Book Review: The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

 

Book: The House Across the Lake 

Author: Riley Sager 

Pages: 368

Read in: ~3 hours

Read on: Kindle 

Plot Summary: Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to the peace and quiet of her family’s lake house in Vermont. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of bourbon, she passes the time watching Tom and Katherine Royce, the glamorous couple living in the house across the lake. They make for good viewing—a tech innovator, Tom is powerful; and a former model, Katherine is gorgeous.

One day on the lake, Casey saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship. But the more they get to know each other—and the longer Casey watches—it becomes clear that Katherine and Tom’s marriage isn’t as perfect as it appears. When Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey immediately suspects Tom of foul play. What she doesn’t realize is that there’s more to the story than meets the eye—and that shocking secrets can lurk beneath the most placid of surfaces. 

Thoughts: We've had a very mixed experience with Riley Sager's books. Some of them were good and the more recent of his works were just AWFUL! You can read our reviews for his previous works by clicking on the names of the books- Survive the Night, Lock Every Door, The Last Time I Lied. So, it was some trepidation that I picked up this book hoping that it might be one of his better ones and, honestly, now that it has been two days since I've finished it, I am not entirely sure if I love it or just like. Well, at least, I didn't hate it! 

Things I Liked: 

1. The premise, though somewhat similar to the Rear Window and The Woman in the Window, was still quite interesting. There is something innately voyeuristic in all of us. Why else do you think shows like Bigg Boss/ Big Brother continue to do so well?! *grin* We are curious about the lives of others, even if it is in a harmless sort of way, which is exactly how Casey's obsession with her neighbour's across the lake started off as. 

Casey, a troubled, recently widowed movie star (supporting roles and Broadway only) is drowning her sorrows and getting over her latest scandal by lying low at her family's lakeside cabin when she comes across the Royces- former supermodel- Katherine- and social media millionaire- Tom. She starts watching them just because she can- their home is all glass and stone and everything is visible when the lights come on. Casey is bored and so, she starts looking the evening after she saves Katherine from drowning. 

2. The book is very atmospheric and the whole Vermont-in-the-fall, a few isolated cabins around a smallish lake setting is brought to life really well. You feel sucked into Casey and Katherine's world and life near the lake quite effortlessly. 

3. There are two or three main mysteries in the book. 

I won't tell you the first one because it is not presented as a mystery but if you are an avid crime fiction reader, the circumstances of the death of one character will seem very suspicious to you, even if you are made to believe that their death was accidental. *grin* 

Anyway, moving on, the second mystery is that about what is going on between Katherine and Tom. Katherine suddenly vanishes after Casey witnesses an altercation between her and Tom and she is convinced that Tom, whose social media platform is not doing too well, did off with his wife for the money. So, that whole mystery and how Casey, with the help of her ex-cop neighbour- Boone- investigates it is quite nicely done. 

The third mystery is about three missing girls from the general area of lake over the past couple of years. All girls were around 18-19 years old and really pretty and they just vanished one fine day without any trace. So, what happened to those girls and did any of our characters have something to do with it is another mystery that the book delves into. 

4. Katherine's story has an interesting twist- let's leave it at that. Telling you the nature of the twist will be a major spoiler, but since you may decide to buy or not buy this book based on this review, it is fair to point out that whatever happens to Katherine is not quite natural. There! That's the best I can do to maintain a balance between not ruining the whole book and not giving you a little hint of what happens to Katherine. :) 

5. The book is quite fast-paced and unputdownable. Always a good thing be for a crime thriller. 

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. Mystery #1was quite obvious and easy to guess. Though the reason was not-very-easy to guess. I think, maybe, the reader is meant to guess it?! I don't know. The author could have made it a little less obvious just to add to the thriller quotient of the book. 

Rating: 4/5 

This book is a huge improvement over Riley Sager's Survive the Night and I had no regrets in reading this one! Recommend it if you enjoy atmospheric thrillers. 

Haul: Painted Totes and Pouch from Ayenaa.

 Hello Loves! 

Time to share a little haul from recent times. 

I love all things handmade and painted and things that are unique. 

I came across Ayenaa on IG a while back I had to get myself some of her beautiful creations. 

We, sister and I, picked two totes. One pouch and one sling bag. 

Here is what we got. 

This is the pouch. Look at the beautiful art and look at those colours. 

This is the tote. 

Look how gorgeous. 

I love the woman and the bird. This one my sister picked out, she loves birds and we love the old fashioned Bengali vibe of this one. 

I also got myself this circle sling bag. The oodles of yellow and the this portrait really called out to me. 

The bag itself is quite roomy and wonderful and even though it's small, it will fit all of my essentials. I also like that the strap is cotton and not leather or PVC, it goes well with the vibe of the bag. 

And finally I got this beautiful owl bag for myself. I LOVE owls and this fellow with his big eyes was just too hard to pass up. 

Go check out Ayenaa on IG and get yourself something beautiful. 

I had a very good experience ordering from the shop. Everything was smooth. And the quality of the things is great too. 

:)

 

Book Review: Here, There and Everywhere by Sudha Murty.

 

Book: Here, There and Everywhere 

Author: Sudha Murty 

Publisher: Penguin India 

Pages: 224

How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 days 

Plot Summary: Wearer of many hats-philanthropist, entrepreneur, computer scientist, engineer, teacher-Sudha Murty has above all always been a storyteller extraordinaire. Winner of the R.K. Narayan Award for Literature, the Padma Shri, the Attimabbe Award from the government of Karnataka for excellence in Kannada literature, and the Raymond Crossword Lifetime Achievement Award, her repertoire includes adult non-fiction, adult fiction, children's books, travelogues and technical books. Here, There and Everywhere is a celebration of her literary journey and is her 200th title across genres and languages. Bringing together her best-loved stories from various collections alongside some new ones and a thoughtful introduction, here is a book that is, in every sense, as multifaceted as its author.

Things I Liked: 

1. I always enjoy coming back to Sudha Murty and her work. Her writing style is simple and approachable and comforting. Something about her stories makes me feel like I am visiting with a wise aunt and listening to her talk about her days. This collection was no different. Tinged with elements I have come to associate and enjoy about her writing. 

2. Though the book says these are the best of her stories...let's get one thing straight these are not her works of fiction. These are all non-fiction writings. Stories..well instances from her life and lessons she wants to share. So please go in knowing that. 

3. Almost all of these 'stories' were re-reads for me. I have read pretty much everything SM has written and these stories are ones I have read and loved re-visiting them again. 

4. If you've never read SM's writing before, this collection is a good place to start. To try her writing and read some of her best stories. 

5. These stories cover a wide span of time, right from her childhood, college days to her married life and to the present. They are good representation of various times in her life and her journey. 

6. I love the timeless lessons in these stories. 

7. This was such a quick and interesting read, and one I read with a smile on my face. 

Rating: 4/5 

Book Review: The Beauty of all my Days- A Memoir by Ruskin Bond

 

Book: The Beauty of all my Days

Author: Ruskin Bond 

Publisher: Penguin India

Pages: 200 pages

Read: The hardback copy pictured above 

Read in: 3 hours 

Plot Summary: So here I am, delving into the past like Monsieur Poirot, not to solve a mystery, but to try to understand some of the events that have helped define the sort of person I have become. Some of it, naturally, is in the genes; but much of it is in the environment, in the circumstances in which we grow up, in the people who come into our lives, even in the air we breathe.

Had I grown up in London or Timbuktu, I would have been a different sort of person, I'm sure. My parents (and those before them) made me. But India made me too. The soil, the air, the wind, the rain, the trees, the grass, the proximity of people-all these things made me . . .

Different things at different times helped to make the individual that is me, just as different things at different times helped to make you, just as they went into making your brothers and sisters, who are very different from you.

'Do I contradict myself? Very well, then, I contradict myself,' said Walt Whitman.

Each chapter of this memoir is a remembrance of times past, an attempt to resurrect a person or a period or an episode, a reflection on the unpredictability of life. Some paths lead nowhere; others lead to a spring of pure water. Take any path and hope for the best. At least it will lead you out of the shadows.

Things I Liked: 

1. Ruskin Bond is always a good idea! Whether it is his fiction or non-fiction! This is the second memoir (of sorts) written by him that I have read! 

2. This book is not exactly a memoir in the strictest sense, it's not linear. It goes from childhood, to his young days and his current life. It flits from one time period to another and it gives you a whole look at his illustrious life. 

3. I love reading about Bond's childhood, of course the colourful descriptions found in his fiction are not the same as his real life, still, even the less than perfect moments of his young life make for wonderful reading. 

4. I love reading about writers and how they go about honing their craft and go about the business of writing and story telling. If you write, like me, you will love this book and reading about Ruskin Bond's writing journey. 

5. Ditto for mountains and all things hills. This book left like a little vacation I took to the mountains. 

6. This book has some beautiful pictures from Bond's life, from his childhood to all the way to present day. They added so much context in this book. I loved seeing these pictures and seeing his life unfold through them. 

Rating: 4/5 

Loved it. 

Hello June!

 

Hello June!

Happy 9th Birthday to this little blog! :) 

Started out June by visiting with an aunt and uncle who I had not met in 4 years! Had a lovely adda and PNPC (beloved Bengali acronym for gossip!) session along with yum Bengali snacks! 

Sharing some pics of my evening! 

Hoping this month is kind to all of us! 

My Mom's childhood home's Kaali temple. So many stories and so many fun memories for all of us are held here. 

My uncle was a tea planter and is a certified tea taster. He was known for his amazing tea blends whilst he was in the business. Even today, he gave us some really great Assam tea! But this, oh betrayal!, is coffee! :) 

Even a short visit ten-minutes away meant getting out of my pyjamas and into some "outside world" clothes! Wore a soft cotton kurti from Inji and this lovely handmade pendant by Banerii. Both bought off their Instagram stores! 

Have a great month ahead, guys!