Tag: reader

Currently Reading (August ’20)

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Currently Reading (August ‘20)

These are the books I wish to finish reading this month. Maybe I will get to read more as well if possible. My reading list for this month.

  1. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James is a horror novella. The story is about a young woman who gets a job as a governess for two mysterious kids on an estate which seems to be haunted. I just started reading it and it has a gothic feel to it because of the descriptions. The young girl who is the narrator of the story is unnamed so far. It is an intriguing read.

2. Walden by Henry David Thoreau.

Walden by Henry David Thoreau is a book that details the social experiment Thoreau carried by living in a secluded cabin for two years. I am only a couple of chapters in but, it has a philosophical undertone to it. It talks about the author’s experience with nature and living simply, being self-reliant. It is a little difficult to read because there is a lot of symbolism and depth to the writing.

3. My Last Duchess by Daisy Goodwin.

My Last Duchess by Daisy Goodwin is a story about an American Heiress, Cora Cash, who travels to England with her mother to find an aristocratic match. The world in England is different than what she is accustomed to and when she marries Ivo, an eligible but secretive bachelor, her life changes. I enjoyed reading this book so far though I have trouble relating to Cora’s character which I hope will happen eventually. It seems like a fun read.

4. Morrigan’s Cross by Nora Roberts.

Morrigan’s Cross by Nora Roberts is the first book of the Circle Trilogy. A sorcerer named Hoyt loses his brother in 12th century Ireland to evil forces. He is chosen for a mission by the goddess Morrigan and is told he will be joined by five others to form a team to destroy Lillith. Nora Roberts has a way of blending fantasy elements with the reality that it seems grounded. The story and the characters are interesting. I finished almost seventy pages at one go when I started reading.

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Currently Reading (June ’20)

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My reading list for the month.

  1. If You Stay by Courtney Cole.

If You Stay is a story of Pax and Mila. Both of them come from different backgrounds; Pax drowns himself in drugs and women while Mila is down to earth and sweet. I am a couple of chapters in as of now and it is intriguing. There is an element of mystery surrounding the characters’ past especially Pax which I am super curious to find out.

2. Worth the Risk by Jamie Beck.

Worth the Risk is the third book of the St. James series. I read the other two books a while back and I wanted to read Jackson’s story. This book focuses on Jackson St. James when he decides to go to Vermont so he could prioritize his sobriety. His landlady is sweet young mother Gabby who Jackson finds alluring. Gabby and Jackson both seem to have different issues about their past yet they seem perfect for each other.  

  1. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

I have been meaning to read A Tale of Two Cities for years but some reason I always stop after the first chapter. This time I have picked it up again and finished the second chapter so that is a promising sign. Set during the French Revolution, this book parallels the story between two cities London and Paris. It being a historical novel is a huge draw for me.

Currently Reading (May ’20)

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Currently Reading (May ’20)

My reading list for this month.

  1. Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught.

I read ‘Perfect’ written by Judith McNaught and I liked her writing style. I found this book pretty randomly. I haven’t read historical fiction and romances much before but I think it is a fascinating genre. I started reading this book a couple of days ago and I have already finished 200 pages of it. The plot of the book focuses on the passionate and star-crossed love story of Elizabeth Cameron and Ian Thornton. The book is fast-paced and interesting. I think I’ll finish this one very quickly.

2. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

I borrowed this book a couple of years ago from a library but never finished it back then before I had to return it. I was almost halfway through the book back then and now that I have a copy, I am going to start from the beginning. I have read just a chapter of it as of yet but the premise of the story keeps you hooked. Never Let Me Go is a dystopian novel yet it is grounded in the real world with its setting which enhances the impact of the story. This time I am going to finish reading it quickly so there are no breaks in continuity for me while reading.

3. All the Bright Places by Niven.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I read it at least 4 years back for the first time. Its been too long so I am going to read this again because I liked it so much the first time. The story of Violet and Finch is fun, self-aware, and heartbreaking. The character of Finch is so well written and the way Violet and Finch help each other is beautiful. I can’t wait to read this book again even though I am sure it’s going to end with me crying over it again.

4. Selected Stories by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

I have been reading a lot of short stories lately. I never felt brave enough to start reading Crime and Punishment or any other works by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Reading classics can seem like a task at times but I want to read his works so reading the short stories will kind of ease me into his writing style. I read the first two stories and they are really good. The descriptions and the writing style is unique and it’s not as heavy as I expected it to be.

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Currently Reading (March 2020)

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My reading list for this month so far.

1) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

I read this book almost 6 years ago. I loved the book but never re-read it. I saw the Little Women movie recently and I realized how many details from the book I have forgotten. So, I am going to read the book again this month. I loved the characters and their relationships with each other. The story has subtle emotional undertones throughout which I like because it’s not explicit for the reader all the time. I am excited to read it for the second time.

2) Perfect Regret by A. Meredith Walters.

This book is part of the Bad Rep series but I am not planning to read the one before because I don’t think I’ll like it, guessing by the description. So, I’ll read this one as a stand-alone novel. I started reading it last night and I read 5 chapters at once. I like the characters and how natural the flow of the story is so far. Not reading previous book is not an issue; I didn’t feel lost because of it. I am intrigued to see how the story unfolds as the plot moves forward.

3) 1984 by George Orwell.

I wasn’t able to finish this book last month as I had planned. I read it less than I anticipated because it can get heavy at times due to its dystopian elements. It’s very interesting and engaging but I am not being able to read the book at a stretch. I will finish this book before I properly start the other ones. Hopefully, next week I will post a review of this book.

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Book Review: One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel Gaŕcia Marquez).

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One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Gaŕcia Marquez.

I have read Of Love and Other Demons and short stories written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez before I finally picked up this book. One Hundred Years of Solitude was on my to-be-read list for a long time but I was a little hesitant to actually start reading it. I read some 50 odd pages of the book last year and kept it aside and didn’t touch it again till last month. I had to skim through the previously read pages as a refresher and I am glad I did that otherwise I might have been utterly lost going ahead.

The story of One Hundred Years of Solitude spans for more than a century with seven generations of the Buendia family. It is tricky to explain all the characters in this books as they are many of them and they have same names; I don’t think its possible to explain the plot of the story in brief but I will try to give an overview. It begins when Jose Arcadio and his wife Ursula leave their hometowns to look for a new place to settle. They are the original settlers and founders of Maconda; Jose Arcadio dreams about this place and they build the town. Jose Arcadio is curious by nature and he is obsessed with scientific pursuits and immerses himself completely in his work. Jose Arcadio and Ursula are cousins and Ursula has been warned that incest will eventually lead to a baby being born with a pig’s tail.

The novel is wonderfully written. The magical realism of the writing and the story is what kept me intrigued as I read. The descriptions of the atmosphere and the landscape of Maconda paints a picture in your head as you are reading. You can imagine the town vividly which helped me stick to the story because I could see it play out properly in my head. The element of magical realism shines through the story and the way it progresses seems completely organic. The political and social upheaval in the story is mirrors the reality of our society. I have never read any books before which have the element of magical realism the way it is present in this novel.

The characters, the character traits and their names are repetitive in the story. At first, I had trouble keeping up with all the names and it didn’t exactly get easier as I progressed. Jose Arcadio, Amaranta, Aureliano specifically are names repeatedly used by new generations. It seemed confusing but then I realized that it is on purpose. The Buendia family is stuck in the same old circle of mistakes and decisions through generations. For example – the incestuous tendencies in the family are also present in generations and they end up in incest relationships no matter how hard they resist they can’t break the cycle. The personality traits are also similar in different generations like Aureliano’s are shy and self-reflective, they like being in their own company.

All the secrets that are kept by the family about parentage due to incestuous history end up being the reason that sixth generation Aureliano and his aunt Amaranta Ursula end up marrying when they are unaware of their familial ties and their son in born with a pig’s tail. Its very difficult to explain the themes and story of the book because it is vast and complicated. The family which keeps going in circles and interpretations of time and space in the story are some aspects are understood as I was reading. I might need more time to completely understand the story and all that it encompasses.

There were time where I really had trouble reading this book and I wondered if I should finish it or not. I am glad I stuck it out in those patches because in the end the story comes to full circle and it is intriguing. There are so many elements of the story that I feel went slightly over my head and I’ll have to read about it later. I enjoyed reading the book in parts as sometimes it was slow and I lost patience. I liked the book and the story and the writing but I don’t think it’s a book I’ll pick up again at least not anytime soon. Reading this book is a completely different experience but in a good way.

Currently Reading (Feb 2020)

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I re-read quite a few books last month mixed with a couple of new ones. This month I plan to read only new novels.

1) 1984 by George Orwell.

I have been meaning to read this book for a while. I didn’t feel like reading dystopian fiction so the book has sat on my shelf for a while. The book is published in 1949 and is set in the future year of 1984. I am already a couple of chapters in and I am completely intrigued. The first chapter is eerily similar to our reality, dealing with the privacy concerns of citizens. Once I pick up the pace a little, I feel like I am going to finish this book quickly.

2) One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

One hundred years of Solitude is a multi-generational story of the Buendia family. I have restarted this book. Last time I read around 20 pages but then there was such a gap before I started reading it again that I lost interest in it. I am reading this book from the beginning so that it will help me get into the story. The start of the book is a little slow but it is very interesting. Keeping track of all the characters was difficult for me especially remembering who was who and who is related to whom. Once I get past that problem, I think my reading speed will increase.


3) Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie.


Bet Me is a contemporary love story that I stumbled upon while browsing. I have read four chapters so far and it has been very interesting. The main characters are unusual but in a good way. Their quirkiness and witty humor are endearing as a reader. Though the book was published in 2004, it doesn’t seem outdated. It is actually fresh in its writing and characterization. I can’t wait to finish this one.

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Book Review: It (Stephen King).

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It

-Stephen King.

In a rare instance for me, I saw the movies based on this book before actually reading it. I don’t usually go for horror stories because I am easily scared but I really enjoyed watching the movies and decided to read this book.


IT is set in 1950’s as well as the 1980’s with a gap of 27 years in between in a town called Derry, Maine. It is not an exact division like part 1 and 2 but the book moves from past to the present throughout its narration. The story begins with the murder of a six-year-old Georgie Denbrough who is the brother of Bill Denbrough, one of the seven protagonists. Georgie is chasing his paper boat in the rain when a he sees a clown in the sewer who rips his arm off. The story then takes a leap of one year towards the beginning of summer. The protagonists Bill, Richie, Eddie, Stan, Ben, Beverly and Mike each get their own view points as the story begins in the present.

The murder descriptions are horrific. The deaths of Adrian and Georgie are described in such a vivid way that it made me cringe. The protagonists as kids are bullied by Henry Bowers and his friends; Henry constantly terrorizes the seven kids and I hated his character. Pennywise, the killer clown has such a hold on Derry and he exaggerates the tendencies already present in Henry, he doesn’t create his cruel behavior which makes Henry’s character despicable.

The book starts off strong and in a gruesome manner. The narration is from the third person point of view which fleshes out a complete picture of the character’s personality. All of the seven protagonists have aspects to their characters I feel are relatable which makes the reader invest in the characters emotionally. The past timeline of Bill’s story is hard to read at times because of the descriptions of how difficult it has been for him and his parents after the death of his brother which makes his obsession about finding Pennywise justified in a way.

The book is more than a 1000 pages in length and it does feel stretched at times when not much is happening in terms of advancing the story. Pennywise, is completely creepy and instilled a new fear of clowns in me. The friendship between the seven characters especially as kids is a highlight of the story and adds an element of nostalgia of those innocent childhood days and bonds. The friendship translates well to their adult selves too.The scene with the kids where they are lost in the sewers and can’t find a way out was difficult to fathom, I actually didn’t get it completely. I read through that particular part rather quickly because it bothered me.

The book explores the darkness and violence to the full extent befitting the horror genre. Watching the movies didn’t spoil this book for me at all; there were so many aspects in the book which were not in the movie.  As I said before the length and that one scene which I was unaware of in the beginning I enjoyed reading this book. The world Stephen King has created in the book is intriguing, scary and nostalgic.  IT was a terrifying and an exciting read.

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Currently Reading…(December ’19)

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Here are the books I am reading this month and hope to finish them by the end of it.

1) Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontè.

My friend recommended this book to me years ago and finally, I am reading it. It’s completely intriguing and captivating. I particularly like the mystery element and descriptions of the setting which play an important part in the plot. I can’t put the book away till I finish at least 3 chapters in one go. It is going slower than I expected because my paperback has a very fine print which is making it hard for me to read at a stretch.

2) IT – Stephen King.

I decided to read this book after I saw the first movie earlier this year then decided to wait till I saw the chapter 2 as well. I usually don’t watch movie adaptations till I read the book but I wasn’t sure how I felt about reading horror. I enjoyed the movies but the book has so many interesting details and backstories. This is why watching the movies haven’t affected my enthusiasm to read this book. I am halfway through it already.

3) The Perfect Hope – Nora Roberts.

I read this book years ago and I really liked it. I read the Inn Boonsboro trilogy a while back and enjoyed the stories and the characters. Surprisingly, I didn’t read it again though for a couple of years like I tend to do. I just started it but I know I will breeze through it in a day if I get a chance. It is the third book of the trilogy and these are the characters I was waiting for to have their own story. I am excited to read it again.

Book Review: The Boy Most Likely To (Huntley Fitzpatrick).

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The Boy Most Likely To

-Huntley Fitzpatrick.


When I started reading it, I had no idea it was part of a series and I simply picked it up because I thought it was interesting. So, I read this book as a standalone novel and now I will probably read the first one. The Boy Most Likely To is the first book I have read by the author.

The main protagonists of the book are Tim Mason and Alice Garrett. Tim has a lot of emotional baggage and has made questionable decisions in the past but is trying really hard to change his life and it’s actually working. As you are reading, you know Tim has made mistakes in the past but his genuine efforts to change his life makes him such a sympathetic character. He believes the worst about himself because people around him, especially his family, have always pointed out his mistakes. They constantly think he is going to screw everything up even when he hasn’t done anything.


Alice has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. She is taking care of her younger siblings, worrying about her parents and finances and studying to be a nurse. I liked Alice’s character a lot. She is headstrong, confident and self-aware yet vulnerable; she doesn’t let anyway get away with anything and it is such a cool trait to possess. She is unsure about her feelings for Tim, who is younger than and her brother’s best friend. Even the secondary characters of the rest of the Garrets including Jase who is Tim’s best friend and his girlfriend Samantha are well-rounded characters.


The best part of the story for me was the characters. The development of the characters throughout the story seems natural and realistic. They don’t grow overnight and just trying their hardest to better themselves and that makes them incredibly relatable. All the characters seem genuine; their thoughts or emotions do not seem fabricated. I teared up a couple of times while reading. I liked the portrayal of the inner struggle these characters go through and both Tim and Alice have a different yet parallel approach to things. The list of The Boy Most Likely To which Tim keeps pinned on his fridge hits his struggle home.

The relationships in the book are my second favorite part. The relationship between Tim has with his twin Nan is the only somewhat healthy relationship he has with his family. He thinks more of Garretts as him, family, then his parents which is a little sad but the way his father treats him that is understandable. Tim and Jase are more like brothers than a best friend and the rapport between them is completely organic. Even the central romance of Tim and Alice takes a while to get off the road but it keeps you intrigued and they develop a good understanding between them as time passes.

As I said before, I read this book as a standalone novel yet I never felt that I missed anything because I didn’t read the first one. I liked this book a lot. The pace is good, it doesn’t slow down in between; its consistent throughout. I pretty much finished it in one sitting. It is genuine, funny, sweet and sad.

Book review: The Phantom of the Opera (Gaston Leroux).

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The Phantom of the opera

by Gaston Leroux.


After years of this book just sitting on my bookshelf, I finally decided to read The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. This is a story of a man named Erik and his obsession with a young soprano Christine Daae. The story is a Gothic romance set in the 1880s in Paris and is said to loosely based on true events at the Opera House.

The story begins with strange happenings in the Opera house in Paris. The place is believed to be haunted and many performers and organizers have reported sightings of the ‘opera ghost’ over the years. The ghost is revealed to be an actual person who is deformed in appearance and is an engimatic figure in the beginning. Christine Daae is a talented and beautiful young performer at the opera house and has lived there since the death of her parents. Raoul is an old friend of Christine’s who wishes to marry her. Erik, the phantom is considered the angel of music by Christine but he becomes obsessed with her.


The narrator of the story focuses actions of the opera ghost and how these actions affect the other characters around him, especially Christine Daae and Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. The opera ghost is a man named Erik; he is a horrific and ruthless man, who is capable of doing anything without any remorse if it means him getting his way. The start of the novel was a little slow-paced I thought but it picks up speed pretty quickly.

The characterization of Erik is done mostly through flashbacks which makes it somewhat easier to understand his behavior and where it stems from. Erik’s mother has never loved him because of his deformed appearance which prompted him to run away from home at a young age. It seems his obsession with Christine stems from being unloved by his mother. Later, we find out that Erik isn’t his real name at all. Christine’s closeness to Raoul makes Ereally jealous and he goes as far as kidnapping Christine and tries to blackmail her into loving him.

There is a lot of focus on the love story of Christine and Raoul which is well thought out. The mystery element of the novel never ceased to amuse me while I was reading the novel. The suspense and mystery is a major theme of the novel and it works very well. It is hard not to feel bad for Erik; he is sad and lonely and desperately and Christine to love him. At one point in the book, though Erik is being completely irrational, Christine can’t help but feel pity for him and I felt the same way. The end of the novel is bittersweet. Christine and Raoul elope together but you can’t help feeling a little bad for Erik’s death.

The novel starts off slow so it took me a while to finish reading the book. The novel wasn’t exactly what I had expected it to be like but it was good nonetheless. Once the novel picks up pace, it keeps you hooked. I liked how the author has incorporated the flashbacks which give Erik’s backstory. Overall, I enjoyed the novel and liked it very much except the slow pace in the beginning.

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