Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: June and July 2023.

 

Guys, I don't even how but July just got away from me. I skipped my June reading wrap-up on the 30th of June, thinking I'd do it in the first week of July. But before I knew it, I was in the last week of July wondering what the hell even happened to this month? 

I blame these gorgeous rainy days and the urge to just sit and spend my time reading one thriller after another and before you know it the month is over. 

Well, so today you get not one but two months worth of books and reviews and recommendations. 

:) 

So grab a drink and get cozy. 

Let's do this. 

I have 42 books to talk about, so let's begin. 

BOOKS OF JUNE 2023: 

1. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese: OK, this is pretty much the best book I've read so far in the year. It's brilliant and you have to read it now. 

I have a full review, which you can see HERE. 

5/5 

Love it. 

2. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto: This book had been on my radar for ages, I had heard nothing but amazing things about it and I was very pleased to finally read it. However, I liked it but didn't love it nearly as much as I had hoped I would. It's an intense read about grief and loss and finding a new family (of sorts). Nice but not great, in my opinion. 

2/5 

3. When in Rome by Sarah Adams: I read two sad-ish books back to back and was in need of some much needed cheer and some fluffy romcom. So I quite randomly picked this book up. It's about a famous popstar, who wants a break from her life and ends up stranded in a small town and runs into this grumpy pie baker and romance and shenanigans ensue. This was light and sweet and fun. Just what I needed. 

3/5 

4. Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott: This book is a slow burn thriller, a domestic one. A pregnant woman moves into her father-in-law's cabin in the middle of nowhere and what starts off as a caring and concerned in-law turns into something a little disturbing. This was a tense read, you feel this dread building up. You could guess a lot of the twists coming, at least I did. I liked it for most part. This author writes really layered and nuanced thrillers, which I tend to like. 

2/5 

5. Tinkle Origins Vol. 4  

6. Tinkle Origins Vol. 5: Read two volumes of my beloved childhood comic book and loved it. These feel like a hug and a little time machine back into the simpler times.  

5/5 

Always a good time. 

7. King of Wrath &

8. King of Pride by Ana Huang: More romance, this time a billionaire romance to swoon over. These were both fun and light and easy and a little bit steamy. 

3/5 for both. 

9. Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors: I had seen this book all over IG and it's one of those books that everyone was reading and loving and this is the kind of book I like to call 'Cool Girl Reads'. It's essentially a love story of sorts, a couple meets one night and falls hard for each other and get married soon thereafter. And the book is an exploration of their marriage, and in turn what this relationship does and how it effects those closest to the couple. We see friends and family and the couple themselves in the aftermath of this union and I found this interesting and compelling and very nicely written. Plus, it's set in NYC which I love. I liked it. Worth the hype it generated. 

3.5/5 

10. Wolfpack by Amelia Brunskill: I randomly picked up this book, I saw that it was about a cult and a group of girls within this cult and how one of them goes missing and the rest of them try to make sense of her disappearance. Also it's told in verse, which if done well I seem to like. 

I really loved this book. I read it in one sitting and I liked reading about the cult-something I always, always love and I liked getting to know these girls and see life on this commune. I also kinda liked that this cult...wasn't obviously vile and beyond bad. I mean, if you think about a cult/commune can't be all bad if so many people decide to stick around and this cult had it's good sides. It was messed up and problematic but the author did a good job of showing why people here were happy and also how deeply brainwashed folks were. 

4/5 

11. Mermaids in the Moonlight by Sharanya Manivannan: I read this beautifully illustrated children's book in one sitting over a cup of tea. It's about a mother and daughter and the myths and legends of mermaids from all over the world, which I found so utterly charming and interesting. A good time. 

4/5 

12. Monster Folktales from South Asia by Musharraf Ali Farouqui: More kidlit for me and this time some monster stories from the South Asia, things and legends and stories and tales from places all over our corner of the continent. Most of these were unheard of, for me and I really enjoying learning about these folktales and monsters. This was fun. 

3.5/5 

13. Ode to my First Car by Robin Gow: I read another book told in verse and this one about summer, first love, queerness and crushing on someone you aren't sure sees you in the same way. This was sweet and had all the angst of a teenager in love. It was a good read for Pride. 

2.5/5 

 14. The Wicked Unseen by Gigi Griffins: Something else I read for Pride. Set in 1996 this book, set in a very religious small-town talks about the Satanic Panic that had people seeing evil and devil worshiping all over the place. A phenomenon I've read about before. This is about a young queer girl who moves to a new town and is caught up in prejudice and suspicion when the local pastor's daughter goes missing. 

Kinda predictable, saw the mystery/twist coming from a mile away. 

2/5 

15. The Only One Left by Riley Sager: I had to get my hands on this as soon as it came out. It was low-key my most anticipated reads of the month. I buddy read this with my sister and I have review up for this one too. 

Go see. 

3/5 

16. The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett: Another buddy read for sis and me, I really love how this author tells her stories, she tells them through documents, notes, messages, texts and audio recordings. This one was about a classic children's book and it's supposed hidden code messages. It was fun enough but eventually this fell sort of flat for me. I've read all three of the author's books and this one sadly is my least favourite. 

2.5/5

17. How not to get wet in the Rain, 21 Stories for Tricky Times by Sunanda Kulkarni: It was quite rainy in June and this collection of 21 stories was the perfect sort of rainy day read. Sweet and sensible stories for kids and something even adults can enjoy. 

4/5 

18. Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie: I loved this book so much. It's a split perspective story, the first half told by one cousin and the second half by the other. We see the same situation, same life and same family from two very different view points and I love when books do this. We see one side the story, side with one person, judge the other and then BAM the story flips to the other side and we see a whole new angle. I love when books do this and this book did it so well. I went into this book pretty blind and absolutely loved it. 

5/5 

19. What we Carry by Maya Shanbhag: A memoir to end my reading month. And a book I had on my wishlist for a while and I read it at just the right time. This is a memoir about a mother and daughter, memory, family and seeing a parent you've put on a pedestal your whole life in a new light. I loved this book. I am so glad I finally read it and I read it now. 

4/5 

I also read a few picture books and children's books from PBS Story Weaver. 

Here is a little list. 

I loved them all. 

20. Paati's Gold by Meenu Thomas, Art by Kruttika Susarla 

21. Roy's Noisy Secret by Yamini Vijayyan and Anjali Kamat 

22. At Home by Shweta Ganesh Kumar, Art by Annanda Menon 

23. How Old is Muttajji? By Roopa Pai, Art by Kaveri Gopalakrishnan 

24. The Scavenger Hunt by Ajit Narra, Art by Arkapriya Koley 

25. A Shade of Green by Rya Jetha, Art by Sourav Sarkar 

26. Grandfather  goes on Strike by K.S. Nagarajan, Art by Neeta Gangopadhya 

27. Manu Mixes Clay and Sunshine by Bulbul Sharma, Art by Shanti Devi 

4/5 for all these happy little beautiful books. 

That was June. 

A month of 27 books read. 

And some truly amazing books. I had two 5 star reads, which never happens. 

A good, solid reading month. 

💜💜💜💜💜💜

BOOKS OF JULY: 

1. I Fell in Love with Hope by Lancali: I started the month with this flowery, too full of words and very little sense book. This is a TikTok sensation and is good enough reason to stay away from TikTok sensations in the future. This was so...annoying and so cloying and try hard and full of itself. Yikes. Not for me, at all .

1/5 

2. The Chaperone by M. Hendrix: I read a dystopian novel after absolute ages. AGES. Remember how ten years ago almost every second book was YA dystopian tale? Well, I think I definitely OD-ed on the genre and needed a little break. This book I picked up randomly and started reading and couldn't stop. It's set in the near future, in a New America, where young girls are never left alone. When they reach maturity, as in the minute they menstruate, the government sends them a chaperone, who will shadow them and teach them the right way to woman and who will keep them in check. Gosh, the mere thought of that is so claustrophobic. I really liked this book and this world, mainly because nothing about it seemed far fetched. 

4/5 

3. All The Broken Places by John Boyne: Loved it. So much. It's the sequel to The Boy in Striped Pyjamas and while that is definitely a children's book, this one is for grown-ups. This book just broke my heart and made me smile, cry and sigh deeply. So good. Best thing I've read all month. 

5/5 

4. Quarterlife by Devika Rege: This is a story set firmly in New India, the India of today and three characters, two Indian and one American are trying to make sense of it and where they stand. I liked the writing, I liked the setting- Mumbai and I liked the conversations on family, politics, nationalism and poverty and seeing our world from a Westerner's perspective. Compelling and important and sharp. 

3/5 

5. The Woman Who Climbed Trees by Smriti Ravindra: A Nepali novel, that I loved so much and learnt so much about our neighbors. For instance, I had no idea about the ethnic tensions between the pahadis and the folks from the flat lands. No idea. I love books that teach me something new. And I love this story about a young girl, who we first meet at fourteen as she is about to wed and we follow her through her life. We see her go from a child, to bride, to bitter, to confused and unhappy and ill and everything in between. An absolute ride that I enjoyed very much. 

3.5/5 

6. The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander: This is just a cute little romance novel about a tiny village in the UK, new beginnings and love and libraries. Cute and wholesome. 

3/5 

7. Send Nudes by Saba Sams: I am currently reading this book, I am 45% and a few stories in and I am quite enjoying these stories about women and little moments and some quite messed up situations and people. It's messy, real and quite relatable. I am really enjoying it. 

These were all the normal books I read in July and then it got dark and grey and gloomy and I hit my spooky reads hard. 

Most of my July has included reading one thriller after another. Guys, it rained and I went alllll in. 

Here are some thrillers from the month. 

8. The Woods are Waiting by Katherine Green: Set in the Appalachian mountains, this is a story of a small-town and the many superstitions that loom large over this community, kids go missing and people think it's some entity in the woods, This was spooky, creepy and fun. I did guess who the big bad was the first time we met them..so there's that. 

2/5 

9. A Good House for Children by Kate Collins: This one is a straight up horror novel. Split between 1976 and present day. It's about this one house, that is a little bit creepy and has something that's very off about it. We see two sets of families move here and two women who begin to have a sinister experience. This was fun to read, mainly because I read this as it poured. But I didn't enjoy the lack of answers and the ending wasn't my favourite.  

2/5 

10. With a Kiss We Die by L.R. Dorn: This one was promising, a true-crime podcaster is asked by two murder suspects to interview them and give them an opportunity to tell their side of the story. The whole book is told like episodes of a podcast. I was enjoying this, till I figured the big twist at some 30%. Why are some thrillers so damn obvious? 

2/5 

11. White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson: I love this author's books and this one is her first foray into horror and I really enjoyed this. A blended family moves into a gentrified home in a new town. The house is old and something is quite off. The town also has a dark history and something messed up is afoot. Atmospheric and creepy and so much fun. 

3/5 

12. The Couple in the Photo by Helen Cooper: A domestic thriller but two couples who are super close friends, till one woman spots the other husband in a photo cozying up to a strange woman and this one photo unravels their friendships and old secrets come tumbling out. This one kept me hooked from start to finish and I quite enjoyed the twists and turns and reveals. 

3.5/5 

13. House Woman by Adorah Nworah: A Nigerian American novel about some very messed up and toxic in-laws and something very fishy. A young Nigerian girl moves to the US for an arranged marriage set-up and feels something is very wrong with her in-laws and fiance. Tense and sad and messed up, this wasn't a thriller per say but it was still thrilling and had a couple of twists. 

3/5 

14. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett: Read and loved and reviewed. 

Find the full review here. 

4/5 

15. Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn: I saw someone on YouTube read this book, which is a children's horror novel and I immediately got it and read in one sitting, well I read this lying down while we had a very, very rainy day. It's set in an old lake house and we follow a thirteen year old girl who is babysitting her five year old cousin all summer and they meet this rude local kid and eerie things begin to happen. There is an old secret and menacing lake. I loved this and ate this cozy(ish) horror story. 

4/5 

Uff. 

Done. 

I did start a few books but I never ended them, so I won't be counting them as July reads. But overall July has been good. I read some good books. I bought some books. And I had the best time reading and watching some spooky things. 

I hope this has been a good month for you too. 

:) 

I am so excited for August and doing my All Indian Books in August. 

Desi Lit here I comeeeeeeeeeeeeee! 

💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

Book Review: Pet by Catherine Chidgey

Book: Pet

Author: Catherine Chidgey

Pages: 332

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~4 hours 

Plot Summary: Like every other girl in her class, twelve-year-old Justine is drawn to her glamorous, charismatic new teacher and longs to be her pet. However, when a thief begins to target the school, Justine’s sense that something isn’t quite right grows ever stronger. With each twist of the plot, this gripping story of deception and the corrosive power of guilt takes a yet darker turn. Justine must decide where her loyalties lie.

Set in New Zealand in the 1980s and probing themes of racism, misogyny and the oppressive reaches of Catholicism, Pet will take a rightful place next to other classic portraits of childhood betrayal and psychological suspense. 

Things I Liked: 

1. Pet is based in Wellington in 1984 in a very Catholic environment. Our protagonist and narrator, Justine, goes to a Catholic school and lives in a small community of, mostly, Catholic people. She has lost her mother to cancer fairly recently, her father has taken to drinking copiously and she, at 12 years of age, has to cook and keep house while also trying to deal with the emotional and physical changes that come with being an almost-teenager. The author brings this world in which Justine lives so vividly alive and those of us who have had a convent school education will relate with several aspects of this world. So, I loved the setting and details of this book. 

2. There are some dark and twisty characters in this book, which made it so interesting. 

First up, we have the teacher, Mrs. Price. She is young, beautiful, drives a Corvette and is of much interest to all the students in her class. She is superficially nice but deeply manipulative, conniving and cruel. She has a 'pet' amongst the students, a flavour of a month student, who got extra attention, compliments but had to do all kinds of little (and not so little) errands for her. You know Mrs. Price is up to no good when she does not stop her students from bullying a minority student right under her nose. She is an interesting character and as the story progresses there is a sense of dread built up as to what she would do as Mrs. Price is pushed more and more into a corner.

Then we have Justine. She is twelve, has recently lost her mother, suffers from epilepsy, which causes seizures and memory loss. She is embarrassed of these seizures and it is yet another thing that sets her apart in school where she just wants to belong. She, much like her classmates, idolises Mrs. Price and when she becomes the latest 'pet', Justine is only too happy to do whatever Mrs. Price asks of her, which leads to the end of her friendship with her best friend, Amy. Justine is also not the most reliable narrator given she loses time and memories after her seizures, so her recollections are not perfect or accurate. Justine, as a typical pre-teen, is very conscious of what people think of her and so, she drops Amy for the flimsiest of reasons. We may be quick to judge her but she is twelve, motherless and at a loss on how to navigate all the overwhelming feelings that come with being an almost-teen. 

I also really liked Amy. Amy is Chinese and her immigrant parents own a fruit and vegetable store. The casual racism faced by Amy and her family is so heartbreaking and anger-inducing. Amy, however, is so gutsy and strong. She believes in doing the right thing and fearlessly does so even if it led to heartbreaking consequences for her. 

3. I, especially, enjoyed reading about the ways in which extreme Catholicism impacted the lives of the characters in this book. From the school and its ethos to some aggressive pro-life people, the impact of Catholicism is everywhere in Justine's community and world. 

4. The book is quite fast-paced and gripping. It is very well written and atmospheric. You get pulled into this world of suburban Wellington in the 80s with all of its nosiness, racism and misogyny. 

5. There is a palpable sense of dread as events in 1984 come to a head. We know something is not-right with Mrs. Price and Justine's efforts to expose the truth and Mrs. Price's to prevent the truth from coming out creates a tense atmosphere and you wonder how this saga is going to end and you can feel something sinister coming. The denouement is sort of satisfactory but also leaves you to wonder and make up your own mind about certain things (sorry for being vague but I don't want to spoil anything). 

Rating: 4/5 

Book Review: The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

 

Book: The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels 

Author: Janice Hallett 

Pages: 432 

Read: The paperback edition (pictured above)

Read in: ~6 hours 

Plot Summary: 

Open the safe deposit box. Inside you will find research material for a true crime book. You must read the documents, then make a decision. Will you destroy them? Or will you take them to the police?

Everyone knows the sad story of the Alperton Angels: the cult who brainwashed a teenage girl and convinced her that her newborn baby was the anti-Christ. Believing they had a divine mission to kill the infant, they were only stopped when the girl came to her senses and called the police. The Angels committed suicide rather than stand trial, while mother and baby disappeared into the care system.

Nearly two decades later, true-crime author Amanda Bailey is writing a book on the Angels. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed; if Amanda can find them, it will be the true-crime scoop of the year, and will save her flagging career. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and is also on the baby's trail.

As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realise that what everyone thinks they know about the Angels is wrong. The truth is something much darker and stranger than they'd ever imagined. And the story of the Alperton Angels is far from over..

After all, the devil is in the detail...

Things I Liked: 

1. I have really enjoyed Janice Hallett's The Appeal  and even though I had mixed feelings about The Twyford Code, she is an author whose books I look forward to! So, when I saw this book at the Crossword Store (haul linked here), I simply had to pick it up! Plus, it helped that the premise was so interesting! A cult of people, who believed they were angels and were about to sacrifice a baby that they believed to be the Anti-Christ. What is not to love?! 

2. This book, like the two previous ones by Hallett, are written in a sort-of epistolary style. The story unfolds via interview transcripts, WhatsApp chats, emails, news articles, text messages and such. However, this does not, at all, get in the way of the flow of the narrative- past and present- as well as getting to know the characters for who they were. So, overall, the author's style of presenting the story via these channels makes the book a real page turner. 

3. The characters were interesting and well-developed. The epistolary style manages to bring the key characters to life really well. 

We have Gabriel Angelis- the leader of the cult, who believed he was an Archangel and here on earth to end the Anti-Christ. We see him for the kind of charismatic, possibly con-man, that he is. 

Then, we have Amanda Bailey- our true crime author, who is working on the book about this cult- who is very, very grey. There are plenty of admirable things about Amanda but she is not the most scrupulous person there is and as you go through the book, you'll get to witness all of her kosher and not-so-kosher actions and decisions. 

Oliver, the other author, also working on the same case, is another interesting character. Insensitive, entitled and foolish. An interesting contrast of sorts to Amanda. 

Ellie, the transcriber and PhD student, who is, easily, the most likeable character of the lot. We get to know her through her notes as she transcribes Amanda's interviews and WhatsApp chats and, like I said, we do get a sense of her as a person nonetheless. 

4. The book is fast-paced, well written and incredibly interesting! Was Gabriel really an Archangel? Was the baby possibly evil? Is there an element of supernatural to the events of that fateful night in 2003? Or was it something else all together? As the true events of that night are uncovered, we learn the truth and that is very nicely done! 

Rating: 5/5 

Vignettes: The Little Joys of July. (Chai, Mugs, Planner Update and Journals &TNs.)

July is going by in such a hurry! 

But it's been such a good month of such little joys. 

For me, a month full of rain and clouds and coziness is a blessing. 

I have loved every single rainy day we've been blessed with this month. 

Here are some other Joys of July.  

A big, steaming and flavourful cup of Masala Chai. 

A thing of joy. A biscuit to dunk and I am happy as can be. 

PS: This mug is an old fave from Amazon. 

Pages of my Journal. 

I am currently doing my daily journaling in my Passport Sized TN from the Traveler's Company and using one of their inserts as well. 

This is my page for July. And I loved how it turned out. 

This peachy little number is my favourite mug of the month and a new addition to my mug collection. 

This guy is from Nilay Studio and I absolutely love it. 

I usually have my second cup of coffee in this mug and it makes me so happy. 

Chai and Biscuits and floral bits. 

I haven't been journaling all that much to be honest, but whenever I do, just empty my mind of it's countless worries. Especially doing my morning pages makes me so happy. 

My planner was just not working for me. 

If you remember I got a planner from Roohani Rang back in January to use as my Daily Planner. But tbh, that planner is quite poorly made and the layout was getting on my last nerve. 

This is the one. While it's so pretty, using it was a little bit of a nightmare. 

The month would end on the 18th and the next book always had half of the previous month, which was driving me insane. I regret buying it and I do not recommend it at all. At all. 

I tried using it because I spent money on it but it was really bumming me out. 

So for the second half of the year, I decided to move into a new system and start using the Atelier Neorah planner. This is a lot like the Hobonichi Techo, in size and layout, so it's a familiar system for me. I am really enjoying it and I will do a proper post talking about it soon. But moving into this planning system has been such a joy. Life it too short to struggle with a planner you regret getting. 

My planner sits in this gorgeous TN from The Black Canvas. 

Love it and there's my little journal. 

:) 

Book Haul: Books of June 2023. (From Crossword Bookstore).

Hello Loves! 

Long time no book haul, but don't for a moment be thinking that I haven't been buying books, because Book Buying has been going quite well, especially in June. June is my Blog's Birthday Month. And this year my Blog turned 10 and I tend to celebrate by buying books. And this June I did buy myself a few books across the month, so more hauls are coming, I've just been slacking off.

Let's start with this lot. 

I went to The Crosswords Bookstore at Kemp's Corner one rainy evening. I went here after ages. I used to go here quite often a couple of years ago but with time, mainly owing to the lack of parking options and how congested this area gets, I stopped going there. But I meant to go here since they did this whole redesign and rejig and the shop looks so good. All giant windows and even their curation is so much better. There are so many kinds of books and so many different sorts of books apart from the regular bestsellers. I was so happy with how the store looks and the books they have on their shelves. 

I looked around for a while, even sat on a little bench and read for a little bit. I came home with six books and here they are. 

I have already read some from here. 

So let's jump into it. 

I knew the sequel to The Boy in Striped Pyjamas was out and I meant to read it but it completely slipped my mind and I didn't buy or read it. When I spotted this, I knew I had to get it. This book is so wonderful. I know some people (and I get it) have issues with John Boyne telling this story and focusing on these characters. They find it insincere and problematic. Well, I hear you but in the first book, we meet a young German boy who doesn't know exactly what goes on behind the fences at his new home, which just happens to be a concentration camp. While today we might find this absurd. A young boy in the 1940s was perhaps much much naiver than his counterparts in the 21st century. Kids back then were not as exposed to the world and mostly towed the line and listened to their parents and believed everything their parents told them. So I didn't see any glaring problems with poor Bruno and his sad fate, it broke my heart. 

Now this book is focused on Gretel, Bruno's older sister. We see her a little bit in the previous book, she was 12 years old during the events of the previous book. We now see her as old woman, in her 90s and living in in London. She has had a seemingly nice life, married a good man, has a son and lives in a beautiful flat in central London. It's easy to judge her easy life, but as the book jumps back and forth, we see Gretel and her life as it panned out after the end of the War. The horrors of what happened to Bruno and of course the millions of people who died and the question of guilt, culpability and cruelty. 

Gretel will break your heart. She isn't warm and fuzzy. She is quite stern and cold, but given the life she's led, I don't even blame her. 

Decades of pain, loss and gnawing guilt will change a person. 

This book is wonderful, I read with my heart breaking over and over. And the end had me smiling and crying. 

I loved it. 

5/5 

The Circus Train by Amita Parikh is another book set in Europe during the Second World War and about a Circus forced into a Concentration Camp and forced to work and entertain the soldiers. My sister read this and really enjoyed this slice of history and events that truly happened but one hadn't heard of it before. There is so much that happened during the War, so many cruelties that people endured and I am glad all kinds of well-researched books are being written about it. 

Pick it up if you enjoy well-written and well-researched historical fiction. 

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett is the author's third book and between my sister and I, we've read all her books. Hallett writes her book in this unique style. All her books are told in a sort of epistolary style, well not strictly. The books are told in text message, Whatsapp messages, emails, forums, chats and documents and notes and such like. Very interesting and very, very nicely done. 

We read her previous book last month before we made it to this one, which I read over the weekend.  And I loved it and could not put it down. More thoughts and review coming soon, because I have so much more to say. 

Ok, this was a cover buy- I mean look at how stunning the art and colours are, so the cover drew me in kinda...

I did have this on my radar and I saw it and picked it up. 

Short stories are my jam and funnily enough I haven't read nearly enough of them this year. Gotta change that. Translated from Tamil, these seem to be perfect for August when I read Indian Books all month long and I try to read from every corner of India. I am really looking forward to this book, I have heard some good things. 

I have meant to read Manav Kaul for a while now, I do own a copy of his short stories but I haven't read it yet. This one I hope to read next month. I have heard nothing but incredible things about his writing. I am beyond excited to finally read his words and see the magic for myself. Rooh sounds amazing. 

Another book from Kashmir (Rooh is based in Kashmir too) that picked up on a whim and it's something I like the sound of, it's about displacement and what it means to lose one's home. Again, saved to read this next month. 

August is going to be full of some incredible Indian Books and I cannot wait! 

:) 

BOOKS BOUGHT: 

All the Broken Places by John Boyne 

The Circus Train by Amrita Parikh 

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett 

An Order from the Sky by Imayam, Trans. by Vasantha Surya 

Rooh by Manav Kaul 

A Bit of Every Thing Sandeep Raina 

10 Books About the Holocaust You Must Read Instead of Watching Bawaal

Using the Holocaust as a metaphor for relationship/ marital problems is just wrong. No excuses can be made for the blatant insensitivity and cruelty of the makers of Bawaal in using one of the most brutal, despicable, horrible genocides in modern history as a metaphor for relationship troubles. No. Nope. This is not how you incorporate any traumatic historical event into a "love story." 

If you want to learn more about the Holocaust and read the heart wrenching accounts of those who survived it and also some sensitive works of fiction inspired by the real events that took place in the German concentration camps of Auschwitz, Treblinka etc., then these 10 books are an absolute must-read. 

1. Maus by Art Spielgelman is an absolute must-read if you want to know a survivor's account of what it was really like in Auschwitz. Spoiler alert, it wasn't at all like matrimonial troubles. If there is only one book that you'd like to read out of all our 10 recommendations, then make it Maus. It is the first graphic novel to ever win the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. 

Full review can be found here. 

2. Night by Eli Wiesel is a memoir about the author's Holocaust experiences, along with his father, in the German concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald. This book is about the examination of a father-son relationship and what it means for a child to watch their father reduced to a state of utter helplessness. Also, if you can find Eli Wiesel's Oprah episode, where they both revisit Auschwitz, then do watch it. You will understand the rage of everyone (including us) on Twitter shaming Nitish Tiwari and his team who made Bawaal.

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a moving story of what happened to Germans in Germany during the Second World War, especially those Germans, who tried to help and save their Jewish friends and neighbours. It is a searing look at Nazi Germany and the various different people impacted by the Reich. 

4. Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally is a name you'd heard of because of the Oscar-winning movie based on this book. However, the book itself is worth reading. It tells the story of a member of the Nazi Party, who at tremendous personal risk, saved the lives of more than 1,200 Jews. You can even watch the movie. 

5. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer is a gut-wrenching story of the total annihilation of a little Jewish village in Ukraine by the Germans and the impact of that on the survivors. Inspired by true events from the author's grandfather's experiences in Poland during the Second World War, this book made me bawl my eyes out whilst reading it in public. Read it. 

6. Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum tells the story of a single mother in Germany during the Second World War. It deals with the things women had to do to survive the brutal Nazi regime and the subsequent shame they felt and lived with. 

7. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris is inspired by the true love story of a Slovakian Jewish man, who was forced to tattoo (desecrating the body is against Judaism) incoming Jewish people into Auschwitz, and an young woman inmate he met whilst doing so. 

8. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys tells the story of a Lithuanian Jewish family, who were sent to work in a work camp in Siberia. Read this absolutely gut-wrenching book about work camps and concentration camps to understand what these people went through and why these camps should not be used as lame metaphors. 

Full review can be found here.

9. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is not based in a concentration camp but shares the stories of women (and men) who were part of the Resistance against the Germans. A moving and beautiful story inspired by true events in France. 

Full review can be found here.

10. Lilac Girls by Martha Kelly Hall: A beautifully written, poignant yet inspiring book about the 'Rabbit Girls' (the young Jewish women, who were experimented on at the Ravensbruck Concentration Camp). The strong and brave characters of this book (it is a true story) will move you and inspire you. Highly, highly recommend.

Movie Recommendations: Horror Movies to Watch this Weekend

Hello, hello,

We've been having a very rainy week in Mumbai and so, have been watching a mix of old and new and underrated horror movies! Sharing some that we enjoyed for fellow horror aficionados. 

 

In no particular order, here are the horror movies we enjoyed! 

1. The Pope's Exorcist: Inspired the real life adventures and misadventures of the actual exorcist hired by the Pope in the 1980s to help individuals suffering from demonic possession, this is a pretty gnarly movie. When an American widow moves to a tiny town in Spain to restore and sell an ancient abbey that belonged to her husband's family, she finds a demonic entity possessing her young son. The Pope's Exorcist is called in to help the little boy. 

Streaming on Prime Video. 

2. Slumber: When a family that has consistent, horrifying nightmares approaches a sleep clinic for help, little do the doctors know that they have bitten off more than they can chew and what seems like some kind of sleep disorder is actually a kind of demonic possession. 

Streaming on Lionsgate Play. 

3. Polaroid: An underrated horror flick, Polaroid follows a group of school friends and the scary events that happen to them after one of the girls in the group finds an old, rare Polaroid camera from the 1970s. 

Streaming on Prime Video. 

4. The Visitor: Imagine you've just arrived at your wife's childhood home, in small town America, all the way from London. Imagine you find a painting of her grandfather who looks just like you. What would you do? This, surprisingly, interesting and creepy movie is an interesting watch.

Streaming on Prime Video.

5. Lullaby: A mysterious old storybook in Hebrew summons monsters from another realm, who steal babies and replace them with something else. A young couple's newborn baby is at threat when this book accidentally makes it way into their lives. 

Streaming on Prime Video.

6. Unfriended: Dark Web: A slasher and thriller more than purely horror, this movie delves into the dark web and the nefarious activities done by people on there. A group of friends meet on Skype for a games night, which then turns into something sinister when a group of creepy people from the dark web target them. 

Streaming on Netflix. 

7. Truth or Dare: This is a classic slasher cum horror movie where a group of friends are led to play Truth or Dare only to find that the game has been hijacked by an angry demon. 

The Director's Extended Cut version is streaming on Netflix and the regular version on Prime Video. 

8. Prey for the Devil: A young nun finds herself facing actions from her own past and a very vengeful demon in this fast-paced movie. 

Streaming on Lionsgate Play. 

Book Review: The Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey

 

Book: The Mistress of Bhatia House

Author: Sujata Massey 

Pages: 420

Read: The paperback edition pictured above

Read in: ~5 hours 

Plot Summary: Bombay, 1920s. At a lavish fundraiser party for the launch of a new women’s hospital, the grandson of Lord Bhatia, an influential aristocrat, is badly burned in an accident—but a young servant, Sunanda, rushes to save him. Instead of being lauded as a hero, Sunanda is dismissed from the household, and simultaneously, suspiciously charged with “child murder”—also known as abortion.

Perveen Mistry, Bombay’s only female solicitor, cannot stand by while this heroine is mistreated and takes her on as a client. Perveen goes as far as inviting Sunanda to live with the Mistrys, as Sunanda’s family has put her out of the house in shame at her supposed crime.

The Mistry home is full of tension, as Perveen’s sister-in-law, who has just given birth, is struggling with new motherhood, and Perveen’s father is less than happy to have a disgraced servant under his roof. Perveen herself is going through personal turmoil as she navigates a societally taboo relationship with a handsome librarian.

When the Mistrys’ servant residence is set aflame, Perveen realizes just how much is at stake in this case: has someone extremely powerful framed Sunanda to cover up another crime? Will Perveen be able to prove Sunanda’s innocence without endangering her own family? 

General Thoughts: This is the fourth book in the Perveen Mistry series- a historical crime thriller series set in India in the early 1920s- and I have read and enjoyed every single one of the previous books! Click here, here and here to read my reviews of the previous books in the Perveen Mistry series. 

Things I Liked: 

1. As with all the previous books in the series, The Mistress of Bhatia House was well written and very well researched. It is a very atmospheric book and takes you right into the heart of Bombay in the early 1920s where Indians had little to no rights and women even less so. The author has done meticulous research to bring alive the casteism, classism and religious biases of the era, especially in colonial India. 

2. I liked that this book spent a lot of time exploring the absolute lack of rights and voice that Indian women (or even the British women, to some extent) had in the 1920s. The case in this book is about a young woman, 20-year-old Sunanda, who is arrested by the police because some man overheard someone saying that Sunanda drank some herbal "tea" that was supposed to have abortive properties. Since abortion (done to oneself or to another woman) was a crime under British law, a mere hearsay led to an innocent young woman's arrest. 

As a contrast, the author also takes us to the world of the upper crust of Bombay society- both Indian and British- where the women are working together to build a women's hospital that would be accessible to Indian women as well. The women, inspite of their good intentions and rigorous fundraising, were not being taken seriously even by their own husbands! As an independent Indian woman living in Bombay merely 100 years after the events described in this book, I could only count my blessings that things are different now - not 100% ideal or utopian but better in many ways! 

3. This book also showcases the corruption that was such a part and parcel of the British bureaucracy in India, which we have inherited and continue to grapple with to this day! From the police officers to law clerks to even some very senior officers, several people within the British establishment were corrupt (no surprises there) and were misusing their public office for personal gains. 

4. More than any of her other books, this book delves into the dynamics and challenges of living in a joint family, which was the norm back in the day. We have the Bhatias, a wealthy business family, where the two daughters-in-law can barely coexist without being snide and jealous of the other and, for a change, we also see brewing tensions inside Perveen's own family when her sister-in-law, Gulnaz, suffers from post-partum depression. 

5. As with any book in a beloved series, it was lovely to visit Perveen- she is getting more assertive and stronger with every book and I love that for her! It was also nice to revisit her lovely parents, who are so supportive and progressive as well as meet Colin Sandringham once again! 

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. The mystery in this book was a bit of a slow burn, which made me lose interest several times but I persisted because I am so fond of Perveen Mistry as a character and wanted to know how this story would end. There was way too much family drama and the motive was way too convoluted for my liking. 

Rating: 4/5 

5 Reasons to Watch Adhura (on Prime Video): Review

We watched Adhura early this morning. The skies were dark, it was quiet all around with the only sound being the gentle pitter-patter of rains. Just the perfect mood/ vibe to watch a horror show set in a boarding school exploring themes like revenge, past sins, secrets and such! 

Here are 5 reasons why you should definitely watch Adhura this rainy weekend! 

1. The setting is absolutely gorgeous and perfect! The show is set on the beautiful campus of The Lawrence School, Lovedale, Ooty and the misty greens, the darker-than-dark nights and the beautiful, regal old buildings amp up the spooky atmosphere of the show!  

2. The story, as I mentioned earlier, is set in a boarding school in the hills. The batch of 2007 is back on campus for a reunion and a little 10-year-old boy, called Vedant, is acting strangely and scaring the beejeejus out of his bullies. Is Vedant's metamorphosis somehow connected to the return of the batch of 2007? What connects whatever entity is possessing the little boy to the 'Old Boys' of the 2007 batch? The series gradually, and very satisfyingly, unravels this mystery. 

3. Adhura has several tropes of the horror and thriller/ mystery genre that we greatly enjoy. There is an unreliable narrator (or two or three!), there is a split-time narrative between the events of present day, those of three months ago and also those of the last few days of school in 2007 and, finally, the trope we love the most, old sins casting long shadows (and deserving massive payback!). These elements make the narrative interesting and engaging so that you don't mind the slightly slow build-up of the plot. There is never really a dull moment as the story keeps you gripped in the world of the boarding school and the dynamics between the kids- past and present. 

4. The characters are nicely etched out and are believable as people. We get to see the whole range of high school archetypes (but not necessarily in a cliched manner) ranging from the rich bullies to the arty loners to the best friends and the jealous girlfriend. 

We liked that the characters who were jerks as kids also grew up to be jerks. In real life, how many of these schoolyard bullies end up being lovely, reformed human beings? Not many, in my experience. 

Really liked the friendship between our male protagonist, Adhiraj and his BFF - Ninad. Also, the school counsellor, Supriya, is an interesting character. The Hindi teacher is another character that was very likeable and his involvement in the story was a nice little angle. 

The dynamics between all these characters and the events that unfold due to them is what makes the show so interesting. 

5. This is a horror show and the good news is that while, at an overall level, it is a mystery and mildly scary, but there are some genuinely scary moments as well! The body count is also fairly high and brutal. Plus, there are some disturbing scenes and images that are not for the faint of heart. TW for bullying and animal cruelty. However, like I said, this is a mid-range horror series and even if you, like my sister, do not enjoy horror, this is a show that you can watch without being too petrified! :) 

Let us know on Instagram or Threads if you watched this series and what your thoughts were! 

Have a great weekend! 

Hello July 2023 + Days of July. {Books, Lamps, Journals and Teapot.}

 

And just like that, six months of the year are done and dusted and we step into the second half of the year, which is my favourite half of the year. The festivals, the seasons changing and general air of joy. 

I hope this half of the year and kind and bright and full of light and joy for all of us. 

:) 

I am hoping July is full of rains and books and goodness of all kinds. 

I've been making the most of these gorgeous rainy days, drinking chai, reading books and watching some scary movies. 

Here is what July has looked like..

Coffee in a pink daisy mug. 

I got a little teapot of my dreams, it's tiny and holds around two cups of chai. 

I got it from Weaving Homes. 

Set up my Planner in this gorgeous A6 sized traveler's notebook from The Black Canvas, I have moved out of my planner, for multiple reasons and am using a Atelier Norah insert. I am so much happier with this move and change. Full planner set-up will be shared soon. 

For my daily journal I am still using my tiny passport sized TN from The Traveler's Company. I prefer using tinier journals because I feel less stressed about filling up a whole ass blank page. 

Such a thing of beauty. 

:) 

I've also been reading slowly, quite slowly. 

I recently got this little table lamp from Ikea for some night time reading. I love it and I love the little bulb that's so kind to me eyes and so minimal and cute. 

My sheets are from Chumbak, if you were wondering. 

:) 

I hope July is off to a good start for you too.