The Whimsy Bookworm: A Book Blog from India

  Book: The School for Good Mothers Author: Jessamine Chan  Pages: 336 Publisher: Simon and Schuster Read On: Kindle  How Long it Took Me To Read: 3 days  Plot Summary:   Frida Liu is struggling. She doesn’t have a career worthy of her Chinese immigrant parents’ sacrifices. What’s worse is she can’t persuade her husband, Gust, to give up his wellness-obsessed younger mistress. Only with their angelic daughter Harriet does Frida finally feel she’s attained the perfection expected of her. Harriet may be all she has, but she’s just enough. Until Frida has a horrible day. The state has its eyes on mothers like Frida — ones who check their phones while their kids are on the playground; who let their children walk home alone; in other words, mothers who only have one lapse of judgement. Now, a host of government officials will determine if Frida is a candidate for a Big Brother-like institution that measures the success or failure of a mother’s devotion. Faced w...

With October here and Halloween vibes being super strong, I want to start a new series on my blog, Spooky Review...where I mostly want to review mystery/thriller/spooky books all month long! I will also be sharing some horror film recommendations as well.  To start off this series I want to talk about the latest horror novel I read- Bird Box.  Let's jump right into it.  Book: Bird Box Author: Josh Malerman Pages: 305 Publisher: Harper Collins Read On: Kindle How Long it Took Me To Read : 2 days Plot Summary:  General Thoughts: I have had this book on my Kindle since it first came out and it got so many positive reviews and generated a whole lot of buzz. I tried reading it a few times over the years but for one reason or another I never made it past the 5% mark. A few days back when I was struck with a bout of insomnia, I scrolled though my Kindle and settled down with this book and this time I made it through the entire book in 2 sitti...

Hello!  Another Top 5 post, this time let's see some of the Young Adult books I've loved this year.  Truth be told, I didn't read that much YA this year. Not as much as I've read in the past few years.  So while coming up with this list I actually had to struggle a fair bit and think hard while thinking about the five books I liked best.  Here in no particular order here are 5 books I liked best in the YA genre.  1. The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel: I read this book pretty early in the year, while I was on my 2 month holiday in my parent's hometown. I remember getting it on my Kindle and turning to it on a night I was running a high fever and couldn't sleep. I didn't really even remember the plot of this book when I started reading it and just knew it was YA. But as I read the first few pages I really began to enjoy the book and it's premise.  A dystopian YA, something that was all the rage a few years ago and something I hadn't...

Book: Only Ever Yours Author: Louise O' Neill Pages: 400 Read on: Kindle Read in: 4 hours Plot Summary:  In a world in which baby girls are no longer born naturally, women are bred in schools, trained in the arts of pleasing men until they are ready for the outside world. At graduation, the most highly rated girls become “companions”, permitted to live with their husbands and breed sons until they are no longer useful. For the girls left behind, the future – as a concubine or a teacher – is grim. Best friends Freida and Isabel are sure they’ll be chosen as companions – they are among the most highly rated girls in their year. But as the intensity of final year takes hold, Isabel does the unthinkable and starts to put on weight. .. And then, into this sealed female environment, the boys arrive, eager to choose a bride. Freida must fight for her future – even if it means betraying the only friend, the only love, she has ever known.  General Thoughts: This is a v...

Hello!  In the last week of May, Flipkart had their 50-70% flat sale on selected books and of course, I hit it and hit it good!  I got 10 books..I think...and this is part one of that haul. May 2015 was a good and blessed book buying month for me. Yay to new books! :)  So far in June, I haven't bought one single book. Not one..but that may change..you never know when the itch to book new books might strike again. :)  For now here are some new loves I added to my bookshelves.  Books Bought Lexicon by Max Barry  Mirages of the Mind by Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi  The Last Tycoon by F.Scott Fitzgerald  The Broken Mirror by Krishna Baldev Vaid  Arctic Summer by Damon Galgut 2 Penguin Modern Classics. 2 translated book- one from Hindi and one from Urdu. One historical fiction.  And one dystopian thriller.  A nice, mixed haul.  Happy Reading guys!

Book: Apocalypse Bow Wow Author: James Proimos III Illustrator: James Proimos Jr. Pages: 224 Read On: Paperback How Long it Took me To Read: 1 hour, with a few breaks. Plot Summary: The end is nigh. Apocalypse has dawned. Everyone has gone ... everyone, that is, except for two dogs. Unbeknownst to Brownie and Apollo the world has turned to utter chaos. It is only when dinner time comes and goes, that the pair slowly begin to realise that their owners might be Gone For Good. There's only one option - leave the comfort of their sofa and head into what's left of the world. With only their wits about them, Brownie and Apollo must find a way to survive. It's a dog-eat-dog world now! General Thoughts: This book was sent to me by the folks over at Bloomsbury India for free, in exchange of an honest review. This however has no bearing on my review. The thoughts and opinions are all my own. Things I Liked:  1. The premise of this book is pretty in...

Book: Amendments Author: H,M. Lynn Pages: 351 Read On: My Kindle How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 days Plot Summary: Two envelopes, two chances, one life.   Using an amendment to change the past might mean risking your future. Would you be will to take that chance?   At twenty-one Emelia’s life is already marred by amendments. With her father gone, her mother broke the fundamental rule of amending and Emelia’s sister has been paying the price ever since. Now Emelia has her own two envelopes to use however she chooses.   If only life were that straight forward.  General Thoughts: This book was sent to me very kindly by the author in exchange for an honest review. So essentially this was given to me for free but that has had no impact on my views regarding this book or my review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.  Things I Liked:  1. The writing was really lovely, the language was beautiful and it was pleasure to read....

Book: Alex + Ada Writer: Jonathan Luna Art: Sarah Vaughn Pages: Each single issue is around 30 pages long. Read On: My iPad How Long it Took Me To Read: 30 minutes Plot Summary: ALEX + ADA,  is a sci-fi drama set in the near future. The last thing in the world Alex wanted was an X5, the latest in realistic androids. But when Ada is dropped into his life, will Alex doesn't know what he wants or believes anymore. The more he gets to know Ada, he gets to like her and connect with her. But she isn't a real person. Will he keep her? Things I Loved:   1. The story is pretty compelling and interesting one.  2. The character of Alex is immensely likable and one you get to know more as the series progresses. I really liked him and his reactions to situations and things was pretty realistic and believable.  3. The world building is done very well too.  4. Alex's group of friends and their reactions on meeting Ada were just so real and gen...

Book: The Infinite Sea Author: Rick Yancey Pages: 480 I Read it on: My Kindle I Read it in: 3 hours Plot Summary:  How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity. Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race. Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate. What I Liked: As mentioned in the title, The Infinite Sea  is the second book in The Fifth Wave  trilogy. If you have not read The Fifth Wave , CLICK HERE to read our review of it. Now, The Fifth Wave  was a p...

Book: How I Life Now Author: Meg Rosoff Pages: 224 How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 days. Read On: Paperback Plot Summary:   “Every war has turning points and every person too.” Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she’s never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy. As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it’s a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy’s uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way. A riveting and astonishing story. General Thoughts: This is a dystopian novel. I am very over all things dystopian. So very ov...

Book: The 5th Wave Author: Rick Yancey  Pages: 457 How long it took me to read: 6 hours (I was hooked!)  Plot Summary:  After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.  General Thoughts: The 5th Wave is a very well written and well constructed young adult (YA) dystopian novel. The book ...