Hello!
Lo and Behold January is nearly gone and it's time to document and give mini-reviews for everything I read this month.
Confession Time: Every year one of my reading & blogging goals is bound to be about being regular with these reading wrap-ups. Theoretically, this is a splendid idea. You get to share every book you've read and it's easy to go back and see what you read and loved in a given month. Makes the year end list making so much easier.
But...for some unknown reason, most likely sheer laziness, I SUCK at keeping this resolution. I do it for a month or two and then BAM! I forget all about it!
:(
In 2019 I really, really hope to do better!
I will try my hardest.
So with that being said let's jump into every thing I read in January.
JANUARY 2019 READING WRAP-UP.
1. STORIES FROM SARAT CHANDRA- INNOCENCE AND REALITY: I put a lot of thought into what I start my year with, book wise and other wise too. For books I choose to start my year with one of favourite Bengali writers (who I've obviously only read in translation)- Sarat Chandra. I love this stories and his style of telling stories. This one was a collection of short stories, I have only read his longer work before, so this was a new experience for me and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved it and this was indeed a good way for me to start my year.
4/5
2. THE BICYCLE THEIF & OTHER STORIES BY MANISH SAHU: TBH, I started reading this book in the last few days of December but read most of it in January. This was a collection of short stories that were a fun ride. It dealt with everyday life, some of them had a fun twist, some dealt with strangers meeting and others with a slice of life sorta vibe. Enjoyable and good. I love when I find a good book via my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
3.5/5
3. MY SISTER THE SERIAL KILLER BY OYINKAN BRAITHWAITE: An incredible novella about sisters and family and murders. Reviewed this on the blog as well. Read this book now.
5/5
3. MY SISTER THE SERIAL KILLER BY OYINKAN BRAITHWAITE: An incredible novella about sisters and family and murders. Reviewed this on the blog as well. Read this book now.
5/5
4. THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD BY AGATHA CHRISTIE: Another of my reading goals is to read a Christie book a month, well, re-read in most cases, since I have read a fair few of her books. I started my year with this one. The first ever book written by an unreliable narrator. A path breaking book if there ever was. An amazing mystery and a unique way of telling a whodunit. A classic for a reason.
4/5
5. KITTU'S VERY MAD DAY BY HARSHIKA UDASI: A book about the madcap adventures of a little boy on getting lost and separated from this family. Fun and funny. I really appreciated that our protagonist Kittu was specially abled, it is so nice to see different kinds of representation in books, especially kid's books. It's nice to expose kids to all kinds of characters and let them see that you can be anyone and still have adventures and do anything.
3/5
6. MOONGPHALI BY NEHA SINGH AND MUKESH CHHABRA, ILLUSTRATED BY SONAL GUPTA VASWANI: Another collection of short stories, these were so fun. I enjoyed every single story. It was fun and entertaining and if I, an adult like them so much, I am sure kids will like it too. It was also full of wonderful life lessons and things to mull over. A great read.
4/5
7. SWANSONG BY MADHAVI S. MAHADEVAN: A short novella length book about an investigation into a suicide of a girl who seemingly had it all. A good mix of investigation, a solid soy line and a mystery. I read this book in one siting and really enjoyed it.
4/5
8. PAPER GHOSTS BY JULIA HEABERLIN: This thriller was a tad bit disappointing. It wasn't bad by any means but it just didn't work for me. The plot was promising enough but it got boring very soon. By 23% in I was a little disconnected with the story and a little bit bored.
2/5
9. CLOSE, TOO CLOSE EDITED BY MEENU & SHRUTI: A bid to read some books out of my comfort zone. Diverse on multiple counts.
Queer Writing.
Erotica.
Something I need to delve more into. To read books from voices very different from my normal reading comfort zone. I enjoyed these stories and they were entertaining and intense.
Good stuff.
3/5
10. THE FOREST OF ENCHANTMENTS BY CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI: My most awaited release of the year and it was a good.
A full review is up on already.
4/5
11. ANITA A TROPHY WIFE BY SUJATHA, TRANSLATED BY MEERA RAVISHANKAR: Fun and very masaledar. This was a fun read, reminded me of very 70s Bollywood and something I read in one sitting. I defiantly want to read more pulp fiction this year and more popular translated fiction from different parts of the country.
2.5/5
12. DARK CIRCLES BY UDAYAN MUKHERJEE: An incredible book which I thoroughly enjoyed. A story about two brothers and a death bed secret from their estranged mother and the havoc it creates on their lives.
I will do a full review soon.
4/5
13. AHIMSA BY SUPRIYA KELKAR: This was my Republic Day read and it's about a 10 year old girl living in 1942 and how she gets involved with the freedom struggle and the Quit India movement in particular.
It was good, for most part, but I was a little bored some halfway through.
3/5
14. TEN HEADS OF TANUJ BY PRIYA NARAYANAN, ILLUSTRATED BY SHAMIKA CHAVES: An adorable little book about a boy's whose admiration for Raavan turns into 10 heads on his head. It was silly, funny and even informative on Raavan.
Good fun!
4/5
15. THE SUSPECT BY FIONA BARTON: A full review is up on the blog already, so won't talk about this one in great detail.
3/5
16. THE SLEEP TIGHT MOTEL BY LISA UNGER: An Amazon Original story I read via my Kindle Unlimited. So good. It had some very Pyscho like vibes but even better. It was really good.
4/5
17. THE PARROT AND THE MERCHANT BY ALI SEIDABAD, RETOLD AND ILLUSTRATED BY MARJAN VAFAEIAN: Ended my month with this adorable and charming fable of Rumi, re-imagined and told through art and words. It was delightful and the art absolutely stunning.
5/5
My DNF of the Month/// A book I started but put down.
PEACE HAS COME BY PARISMITA SINGH: Another set of short stories. I seem to have been in a major mood to dive into short stories this month. I am not complaining. I heard so many good things about this book all of last year that I picked it up in the first week of the year. Sadly, for one reason or another I just didn't stick to it. I kept losing interest and not quite feeling the stories. I read about 4-5 stories and put it down. I am sure I will at some point get back to it. But this just wasn't working for me this month.
That is every thing I read in January.
17 books, most of which I liked quite a bit.
A great start to my year and I can only hope and pray that the rest of 2019 follows suit.
I am very happy with everything I've read this month.
Did you have a good reading month?
Queer Writing.
Erotica.
Something I need to delve more into. To read books from voices very different from my normal reading comfort zone. I enjoyed these stories and they were entertaining and intense.
Good stuff.
3/5
10. THE FOREST OF ENCHANTMENTS BY CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI: My most awaited release of the year and it was a good.
A full review is up on already.
4/5
11. ANITA A TROPHY WIFE BY SUJATHA, TRANSLATED BY MEERA RAVISHANKAR: Fun and very masaledar. This was a fun read, reminded me of very 70s Bollywood and something I read in one sitting. I defiantly want to read more pulp fiction this year and more popular translated fiction from different parts of the country.
2.5/5
12. DARK CIRCLES BY UDAYAN MUKHERJEE: An incredible book which I thoroughly enjoyed. A story about two brothers and a death bed secret from their estranged mother and the havoc it creates on their lives.
I will do a full review soon.
4/5
13. AHIMSA BY SUPRIYA KELKAR: This was my Republic Day read and it's about a 10 year old girl living in 1942 and how she gets involved with the freedom struggle and the Quit India movement in particular.
It was good, for most part, but I was a little bored some halfway through.
3/5
14. TEN HEADS OF TANUJ BY PRIYA NARAYANAN, ILLUSTRATED BY SHAMIKA CHAVES: An adorable little book about a boy's whose admiration for Raavan turns into 10 heads on his head. It was silly, funny and even informative on Raavan.
Good fun!
4/5
15. THE SUSPECT BY FIONA BARTON: A full review is up on the blog already, so won't talk about this one in great detail.
3/5
16. THE SLEEP TIGHT MOTEL BY LISA UNGER: An Amazon Original story I read via my Kindle Unlimited. So good. It had some very Pyscho like vibes but even better. It was really good.
4/5
17. THE PARROT AND THE MERCHANT BY ALI SEIDABAD, RETOLD AND ILLUSTRATED BY MARJAN VAFAEIAN: Ended my month with this adorable and charming fable of Rumi, re-imagined and told through art and words. It was delightful and the art absolutely stunning.
5/5
My DNF of the Month/// A book I started but put down.
PEACE HAS COME BY PARISMITA SINGH: Another set of short stories. I seem to have been in a major mood to dive into short stories this month. I am not complaining. I heard so many good things about this book all of last year that I picked it up in the first week of the year. Sadly, for one reason or another I just didn't stick to it. I kept losing interest and not quite feeling the stories. I read about 4-5 stories and put it down. I am sure I will at some point get back to it. But this just wasn't working for me this month.
That is every thing I read in January.
17 books, most of which I liked quite a bit.
A great start to my year and I can only hope and pray that the rest of 2019 follows suit.
I am very happy with everything I've read this month.
Did you have a good reading month?
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