-odd pages of this book. 

2. This is a very atmospheric book. The author brings the rundown Starvewood Manor alive along with the various members of Emma Chapman's family - the cruel father, the resigned mother, loud and fun aunt and uncle, Emma's good-looking twin- Adam. In the short few pages you get a good sense of these people. 

3. The build-up to the mystery is nicely done. Ashley's arrival in the Costwald manor home, her slowly learning about Joanna Davies- her look alike, who was murdered in the village in late September that year. A mysterious man lurking in the woods near Emma's home. There is a growing sense of unease and, as a reader, you really begin to fear for Ashley, who is a total stranger in a strange land. 

4. The first half of the book is told in diary form, which is something I tend to enjoy quite a bit and it was done very nicely here. 

5. Ashley, our American heroine in a moody mansion in the UK just won my heart, I really felt like we got to know her through her diary entries and found myself wishing her well. My heart went out to his awkward American girl trying to find her place in London and making a new life all on her own. 

Things I Didn't Like: 

 The big reveal was so easy to guess. I mean, you'll probably also guess it the moment you read this one line at the 4-5% mark of that book. So, it was not at all surprising or shocking as to what eventually happens. Sigh. A bit disappointing when you can accurately guess the plot of the book so early on in the game. 

Some of the things that happen in the second half, I don't want to spoil things..but some technical things just won't happen in the real world. 80s or not. Life and rules were different in the 80s but not soooooooo different. 

Still this was an enjoyable book we read in one sitting, on a rainy night and enjoyed quite a bit. 

Rating: 3.5/5 

Book Review: Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

Book: Bright Young Women 

Author: Jessica Knoll 

Pages: 384

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~4 hours 

Plot Summary: January 1978. A serial killer has terrorized women across the Pacific Northwest, but his existence couldn’t be further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee. Tonight is a night of promise, excitement, and desire, but Pamela Schumacher, president of the sorority, makes the unpopular decision to stay home—a decision that unwittingly saves her life. Startled awake at 3 a.m. by a strange sound, she makes the fateful decision to investigate. What she finds behind the door is a scene of implausible violence—two of her sisters dead; two others, maimed. Over the next few days, Pamela is thrust into a terrifying mystery inspired by the crime that’s captivated public interest for more than four decades.

On the other side of the country, Tina Cannon has found peace in Seattle after years of hardship. A chance encounter brings twenty-five-year-old Ruth Wachowsky into her life, a young woman with painful secrets of her own, and the two form an instant connection. When Ruth goes missing from Lake Sammamish State Park in broad daylight, surrounded by thousands of beachgoers on a beautiful summer day, Tina devotes herself to finding out what happened to her. When she hears about the tragedy in Tallahassee, she knows it’s the man the papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer. Determined to make him answer for what he did to Ruth, she travels to Florida on a collision course with Pamela—and one last impending tragedy.

Bright Young Women is the story about two women from opposite sides of the country who become sisters in their fervent pursuit of the truth. It proposes a new narrative inspired by evidence that’s been glossed over for decades in favor of more salable headlines—that the so-called brilliant and charismatic serial killer from Seattle was far more average than the countless books, movies, and primetime specials have led us to believe, and that it was the women whose lives he cut short who were the exceptional ones.

Things I Liked: 

1. This is a brilliant, amazing book. Let's get that out of the way. I loved it and devoured it in, pretty much, one sitting. It is that good! 

2. A book like this, a narrative like this, has been a long-time coming. American media's almost hero worship of Ted Bundy has always seemed slightly off-putting and disgusting to me. He has been described, even by a publication as reputed as the New York Times, as being good-looking/ Kennedy-esque- looking and with fine manners. Whereas, the truth is that he was just an average, clean-cut guy, who spoke nicely to women he was going to kidnap, r*pe and murder. That doesn't make him some prince charming! 

So, imagine my delight when this book showed this monster exactly how he was- an average LOSER! Not good enough to crack law school, not good enough to make relationships work and also, not really some brilliant killer, who evaded law enforcement. In fact, law enforcement was inept and corrupt in Colorado, from where he managed to escape prison twice! 

The author peels back layer upon layer of this well-known case and shines a light on the bright, extraordinary women, whose lives were cut short by this man. College-going girls, girls with futures, girls with people who loved them. Girls, whose very existence must have bothered this monster because he was an abject failure at academics and life. So, yeah, a jealous little man - not some brilliant serial killer. Let's, finally, call him what he was! 

3. The story is told via a split-time narrative between 2021 when Pamela travels back to Tallahassee on receiving a death threat and between 1974 (Ruth and Tina's story) and 1978 (the killings at the sorority house and the aftermath). Each of these timelines and events make for compelling reading and show how ill-equipped law enforcement was to deal with a criminal like Bundy and of how little value the lives of women were. In fact, even after the brutal attack on the sorority, the city authorities refused to compensate them for their losses blaming the girls for allegedly letting Bundy in! Can you believe that?! Since the crimes had a sexual component to them, the state officials assumed that the girls had something to do with it and it was their fault that this monster killed and grievously injured them in their own home! 

4. Loved the characters- Pamela, Tina, Ruth. Each of their stories was moving and interesting. The lives of women in the 70s- their challenges, their desire to do more with themselves, their messed up relationships with their parents- all of it was so interesting. Don't want to give too much away here but this was one of my most favourite aspects of the book. 

5. The writing is beautiful and the narrative is fast-paced. There is a lot that the book makes you think and question and I loved that about it. This is a must-read book for all women, especially, if you are true crime fans. 

Rating: 5/5 

Book Review: The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino and Movie Review: Jaane Jaan

 

Book: Devotion of Suspect X

Author: Keigo Higashono 

Pages: 448

Read on: Kindle and Paperback 

Read in: ~4 hours 

Plot Summary: Yasuko Hanaoka accidentally kills her ex-husband, when circumstances rose to an unendurable level of ghastly behaviour from him. What follows is an elongated and witty brain-game between the investigator and her accomplice, Ishigami, who aided Yasuko in covering up the murder. 

The Devotion Of Suspect X is the story about an ingenious plotter, and clever Dr Manabu Yukawa, who helps in solving the case.

Yasuko Hanaoka works in a restaurant. She is divorced, and is a single mother to Misato. Her ex-husband, Togashi, was an abusive man, stalking and extorting money from her. With similar intentions, he showed up at Yasuko’s home, this time threatening to kill her and her daughter if she refused to lend him money. What started from denial, reached to a heated argument, and within a short span of time, turned to a nasty fight. In the spur of the moment, Yasuko killed Togashi. 

Hearing the commotion in their apartment, Tetsuya Ishigami came into the picture. Ishigami was a middle-aged, single math teacher, who evidently had a growing affection for Yasuko. He offered not only to help her dispose of the corpse, but also to devise a logical plan to cover up the entire incident.Later, the body was recovered from where it was disposed of. 

The principal investigator, Kusanagi, was certain of Yasuko’s involvement with the murder but was unable to find sufficient evidence. For a better insight, he summoned the assistance of the ingenious physicist, Dr Manabu Yukawa. Yukawa was a schoolfriend of Ishigami, and he suspected Ishigami. As the story progresses, there are more interesting twists and turns, keeping the readers thrilled and speculating.

Review: I first read The Devotion of Suspect X in 2013, a year after it released and became a global sensation. However, this blog did not exist back then and so, no review of the book exists here. 

With the recent release of Jaane Jaan, the Netflix movie based on the book, I found myself wanting to re-read the book just to see how similar and different the movie was from the book. 

The book is brilliant, fairly fast-paced, with great characters and an undercurrent of humanity and philosophy. It is smart writing and the twist-in-the-tale is really good! 

The cat-and-mouse game between Ishigami and Yukawa is really nicely done with each trying to outwit the other. The way in which Ishigami plans the whole cover-up and the price he pays for his "devotion" to Yasuko is smart and heartbreaking. Yukawa figuring out Ishigami's plan and his reluctance to turn in his friend but still doing the right thing was beautifully depicted. The book is a crime thriller but with a lot of heart. 

The characters are well written and as you go through each of their journeys you will come to care about them. None of them are cardboard cut-outs but come across as real people with their values, ethical dilemmas, insecurities and strengths. 

This is an absolutely must-read book and I highly recommend it! 

Rating: 4.5/5 

Jaane Jaan is an official adaptation of The Devotion of Suspect X and it released on Netflix on September 21st. 

We watched it over the weekend and here are some thoughts: 

1. Jaane Jaan is quite different from The Devotion of Suspect X and not necessarily in a good way. The character build-up is poor, the movie has done away with a few key characters and has tried to merge three characters into that played by Vijay Varma (Inspector Kusanagi, Professor Yukawa and Mr. Kudo from the book), which made his character very all-over-the-place and chaotic. We don't really get to know the people in this movie and so, there is really no connect with what becomes of any of them. It was very superficial and there is no sense of dread or urgency about the fates of these characters- you just don't get to care about them! 

2. There are some basic principles of maths, which form a key aspect of the murder mystery in the book. The movie doesn't even touch upon them and does a very slipshod job of integrating maths into murder. To be fair, perhaps mathematic principles don't translate well on film. So, this is not really a deal breaker but given the 'Teacher' (Jaideep Ahlawat's character) is a Maths genius, there should've been a better way to explain the P=NP principle and how it applied to the cover-up of the murder. 

3. The ending is super-rushed. The movie starts off slow and then, at some point, it picks up speed and hurtles towards the end. How Vijay Varma's character cracks the case (or a part of it) and what really happened is shown very quickly. 

Now, it may sound like I am bashing the movie, but if you haven't read the book, then perhaps you'd like it well enough. So, maybe go into it with an open mind and watch it as a slightly slow-burn thriller. :) 

The movie is set in Kalimpong and the beautiful foggy landscape just made me miss my part of the world so so much! The cinematography is beautiful and the three lead actors are all good in their roles. 

So, it is a movie that is worth watching, especially, if you haven't read the book. 

Have a great week ahead! 

Book Review: The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club #4)

 

Book: The Last Devil to Die 

Author: Richard Osman 

Pages: 432

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~4 hours 

Plot Summary: 

Shocking news reaches the Thursday Murder Club.

An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing.

As the gang springs into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home.

With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out? And who will be the last devil to die?

Things I Liked: 

1. It was so good to be reunited with the four octogenarians and their cop friends! The Thursday Murder Club series of books has been an annual favourite and it is always nice to visit with the fun and fearless senior citizens as they poke their noses into police matters to solve a murder or two. Previous books in the series have been reviewed - The Thursday Murder Club, The Man Who Died Twice and The Bullet That Missed. This is a good series to pick up if you enjoy "cozy" (ugh! have such mixed feelings about this term) murder mysteries and like characters with chutzpah. 

2. When I'd read the very first book in this series, I was concerned if all the stories would be set within the confines of the Cooper Chase Retirement Community, where our main characters lived and if that were to be the case, then all future stories would seem really contrived! After all, how many murders and murder-y shenanigans can seniors get up to in a Retirement Community?! Thankfully, all books have been set in places/ locations outside of the Retirement Community and have added to my continued enjoyment of the series. 

In this book, the murder is set in the world of antiques and antiquities. The victim is Kuldesh Sharma, an antique dealer and close friend of Elizabeth's husband- Stephen. Kuldesh is murdered on a cold, snowy night in the middle of nowhere and there are no clues of any kind for the cops to work with till our Fantastic Four get involved. 

3. As with all the books in this series, I loved the dynamic of the characters involved. The seniors not giving a f*ck about procedures and rules ('cos at almost 80, what do they have to lose?!) and the cops trying their best to keep their investigation close to the chest but succumbing and letting the Thursday Murder Club help them. There is a lot more willing collaboration between Chris and Donna (the cops) and our four octogenarians in this book and I loved the different routes of enquiries undertaken by each of them. 

4. The body count is higher in this book as well and it adds to the overall mystery and gives us several decent red herrings as well. When key suspects are found murdered and newer suspects are also found murdered, it makes you wonder what the heck is going on and if there are yet-to-be-unveiled players in the background? 

5. These books are about old people - their memories, lived experiences and struggles with mortality. So, they always make me think about the passage of time, growing old and losing the people we love and sometimes, even losing our own minds. So, there were parts of this book that made me think and ruminate and feel melancholy about how quickly life goes by. 

6. The reveal of the killers is nicely done and you may not see it coming, which is always a pleasant surprise in this genre. 

Rating: 4.5/5 

Vignettes: Slow September Days! (Bookmarks +Books + Ganesh Chaturthi)

 Why does September feel like the year is nearly over already? 

Like life ought to slow down and amble towards end of year festivity? 

September always reminds me of dhol and music and lights all over my city. 

The time for Ganesh Chaturthi and festive season officially arriving here in India. 

Ganpu is here today. And all morning I've heard music, dhol and merriment and chants. 

The light looks festive too. Brighter and warmer somehow. 

:) 

I hope you are having a lovely day. 

And I hope these ten days are happy and wonderful for everyone celebrating. 

I am so happy to see Mumbai come out and celebrate. 

Our little celebration at home this morning. 

🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔

I am so desperately manifesting some remotely autumn like weather. Sadly, it's been so dry and hot and just not remotely cozy here and it's driving me insane. 

Alas, I look at everyone else, in the West, enjoying the beginnings of cozy days and slipping into fall. 

I have so many thrillers sitting on my Kindle that I am dyinggg to read, I am waiting for a suitably rainy day to read something truly spooky. Sadly, my luck lately with scary/mystery/thriller books has been so terrible. 

All this month, I've read some five thrillers and each one has been a sore disappointment. 

:( 

So I've stepped away to focus on other sorts of reading instead. 

Like the Booker Books.

I've read one book from the Booker Long List, All The Little Bird Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow, which I loved very much. 

I have two more books on my Kindle. 

A Spell of Good Things by Ayobami Adebayo 

& 

Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry 

And I've tried and stopped and picked it up again and stopped again, with both the books.

I am especially sad that Adebayo's new book is jut not working for me. I absolutely loved Stay With Me. So I had such high hopes from this book but for the life of me, cannot move past the 5% mark. And honestly, I don't want to force myself to read something that's not pulling me in. 

I want to get the Paul Murray- The Bee Sting and Pearl by Sian Hughes. In fact, I might just get them today. 

I feel like treating myself to some books today. Plus, my Dad randomly sent me some money this morning, out of the blue, he sent me money. 

I am not complaining and I might just use it to buy some good books. 

Thanks Baba. 

:) 

September has been slow and wonderful otherwise. I've read some 12 books (two graphic novels) and mostly reading has been good. And I've been watching some amazing things. I will do a little TV and Film recommendation soon. 

Recently, I binged all six episodes of Wilderness (on Prime) which is based on a book and I have some thoughts, it definitely made stop and think and mull over things about actions and adultery. 

More on this later. 

OK how cute is this bookmark? 

And this should be my mantra and something I am genuinely trying to do. 

More books. 

Less time on my phone. 

This bookmark is from Riya Designs. 

September has also been about sweet treats and eating yums. 

This Pain au Chocolat from Theobroma is a new favourite. 

I love it. 

Also warm apple pie and vanilla ice-cream is a match made in heaven. 

Love it. 

For years this was my go to order, many a meal at Basillico and Indigo Deli would end with an apple pie and I am happy to find myself back in love with it. 

I hope September is treating you well. 

I am hoping to read a little and get some rest and sort out some random plumbing issues we've been having in our flat for the last four days! 

Ugh! 

But now I am off to eat a modak or two and calm down and have a chill day. 

:) 

Monday Moods: Things to Watch This Week

 

Hello, hello,

I hope your Monday has been good. 

If you are looking for something to watch tonight or maybe something nice this week, I have Five Things to Watch. 

So let's just jump in. 

Friday Night Plan: This teen, coming-of-age and shenanigans-filled film on Netflix was such good fun. It was sweet, funny and has its heart in the right place. I liked how school life and different cliques are shown in a believable way. The popular kids aren't some monsters and relentlessly evil. It shows friendships in schools in a way that seemed so real. I had such a fun time watching this and if you need something short and fun and nostalgic watch this. 

It's streaming on Netflix. 

The After Party: This is a suspense-whodunnit-comedy. The second season recently wrapped up and if you are looking for something to binge, I highly recommend both seasons of this quirky show and the mystery is also decent. Both seasons are solid and fun and you can watch this over the week. 

This is streaming on Apple TV. 

The Changeling: Another Apple TV find, this show is based on the popular book by the same name. Three episodes are out now and it's about a couple (Emma and Apollo) in NYC who meet, fall in love and get married and have a child. But once the baby is born, the mother starts acting very strangely and saying the child is not her baby and is something else entirely. Then something horrible happens and the man, Apollo is left behind looking for answers and his wife. I binged all three episodes in one sitting and I cannot wait to watch the rest. It's spooky, mysterious and very nicely done. 

This is streaming on Apple TV. 

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret: Oh boy! This sweet little film just hits the spot. Based on a beloved, cult classic YA book by Judy Blume, this film is a wonderful adaptation that gets everything right. There is so much heart and love and angst and warmth in this story and this film. I adored it and even if you haven't read the book, you should watch this. It's so so so cute. 

Streaming on Netflix. 

The Black Demon: I love shark films. I just do. Ever since I saw Jaws, back when I was seven years old I am always game for a shark attack film. Always. This one is about a Megalodon. And a cursed one at that. It's a shark attack + lore + curse + more. It was fun and entertaining. 

This is streaming on Lionsgate Play. 

Book Review: The Rocky Road to Ruin & Other Ice Cream Shop Mystery Series by Meri Allen

Hello, hello,

It is September and all of the Western hemisphere is getting excited for fall/ colder days! Now, for us in India, we have two more hot months to endure before it starts getting cooler but we can already start getting into a cozy state of mind via books! 

With that in mind, here are some recommendations of three 'cozy' murder mysteries by Meri Allen. 

Book 1: The Rocky Road to Ruin by Meri Allen 

Plot Summary: Riley Rhodes, travel food blogger and librarian at the CIA, makes a bittersweet return to her childhood home of Penniman, Connecticut - land of dairy farms and covered bridges - for a funeral. Despite the circumstances, Riley's trip home is sprinkled with reunions with old friends, visits to her father's cozy bookshop on the town green, and joyful hours behind the counter at the beloved Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop. It feels like a time to help her friend Caroline rebuild after her mother's death, and for Riley to do a bit of her own reflecting after a botched undercover mission in Italy. After all, it's always good to be home.

But Caroline and her brother Mike have to decide what to do with the assets they've inherited - the ice cream shop as well as the farm they grew up on - and they've never seen eye to eye. Trouble begins to swirl as Riley is spooked by reports of a stranger camping behind the farm and by the odd behavior of the shop's mascot, Caroline's snooty Persian, Sprinkles. When Mike turns up dead in the barn the morning after the funeral, the peace and quiet of Penniman seems upended for good. Can Riley find the killer before another body gets scooped?

Review: This is such a great first book in a series of cozy murder mysteries. Set in a small town in Connecticut, the writing brings the town of Penniman alive along with its sundry charming characters and secrets. 

As far as the mystery goes, it is a pretty decent one. There are a few red herrings but it is not that difficult to guess who the killer is. 

So, if you are someone who does not like hard core, violent, gory murder mysteries, then this is the book for you. 

The characters are lovely. The whole vibe of the book is cozy and cute and there is a proper murder to solve too!

Rating: 4/5 

Book 2: Mint Chocolate Murder by Meri Allen 

Plot Summary: When Udderly Delightful Ice Cream shop manager Riley Rhodes is summoned to Penniman’s Moy Mull Castle, it’s the cherry on top of a successful summer season. The gothic pile built by an eccentric New England Gilded Age millionaire has been transformed into a premiere arts colony by Maud Monaco, a reclusive former supermodel. As part of Moy Mull’s Fall Arts Festival, Maud is throwing a fantasy ice cream social and hires Riley to whip up unique treats to celebrate the opening of an exhibit by Adam Blasco, a photographer as obnoxious as he is talented.

As Penniman fills up with Maud’s art-world friends arriving for the festival, gossip swirls around Blasco, who has a dark history of obsession with his models. Riley’s curiosity and instincts for sleuthing – she was a CIA librarian – are piqued, and she wonders at the hold the cold-hearted photographer has over the mistress of Moy Mull.

But when Adam is found dead behind the locked door of Moy Mull’s dungeon, Riley realizes there’s more than one suspect who’d wanted put the malicious photographer on ice.

Review: A sophomore effort that is not at all disappointing. The writing, characters and overall fall-in-New-England feels are so perfect. The crime itself is interest and there are several red herrings as well. 

Like I said, it is not the most challenging to figure out who the killer is but there is so much more to these books than just murder solving! 

Rating: 4/5 

Book 3: Fatal Fudge Swirl by Meri Allen 

Plot Summary: Former CIA librarian and amateur sleuth Riley Rhodes is loving her fresh start as the manager of the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop. The leaves are turning, tourists are leaf-peeping, and Penniman, Connecticut is putting finishing touches on the weekend long Halloween Happening. But the village is also buzzing. Former child star Cooper Collins is overseeing the production of a romantic comedy that’s filming on the town green and his domineering socialite mother, Diantha, is planning her lavish Halloween themed wedding at her Inn on the Green. Her fiancé has run the Inn's kitchen for years, ably aided by his recent ex-wife, chef Mary Ann Dumas. An old friend of Riley’s, Mary Ann turns to her when the bride requests a spooky ice cream wedding cake.

But the weekend takes a frightful turn when Diantha is found dead and suspicion falls on Mary Ann. The cast of potential suspects is long―each wedding guest had a chilling motive to kill the vicious heiress. Can Riley unmask the murderer before another guest ends up on ice?

Review: Compared to the first two books, Fatal Fudge Swirl is much more layered and nuanced as a murder mystery. There are many more characters at play and multiple people with motives to murder Diantha. 

Plus, we are in full Halloween mode and just the description of the lovely New England fall foliage made me so nostalgic for Octobers in that part of the world. 

Rating: 4.5/5 

If you love murder mysteries with a cozy backdrop, lovely characters and strong relationships, then these three books are just perfect for you. 

Book Haul: Books of August 2023.

 Hello Loves! 

August was a month of more reading and very little book buying. I went nearly all month without buying a single book, because my reading for the month was more than sorted. I hate a basket full of books waiting for me and I had no real need for books. 

But then I spent an afternoon bookshop hopping and of course didn't leave empty handed. 

I bought a total of 7 books and here is a little haul. 

I went to Granth Books in Juhu and went to the iconic Prithvi Theatre and browsed at their bookshop Paperback and picked some books. 

Here they are. 

A Korean historical fiction, that I mainly picked up for my sister who immediately picked it up and read it. A review will come soon. This is set in Korean and Hawaii and is about Picture Brides, basically a kind of arranged marriage between Korean girls and Korean men that were immigrants in the US. I was drawn in by the cover and I am so glad the book is beautiful inside as well. 

This book was on my radar for a while and when I saw it in person, I decided to pick it up. This has so much buzz and I have heard nothing but good things about it, so I am very excited to pick it up. 

An Anita Desai I had never even heard of! 

So of course I picked it up. 

I read pretty much all of Anita Desai's work in a year (back in 2016-17) and it's been a while since I've read her, so this will get read soon. 

Picked this up at Prithvi and I am very excited to read and learn about this heady romance. 

Ray and Apu, what's not to love? 

Read already and loved very much. 

Some Shanta Gokhale and a book set in my city. 

This sounds so good and I am hoping I love it. 

Its about friendship and the city. 

And finally picked up something from the Booker Long List. 

This one sounds good and it's about a mum and daughter and I am hoping this one is good and a decent way to kick off some Booker Prize reading for 2023. Frankly, the list is completely alien to me, I haven't read anything from it and I haven't even looked up the books. 

But now that my month of only Indian Books is up, I could look into some Booker Books. 

BOOKS BOUGHT: 

The Zigzag Way by Anita Desai 

Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer 

The Picture Bride by Lee Guem-yi 

Amrita-Imroz by Uma Trilok 

Crowfall by Shanta Gokhale 

All The Little Bird-Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow 

Stationery Sunday: Planner and Journal Pages, September 2023.

 

I begin every month setting up my monthly pages. 

It's a little ritual. 

It sets my tone for the month to come. 

I don't do a whole lot but I like to go in and put stickers and decor bits. 

My journal especially is set up and  have my monthly goals set. 

The front page of my Atelier Neorah planner, which I am enjoying very much. 

My Journal page for September. 

I have used some fall-ish colours to infuse some cozy vibes for my month. 

This is my September page in my planner, we don't get a whole page at the start of the month, so I end up using the first day of the month to decorate and set the tone for the month to come. 

A page to set some Weekend Goals. And since I plan on watching a film or two, the girl with a popcorn tub sticker was perfect! 

Some more pages for the first week of the month. 

Sticker supply. 

And my tin full of stickers and ephemera. 

:) 

Hello September 2023 + Current Reads + 10 Things to Watch This Weekend.

Hello September! 

Hello Festivity! 

Hello Fall (not here) vibes! 

Hello Spooky Books! 

Hello my Favourite Quarter of the Year!  

I hope this month is kind and gentle and wonderful for all of us. 

I am so excited for Janmashthami and Ganesh Chaturthi. 

:) 

And figuring out my plans for Durga Puja. 

And I am happy to read from all over the world, now that my India only month is over. 

I am working on my TBR and I think this is going to be a month of reading some Lit Fic and a ton of thrillers because it's been raining thrillers all over. 

I have already started my month with two books. 

One thriller, The Last Girls Standing by Jennifer Dugan- this is about two girls who survive a massacre at a Camp and after this near brush with death, things are not as they seemed to be.

What happened that night?

Were the killings that straight forward? 

This book will remind you of several cult classic horror films, slashers mostly and there is a long arc of mystery. But..overall it was not was I was hoping for. The main mystery was kinda weird (not really a mystery as such) and easy to guess. 

All The Little Bird-Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow: I also started reading this book yesterday,my first read from the Booker Long List. This is set in 1988 and it's about a mother and daughter duo and how a new couple enters their lives and things are no longer the same. I am 25 pages in and quite enjoying it. The mother, who is the main protagonist clearly struggles with mental health issues and if I had to guess some form of OCD and reading about how mind works and how hard she works to assimilate in the world is really different and interesting. 

💚💚💚💚💚💚

Now for some TV and Film recommendations and 10 Things You  Can Binge this Weekend. 

1. I See You is a thriller movie that has a nice little twist and I don't want to give any more of the plot away and so, if you enjoy serial killer stories and domestic-ish thrillers then do give this a go. It's streaming on Prime Video.

2. You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah is a teeny-bopper drama-comedy about two childhood best friends navigating their coming-of-age turbulence and learning some important life lessons along the way. Streaming on Netflix. 

3. The Killer Book Club is, as the name tells you, a slasher movie. Dubbed from Spanish, this one is a decent slasher flick, though, it is pretty easy to guess who the killer is. Streaming on Netflix.

4. The Chelsea Detective is a charming, fun detective series that is perfect for those sweet September days! We, recently, added a BBC iPlayer subscription to our Prime Video and have been loving this series. Great characters, decent mysteries and beautiful Chelsea neighbourhoods. Streaming on Prime/ BBC iPlayer. 

5. Shakespeare & Hathaway is a fun detective series with all kinds of big and small crimes. I enjoy watching it for the laughs as much as I do for the cases. Streaming on BBC iPlayer. 

6. Por Thozhil is a Tamil serial killer movie and it is a pretty good one at that. Streaming on SonyLiv.

7. One Thousand and One Lies is a lovely Malayalam movie about big and small lies and the havoc that they can wreck on relationships. Streaming on SonyLiv.

8. Aakhri Sach is a fictionalised re-telling of the tragic and mysterious Burari deaths case. It is a bit meandering as of now but if you were interested in that case then this is a good show to watch. Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

9. Siyaah is a Pakistani thriller-horror series that has new episodes every weekend. It is available on YouTube and the stories are very nice and interesting. 

10. Kumudini Bhawan is a murder mystery involving a boarding house and its various inhabitants in Kolkata. A decent watch. Streaming on Hoichoi.