Sahi
It's always nice to find a reference to a book while reading another book, and that's exactly how I found this and decided to pick it up immediately. I didn't realize that it's just a short collection of lectures by the author, but it is extremely profound regardless.
I know only a couple of the more common Greek/Roman myths and haven't read the classics Iliad or the Odyssey, so it was fascinating to see the author trace the origins of women disempowerment and silencing to those myths. What's more surprising is to see how these age old beliefs rooted in misogyny still reflect in popular current thought, albeit maybe in a different form - now manifesting as twitter trolls and rape/death threats on social media. The author doesn't give us any clear solutions but asks all of us to examine the relationship between women and power, how we can try to gain it collectively (not just concentrating on individual high achievers) by not falling into the stereotypes of powerful women created by men. I particularly liked this line of hers -
We have to be more reflective about what power is, what it is for, and how it is measured. To put it another way, if women are not perceived to be fully within the structures of power, surely it is power that we need to redefine rather than women?”
To conclude, I just wanna say this was quite interesting to read. If you like Greco-Roman mythologies and would like to know how the fraught relationship of women with power has age old origins, you should pick this up. It's an illuminating experience and can make us reflect on what more we can do to rid our culture of these notions of women's inferiority. It's also very short and packs a lot of information in a few pages, so pick it up and hopefully, it'll surprise you.
TW: parental abuse, manipulative and abusive girlfriend, alcoholism
Emmy is a drummer for Brightsiders who has been labeled the lastest media trainwreck after a drunken accident. Along with the paparazzi onslaught, she also has to deal with her totally uncaring, emotionally abusive and manipulative parents who would rather sell her story for money than show some support for their daughter. Emmy's girlfriend Leslie is also abusive, always berating and belittling her but showing just enough affection for Emmy to feel grateful because all she has ever wanted is to be liked and loved. Due to all these negative influences in her life, her self esteem is extremely low, she questions if she is worthy of anything every step of the way and struggles throughout the book to accept herself, deciding to come out about her bisexuality, believe in her self worth and trust that her chosen family is enough.
She is supported in all this by her friends who are truly amazing. Ryan is the goofy Korean-American guitar player who always brings a smile when he is around but is secretly coming to terms with his own bisexuality. Alfie is a pansexual genderqueer teen who suffers from social anxiety but puts up this confident front for his fans and everyone around him and is loved by all for the same. He has always been there for Emmy and their friendship, support and thoughtfulness towards each other is so endearing. Chloe is a biracial non binary teen and they are Emmy's best friend. Their insight in helping Emmy realize how she is already loved by her friends and doesn't need her parents or Leslie to feel worthy is extremely helpful in Emmy's progress in confronting her doubts. Kass is EMmy's cousin and best friend and though they are separated by geography, it is great to see them always be in touch, be encouraging and empower each other.
There is a lot of drama in this story and I think it's written well – teenagers dealing with new found popularity, reconciling with the fact that love of their fans also comes with a fair share of trolls and paparazzi always looking for them to screw up, every single step of their life scrutinized and put up for public consumption, handling people who just want to be around them for the fame or money or notoriety; all this while trying to produce the best music they can and be respectful of their supporters. There are also a lot of conversations among the characters about biphobia, bierasure, misgendering, but despite this, how they have to be true to themselves and their fans because it might help others who are struggling too.
The romance between Emmy and Alfie is quite steamy but it still felt a little insta-lovey. But I could still connect to it because their long term friendship is established well and I really loved that they could express their feelings through songs. The last part of the story definitely took a little dramatic turn than what I would have liked but it is resolved pretty quickly. The ending is sweet and optimistic and it showed that if you choose to surround yourself with people who love and support you for what you are, you can truly be happy.
This book might seem a little over the top in some situations, but on second thought, it's actually quite close to reality in our world of celebrity culture. So, I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read not just a swoon worthy romance but a book that confronts important issues without being preachy and in a very realistic manner with lots of empathy.
If I thought When Dimple Met Rishi was wonderful, there is no way I could have described how excited I was for this one. While getting a story about Ashish was in itself a draw, my main reason to read this was a fat brown desi heroine. They so so rare in media that I don't even look for this representation, so it was such a pleasant surprise when I first saw the amazing cover of this book. And I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it.
We already know from the first book that Ashish is a cocky jock, and here he is heartbroken after his breakup with Celia. He has always tried to reject his Indianness because he didn't like his parents hovering over him, but finally decides to let go of the resentment and embrace their decisions for a change. This leads to his introduction to Sweetie. She is the top track star of her school, is comfortable in her own body for the most part, but her mother's incessant comments about her weight chip away at her little by little. And she decides to just do something rebellious for once and prove to herself that she is wonderful and desirable just as she is.
I loved all the scenes they were together. The relationship development was very cute, all their “parental approved” dates really sweet and hilarious, and I could see why they really were good together. She helped him embrace his culture a bit more and also be able to show his vulnerability, and he gave her all the respect she deserved and always stood up for her. While this book is definitely a case of instalove, I kind of decided to go with the flow because it's not really that unbelievable for their age.
Just like the previous two books, Sandhya's writing is so pleasing and fun to read that I flew through this one in a matter of hours. I had a huge smile on my face for the most part because of all the cuteness and some hilarious pop culture references. I also liked the way the author manages to make these kids self respecting and strong, wanting to stand up for themselves, without ever disrespecting their parents. I also felt that the desiness of the book was very inherent and organic, it didn't exactly stand out like the author was forcing it but it was just a part and parcel of these characters' lives. My only gripe probably would be that Sweetie was too wise for her sixteen years, and I don't know if teenagers really can give such sage advice all the time.
Obviously the major element of this book is body positivity and I loved how happy Sweetie was being the way she was. She still got hurt or felt bad when someone commented on her body, either intentionally or just due to ignorance, but she never lets it affect her perception of herself. The major conflict obviously comes from her mother's character - she is constantly telling Sweetie to lose weight, saying that she wouldn't be happy if she wasn't thin, going as far as saying that even if she turned out to be both fat and happy, it would be a lucky miracle. These constant comments really hurt Sweetie and me because I have heard so much of this myself (I do even now). Such conversations have been so much a part of my life that for very long, I didn't even realize fat shaming was wrong or that was the reason I kept feeling bad. While it's awesome how Sweetie and the author reiterate the message of accepting our fatness and curves, I don't know if I'm there yet. I try not to let them hurt me much, but acceptance will probably take a while. And that's why this book is so important and I'm so happy it exists. Hopefully more books like these will help me too. And the one thing that stuck with me was that despite the reconciliation that happens at the end, Sweetie's mom never actually apologizes for her fat shaming comments and I would have liked that to happen in a book, because it would probably never happen in real life.
If you liked Sandhya's previous books, then you'll definitely like this one too. It's an adorable and sweet lovely, albeit slightly unrealistic at times, but still very enjoyable. But the reason I want everyone to read this one is for its important messaging, the fat acceptance and general body positivity, because this representation is very much needed and more so for desi readers.
This is probably closer to a 4.5..
Some books just surprise you in the best of ways. When I added this book to my TBR, I only expected to read a nice YA coming of age contemporary, but wow did I get so much more. I'm emotional and delighted and thoroughly impressed, so let me share my thoughts.
Nevaeh's life is completely turned upside down due to her parent's separation and she is struggling to find her place in this new reality. She wants to fit in with her mother's very religious Baptist family living in Harlem, but she has never the chance or maybe even desire to explore her Black identity before, so she doesn't know how to do it. She tries to channel her confusion, her rage and her feelings into her writing but she is still afraid to show it to anyone. But slowly with the help of her extended family, the friends she makes in the vibrant community and getting to know her mother better through her old journal, she starts expressing herself through spoken word poetry. She is also initially hesitant to understand her Jewish identity but that slowly changes because of the influence of the very interesting Rabbi Sarah. I liked how the author shows us all facets of Nevaeh - she isn't perfect, just a realistic teenager with faults, who doesn't know everything, makes mistakes and can't even understand why she is wrong - but ultimately she owns up her mistakes and tries to correct them, strives to be better.
Every other character in the book also has their own arc. They all influence Nevaeh in her growth, but they have lives and their own issues independent of her. That's why this book is more reading about the daily lives of a family and their friends, rather than just about the main character. Her mother's despair because of the divorce and her deep rooted anxieties are cleverly integrated into the story through the journal, which was also probably one of the hardest parts of the book to read. Jordan is her vivacious cousin who has dreams and ideas for her future, but has to constantly fight for her opportunities because the world doesn't think a young Black woman deserves them. Stevie is Nevaeh's best friend and I just adored his wit and his confidence to go for what he wants. Her aunt Anita comes across as abrasive but they are so many layers to her character and it was beautiful to get to know her. And Rabbi Sarah is one of my favorites - faithful but also open minded, she is charming and delightful but there's also a deep sadness in her. She plays such an important part in the book and I would have loved to get to know her better, but the way her arc is written is kinda perfect for this story. I wasn't sure what to think of Jesus initially but I liked the developing romance. He is also probably one of the most sorted characters in that he knows what he wants from his future and has worked hard for it, despite the world trying to snatch it away from him. Abby is the typical mean girl classmate and Ashleigh is the usual evil stepmother - while I understood the parts they played in Nevaeh's character growth, they both didn't feel as real as all the other characters in the book and that's probably my only issue with this book.
There are so many themes explored in this book, I'm just in awe of the author for being able to talk about all of them in a sensitive manner. The main theme is obviously the issues faced by biracial people, their confusion with finding their place and trying to fit in with both sides of their identity. Both Nevaeh and Stevie have similar kind of issues personally, but they also affect them differently in the outside world because Nevaeh is white passing and he is not. She makes mistakes and is forced to check her privilege many times, sometimes brutally - until she realizes that her privilege allows her to voice her thoughts in a safer manner and sometimes, she has to use this privilege to just listen and give the opportunity to other marginalized voices to speak. There are just so many instances of racism in the book, both micro aggressions and some outright ones - we see how it chips away at the soul of the person who has to encounter them everyday but still wake up and go through it all over again, knowing that their life maybe cut short with even a little misstep. This harsh reality is depicted with raw honesty in the book and it just pained me so much. On another note, the despair of having to go through a divorce after having depended on a person for years is also depicted in a very real manner. The one part which I felt really hard though was, how deep it cuts to lose a childhood best friend and having to go through life without being able to share everything with them. As a single child like Nevaeh, I understood her pain all too well even though my circumstances were different, but I think more books should highlight the deep impact that friendships have on us and how losing them affect us even profoundly than a romantic breakup.
Finally, I just want to say that pick up this book and I promise, you will be affected. It is brilliant, insightful and heartfelt and you just can't help but feel the raw emotions that the characters are feeling. It clearly shows that this is the author's lived experience, a fictionalized version of her own life which makes every word feel very honest. The author's note at the end is even more moving. However, this is a very character driven, slice of life kinda story and there is not much of a plot, but it didn't impact my reading experience at all. It's an amazing debut and I can't wait to see what more the author has for us in the future.
A solid 4.5 star !!!!
I never did manage to write the reviews for either the Irish and Whiskey trilogy or the first two books of this one, despite these couples being some of my favorites of this year. And I couldn't contain my excitement when I got approved for this advance copy immediately after I requested, because I really have been waiting to know the conclusion for Nic and Cam's story. All the intrigue that has been slowly building up for two books finally comes to a head here and I had such fun reading this in a single sitting.
It was difficult to see Nic struggle so much in this book, especially when he just starts feeling happy in his life with Cam and is excited for his future. With his father's mysterious death and the existence of a sibling revealed along with some of his painful past coming back, he is drowning more in his guilt and wants to keep everyone in his new found family safe. Cam is confident that Nic will succeed in his case and everything will finally go back to normal, but seeing ghosts of Nic's past leaves him feeling uncertain about their future. He also has to use all his K&R expertise to as well as his love for Nic to keep him from floundering.
It was great to see their relationship grow into such a strong one that even extreme circumstances can't really separate them. And I finally got what I was waiting for – seeing Nic in his full AUSA mode, building his case, both in and out of the courtroom, outmaneuvering his opponents and never losing sight of his goal even in the direst of circumstances. He is expertly supported by Cam every step of the way – as a partner on the case, a sounding board keeping him tethered to reality and doing the one thing Nic needs most, keeping their family safe. Though the individual mysteries in this series have been interesting, I was quite sure that the mystery related to Vaughn would be predictable, but the author succeeds in pleasantly surprising us there too. Despite seeing the excellent support system this group of friends make in Barrel Proof, it is even more evident in this book where there is more danger and the professional lives of Nic and Cam are at stake. It was such fun to see Aidan, Jamie, Mel, Lauren and all other new additions like AD Moore, Eddie and Garrett play significant roles in finally bringing the truth out and get justice for Nic.
This is a great ending to the amazing love story of Nic and Cam, with a very adorable final chapter that had me grinning all the way through. This book had all the elements I have come to expect from this series – love, friendship, suspense and action – all in good doses, keeping us readers on our toes every step of the way. I'm also sad that the series is over but hope we'll get a wedding novella, just like we got one for Irish and Whiskey. And do I detect a possible couple for a new series... let's wait and watch.
A fun and entertaining new fantasy series featuring different kinds of elves and elemental magic. The writing is very easy flowing and I almost finished this in a single sitting.
Zac is a very relatable protagonist and it was great to see an MC with such great magickal powers also get overwhelmed and show his vulnerabilities to those closest to him. Hadrian is the perfect prince - charming, powerful, compassionate and so so sweet. These two were just amazing together. The development of their relationship from friends to more is written beautifully and their interactions are flirtatious and swoony. I'm totally in love with them.
The plot is very quick paced, with elaborate action sequences occurring frequently, which kept me on my toes. The ending is explosive but I think I saw it coming; it still broke my heart and I can't wait to read what happens next.
Is Nemesizing a real word...?? That's what Percy asks Cal ... If it means all the flirting and banter and absolute cluelessness about what they feel for each other, I'm all for it.
This book was so much fun, with loads of sarcasm and a whole bunch of entertaining nosy neighbors.
I definitely recommend to anyone who loves an enemies-to-lovers trope done well. You will surely enjoy this book!!!
I'm going through lots of feelings right now... I love Tiffany as a character. She is awesome and so relatable. But I'm also sooo angry for her. She's definitely a much better person... Good for u gal...
Ok now I'm just rambling... I need to think some more before I write something tat makes sense 😊
I've been so interested to read this book since I first heard of it a few months ago and have been waiting for weeks now to get it from my library. It felt so nice to finally get it in my hands and I had such fun reading and highlighting the hell out of this book in a single sitting.
The first thing that strikes you most about this book is the world. It's an island nation, with the inner island separated from the outer ones by a wall and border security enforcement being a major concern for the government. The govt elite live separately in a compound, literally on higher ground, sound in their belief that they know what's best for the people of their country, and anyone protesting for the sake of the poor and destitute people are immediately deemed rebels and punished harshly. The border enforcement forces are increasingly vicious, terrorizing even the people who live on the supposed “right” side of the wall, and scaring them with the possibility of being sent outside the wall. The themes of illegal immigration, the lengths to which families will go to for the safety of their children and to make it to the right side, the inhumane ways in which the government makes policies to torment and punish people are all explored very very well and the parallels to what's currently happening in our country(and also around some parts of the world) are uncanny. The world building in this book is a great example of how authors take inspiration from the read world to create fantasies and how they can show a mirror to the fault lines that exist in our reality.
While the idea of a school to train girls to be wives is not something new in fantasies, I found the concept of two wives - one to be an intellectual partner and the other to fulfill the more usual wifely duties felt quite unique. And though atleast the Primera being an equal partner and being involved in her husband's politics seems like a good thing for her, the inherent misogyny of this whole concept is made glaringly obvious from the get go. The women are taught to suppress their own desires and do everything for the prosperity of the “family” which in essence means the husband. And despite all the young women being trained in the same fashion, the way they are treated differently because of their background or how close/far away from the capital they were born, is a completely hypocritical version of how the supposed marriage system has to work.
The author does a great job with the main character Dani. She is strong willed, smart, dedicated to her family because they sacrificed everything for her and only wants to keep her head down and do her job as the Primera. However, with reluctance initially, she starts working for the resistance and slowly realizes the prejudices that the elite harbor for the common people and how the whole system is based on corruption. Once she sees the truths for herself, she starts making her own choices, never caring for her safety. She did come across as impulsive and not thinking through her actions sometimes, but I could totally see where she was coming from.
Carmen on the other hand is mysterious, charming and flirty and I thought made a good balance to Dani's slightly stoic demeanor. I loved the development of their relationship from being slightly antagonistic to kind of sister wives who slowly get to know each other better. The feelings they felt for each other developed very organically in the story and the aspect of it being forbidden definitely lent more intensity to their relationship. Everything else around them always felt so high stakes and almost dangerous, so I really enjoyed the bit of levity in the scenes when they were together. Their husband Mateo on the other hand is someone we do come to hate as a reader, but I never did get a good sense of him - I understood that he is more on the extreme and cruel side in his politics and too egotistical in nature, but I would have liked to know his motivations better.
The writing took some getting used to for me. I'm not one for purple prose and while the author didn't indulge too much in it, I felt the writing a little too metaphorical for my taste initially. However, I quickly fell in love with the story and got completely lost in it. There are also some very memorable scenes and conversations in the book for which I want to commend the author for her thoughtfulness. One scene which I feel will resonate with a lot of readers is when Dani shuts up a man for trying to mansplain her own life to her. It's such a passionate piece of dialogue and I feel many women would have wanted to say something similar to a man atleast once in their life. The author also does a great job of giving her female characters the strength to discover themselves and fight for their choices in a world where they don't really have a lot of agency. While showing the ugly reality of the government, the author doesn't completely paint a great picture of the rebels - it's very realistically portrayed that despite great and noble intentions, revolutions are always messy.
Overall, this is a very fascinating world which feels all too real, with excellent female characters, a passionate sapphic romance and an ending that I really did not see coming. I would definitely recommend this to all lovers of fierce female leads in fantasy, but would like to remind everyone that this is not an action packed book, but a story that takes a deep look at prejudiced politics, discrimination of the already disadvantaged populace and why revolutions in such instances are inevitable.
I went in expecting a sort of love triangle but I was definitely surprised. This book reflects on so much more than you thought. The friendship and love that the Awesome Threesome Nirvaan, Simeen and Zayaan share is very unconventional and not something you commonly read. But it was very beatifully written and I couldn't believe that despite all their feelings for each other, they still kept such secrets from which ate away at them from the inside. The book is also about dealing with trauma, loss, grief, death, faith and getting through them with the help of your family and friends. But ultimately, the there is only ONE question that you are left with at the end - Is it possible to love two people at the same time and is it really wrong if you do? PS - The only reason for my 4 stars is that the ending felt a little rushed and I would have liked to know more about their life a few years later. Also, Nirvaan's fate at the end didn't sit well with me because it's not what he wanted.
This book is a novella and of the mystery genre – two things I usually don't gravitate towards. So, why am I reading this one? Because this is the debut English fiction book by the author Salini, who happens to be my batchmate from college. There is no way I would not take an opportunity to read a book written by someone I know and promote everywhere that I am an author's friend 😉😉😉
Amudha is a Ph.D student who is wallowing day after day in her research lab, but doesn't seem to have any genuine interest in it. She has grown up being the invisible child, never living up to her mother's expectations and overshadowed by her siblings achievements – this has left her feeling insecure and she isn't sure she will do well outside of her sheltered lab. I was pleasantly surprised when she decides to chase the mystery because it seemed out of character, but it also felt like the exact kind of push she needed to find herself.
Dinesh is a colleague of hers who is also dissatisfied with his life because his thesis hasn't been accepted for a long time. But he is her good friend and I loved their banter. There was this familiarity in their conversations which comes from knowing everything about your best friend and it reminded me of my friends too. He goes on rants when he gets frustrated but she finds it amusing and I admired that despite being protective of her, he also realized that Amudha needed this adventure for herself and made sure he could help her in anyway possible.
As a reader, I wasn't sure how much the author would be able to tell in a story that is just over 60 pages but as each page unfolded, I got caught up in the mystery and it was such a great feeling. The setting of Amudha's university and the city of Bangalore evoked some great nostalgia in me and made me want to revisit those places again. The mystery is cleverly written, with Amudha uncovering it bit by bit and we see first hand how much this journey is changing her. There is also a hint of the history of Chennai's college politics which I thought was a deft touch. The ending was very well done and I liked the message that Amudha learns from the adventure, which you have to find out for yourself. The author's note at the end also left me slightly weepy because I realized how much I related to her – I lost my love of writing too somewhere along the way and only discovered it again last year when I decided to start my blog.
This is a great debut novel and I think anyone who loves flawed heroines trying to solve mysteries would enjoy this a lot. This book is also available to Kindle Unlimited, so do give this one a try and let me know your thoughts. I can't wait to see what more adventures my friend is going to take me on in her next books.
TW: domestic abuse, addiction, depression, suicide
I loved reading Tan's memoir Naturally Tan just a couple of weeks ago but I had completely forgotten that Karamo's memoir was already out until I saw his interview with Trevor Noah. And I think I did the perfect thing deciding to listen to the audiobook because this was a wonderful experience.
As the title suggests, this book is Karamo's story of personal growth, healing and hope. It's not told in a clearly chronological manner but each chapter deals with a different topic/issue that he has had to deal with in his life and his experiences overcoming them while growing up. In line with his personality and messaging on Queer Eye, he is very honest and open about many things that happened in his past, the mistakes that he made and how he challenged himself to become a better version of himself. He is candid about many different topics - feeling othered, colorism within the Black community, his relationship with the church and God, his struggle with addiction and depression, domestic partner abuse, fatherhood and finding his path in life. I was actually very surprised by how much detail he went into, especially about his addiction, suicidal thoughts and his abusive behavior towards his partners, but I think the way he learnt from his mistakes and decided to change himself is a good lesson for everyone struggling with similar issues.
His chapter on fatherhood is probably the most profound one in the book. It's probably unimaginable to understand what he must have felt when he suddenly found out he had a child, but the way he handled it with an open mind and lots of love is wonderful to read. It's also possibly the most transformative moment in his life because he decided to model a better behavior for his children so that they had a better role model in their father than he himself did. His emphasis on being a loving but disciplined parent and encouraging his kid's dreams without judging them is definitely something all parents can agree with or atleast aspire to be like. His chapter on his relationship with his fiancé is quite lovely and adorable and I can't wait to see what a spectacle his wedding is going to be.
On the show, he obviously is famous for being the one who makes everyone cry and this book gives us a better insight into why that is and where he is coming from. Despite his struggles, he has never lost hope and optimism and I think his social worker and psychotherapist background plays a major part in that. And even though he can come across as preachy sometime, his messages are quite relevant to everyone. His emphasis on being an empathetic listener and being open to learn is something that we can all benefit from. On the other hand, the way he talks about himself is also a great message. I love how he doesn't hesitate from talking about his dreams and aspirations and how confident he is that he will be able to find a way to make them a reality. But the one take away that I took from this book is how important it is to be able to express and understand our feelings and emotions, and how not having the right vocabulary to do so can affect our mental health.
Finally, I obviously recommend this book to anyone who loves Queer Eye and wants to know more about Karamo. Do keep in mind that this is a book about his life experiences and the show forms just one chapter in it. This is a book about healing, learning, being a better person and following the dreams and I'm sure everyone will find something in here to relate to or learn from. I listened to the audiobook and I highly recommend it because it phenomenal and he brings a lot of heart and soul into the narration.
As someone who has never played any sport in my life, I still can't figure out my fascination for sports romances, especially hockey because I hardly know anything about it. But they just make me insanely happy and this book was no different.
I remember reading the first book in this series and liking it but it's been a while, so I didn't go in with a lot of expectations. I just wanted to have fun and this author duo gave me that. I haven't read any other books by Piper Vaughn but I have really enjoyed other hockey romances by Avon Gale and this one has a very similar feel. The writing is so easy to get through right from the beginning and I flew through the book in a single sitting. The authors do such a wonderful job making us root for this enemies to lovers to friends to more romance and I just couldn't get enough. There is also a lot of focus on the game itself, it's pressures, the camaraderie of the team etc and I loved reading about it all. Even the conflict felt very realistic and made me all emotional. This love story has more like an HFN but it feels very organic to the characters themselves and I also liked that coming out was never a point of contention.
Its amazing to see two protagonists of color in a sport like hockey which is majority white. Ryu is Japanese American who is very reserved, driven, a perfectionist who expects too much from himself. Emmitt on the other hand is Black, who has a faced a lot of prejudice but has never let it get to him and has finally arrived at the NHL. He is also supremely confident, a bit cocky and loves posting shirtless selfies on his insta. They are just so different from each other and competing for the starting goalie puts them at odds, but there were too many sparks flying to be ignored. I loved how they slowly became friends and realized they had feelings for each other despite not wanting to. It was kinda sweet watching them together, bringing out the best in each other on the ice, and also bonding over the immense parental pressures they have faced.
I absolutely loved the team camaraderie here too. Even though I don't remember much from the first book, it was cool seeing Tristan and Seb together, just being all sappy and adorable. Tristan is the nicest guy ever and Seb is a force of nature and I really wanna reread their book now. Morley is another defenseman who was a prominent side character and he was annoying at first with his typical dudebro attitude and just making offensive jokes all the time. But I quickly realized he is a great friend, just with a puerile sense of humor. He is also not a fan of labeling his sexuality but doesn't seem to discriminate between genders and I didn't expect him to be so open and accepting about it. I have a feeling he is going to be the protagonist of the next book and I can't wait.
To conclude, this was a fun, intense and emotional love story which had both hockey and romance in equal measures and I loved it all. I laughed, I cried and I didn't want it to end - what more can I expect from a lovely book. If you like sports romances, then I definitely recommend this book. This works perfectly well as a stand-alone too but I think you should also read the first. I hope the wait for the next book in the series won't be as long as this time.
I remember seeing this graphic novel a couple of months ago in my library but I hadn't heard about it then yet. However, after seeing some wonderful reviews and also it being nominated for the Goodreads Choice awards, I knew I had to read it. And wow was this such a pleasant surprise.
Sebastian is a nice soft boy who doesn't really find pleasure in all the princely things like hunting. He adores his parents but is scared to tell them that he isn't sure about marrying a princess or his truth about not feeling comfortable in his own skin. It's such a contrast to see him absolutely confident in his persona as Lady Chrystallia taking the Paris fashion scene by the storm. He is a delight when he is attending all the parties and being true to himself but insecurity about not being a good prince is difficult to read about because he is such a sweet person.
Frances is a lowly seamstress but when given an opportunity, she takes it up with both hands and is very eager to showcase her skills. She is not afraid of trying out some outrageous designs or colors and is very accepting of the prince's choices, making her his closest friend. However, despite this making her name quite popular in society, she is unhappy because she is Sebastian's secret keeper, which makes her name secret too.
I loved the way their friendship is written. Sebastian just wants acceptance – both within himself and from others – and Frances wants to be known for her talent and it is great that both of them find what they need with each other. Their stations in life also never come in between their friendship and they genuinely are fond of each other, which is very amusing to watch.
The King and Queen of Belgium are are also very good people, who just want their prince to do his duty. I was actually quite scared how they would react when the truth about Seb comes to their knowledge, but the ending was quite unexpected. It's obviously too convenient for the sake of a happy ending, but this whole graphic novel is sweet and fluffy and too cheerful to end any other way.
I can't say enough good things about the art in this book. True to the time period in Paris and with such importance given to fashion, the design and colors here are spectacular and very eye catching. I absolutely adored the dresses that Frances designs for Lady Chrystallia and I wish I could find something like those in real life. The author is also able to convey such beautiful emotions about friendship, love and acceptance through her words and art that it makes for a wonderful happy read and I would recommend this to anyone. You'll only end up smiling a lot.
I have never found it so difficult to categorize a book as a particular genre as Aavarana. This book is an amalgamation of contemporary fiction, history, philosophy and commentary on the so called secularism followed in this country. The ending did not satisfy me enough but the novel inside the novel was well written. This book makes me want to dig deep through the history of this country to find out more about the forgotten lands, kings and heroes and not be limited by the history taught in our school books. Though I completely disagree with the characters' assertion that religion itself is bad, the book reinforces my belief that religious tolerance is the need of the hour but it only works when all sides share the same feeling and every single person is ready to ready to respect another's faith without forcing their own superiority.
On the whole, a very thought provoking read after a long time which left me with more questions than answers.
This book was definitely the most intense of the trilogy. But Elijah and Baz are just perfect for each other. Baz has his physical and emotional disabilities to deal with whereas Elijah has to come to terms with his self loathing brought on by his upbringing. But the way they start trusting each other and are always supportive was beautifully written. It was also good to see Baz develop into a more confident person with a sense of his future. Even though I loved their story, I would have loved more scenes with just the two of them and not the other subplots with the side characters.
Obviously, Walter and Kelly's wedding at the beginning was totally cheesy but how can I not enjoy them being together forever . Tat was a great start to the story. I also enjoyed the new characters Ed and Laurie and have to read their book too.
Overall, this was a good ending to the series. But apparently I still have a novella to read with Elijah and Baz and tats just icing on the cake.
I'm mostly torn between a 3.5 or a 4, so I'll round up.
Finally the saga comes to an end. I have to preface this review by saying that I'm not as much in awe of this finale as I was of the first book, but it's still a good ending. It's just that maybe I was expecting too much from it, so it left me a bit dissatisfied.
The writing of the author continues to be enchanting and thrilling, keeping me hooked to the story, never wanting to let go. Obviously as per the title of the finale, I was very interested to know how the author would describe the Kurukshetra war and while whatever was shown was magnificent and gritty and gory, I was also disappointed by what was left out. It's not easy to condense eighteen days of this epic battle into one part of the book, but I didn't particularly like that there was nothing of the first seven days at all. Some other important duels or deaths also happened off page, which was pretty shocking to me. In the original Mahabharata, the warriors on both sides fight with daivi astras, and while the point of this whole trilogy was to strip the epic of its divinity and attribute all the advancements to science and technology - I think it became a bit difficult to stick to that premise during the war sequences and some of the astras used felt unrealistic. And even though I can't pinpoint exactly, there were some threads and plot points that were left open without any resolution and I didn't expect that. But on the whole, I think the author did a formidable job bringing the war to life, and especially showing us the devastation and carnage it resulted in.
As this is the book where we would get some version of the Bhagavad Gita, I was very eagerly waiting for those chapters. I will not say I understood everything, but it was short and very compelling to hear the words of Govinda to Partha. There are also many many discussions about destiny, reason and compassion, and how these three are just different ways in which the world can run. However, the number of times these discussions took place was a lot in this book, and I can't say it was all easy to grasp. I still completely bought into Govinda's complete belief in humanity and its incessant capacity to use knowledge to prosper; and also his surety that a system that fails to protect those its meant to, deserves to be destroyed. But what left me a bit disconcerted towards the end was that I couldn't really fathom if Govinda's dream became a reality. And maybe that's the main source of dissatisfaction with this finale.
The characters continue to be the strength of this series. It is so fascinating to see all these legendary people in a frail human light, with all their flaws. Especially Dharma, whose belief in destiny never wavered despite innumerable horrors happening around him, or the fact that it was the common people who were fighting for their rights on his side. At the end, I truly came to question if he deserved to be on the throne, even if it was as a representative of the people. Panchali and Govinda continue to be amazing and formidable beings they are, fighting the system and wanting a better future for humanity. Almost everything else played out as expected, but I can't help but appreciate the author for giving Shikhandin such an important piece in this story. After everything that happened, I think he was the most admirable for me - the brave and consummate warrior who fought for the common people and what was right. Even though I was very upset during Abhimanyu's horrifying death scene, it was actually the final scene between the closest friends Shikhandin and Asvatthama that brought tears to my eyes. I will always remember this trilogy for letting to me get to know these unlikely and forgotten heroes.
Towards the end, I have to say that reading this trilogy has been an experience that I won't soon forget. It has wowed me and impressed me and brought tears and joy and so much more. It is not without its flaws, but a Mahabharata reimagining is an ambitious task and I commend the author for attempting it and doing a good job. As I've been saying since I began this journey, if you are okay with a riveting reimagination of the epic which digresses a lot from the canon but still manages to capture its core essence, then you should definitely give this trilogy a try.
It's been a while since I've felt invested and excited enough to binge read a fantasy trilogy, but that's exactly what Govinda did to me. I couldn't even imagine reading anything other than this sequel because I had to know what happens next. And I'm so happy that I did exactly that. This review might have some spoilers for the first book, so please be mindful of that before proceeding.
The magic that the author wove in Govinda is still present in this sequel, but she also manages to make this a bit more different in tone because of the ominous events that take place. While the first book had us moving across Aryavarta, the world here is expanded to include the desert lands of Matsya and I loved how it was described as a kingdom that strove to be prosperous despite its isolation from the empire for generations. The writing is as exciting as before, with so many more twists and turns and betrayals this time around and I just couldn't put down the book. The story actually veers a lot more from the canon in this installment, but it's very much organic to the author's reimagining and I enjoyed these new turns. I guess the only disappointment was that there wasn't much of action this time around, but I'm pretty sure we'll get a lot more of that in the finale. There were also a lot more philosophical and existential discussions in the book, which were fascinating for the most part but could also jolt me out of the story if I wasn't feeling them.
I particularly enjoyed how this book raises a lot of questions, that can even be relevant today if we give them deeper thought. There is a lot of discussion mainly on power, who gets to have the power and what responsibilities does it bring with it. What I found as a great parallel to our society is how the few who have had power for generations seem to consider it their right, and even the idea of power being redistributed across ordinary people is too much of a disruption and threat to their way of life. I also liked that the author included conversations on gender equality as well as class discrimination, a particular point hitting me hard - we should all be respected and should have the right to fairness and justice solely because we are human beings, and it should not be limited to only those who have a higher station in life. And I have to say, I'm very impressed that the author has setup the premise for the Kurukshetra war as a revolution against the system which has wronged the ordinary people and against the rulers who would do anything to preserve the status quo.
While the writing may have faltered a bit, the characters are as impressive as ever. I thought the shades of grey of both Dharma and Syoddhan are shown brilliantly. Dharma is particularly very infuriating because he believes in his self righteousness and destiny too much, and never actually takes blame for any of the wrongs that he commits. Syoddhan on the other hand is not a bad person, but is much more susceptible to the advice and ambitions of those around him, succumbing to their ideas despite probably knowing he is doing wrong. I really loved how the author flipped the script on these two major characters, showing them as utterly flawed human beings and not as black and white as popular fiction depicts. Shikhandin again gets a lot of depth and I admired him a lot for his bravery and convictions, even though he suffers a lot of personal tragedy, is never lauded for his courageous actions and branded as a traitor. Sanjaya is one who's character is completely different from canon but it was fascinating to see him depicted as such a master manipulator, and he goes through so many emotions throughout the story and I found it interesting to watch him change and adapt.
Obviously the larger part of the story still revolves around Govinda and Panchali and I just loved the exploration of their relationship even more. They are two halves of a whole, like Narayana and Sri themselves, and there were so few scenes of them together but I just cherished reading them. Panchali suffers a lot throughout this book and while she almost wants to give up, she ultimately doesn't because she is strong and fierce and will never stop standing up for herself and demanding justice. Govinda on the other hand is devastated seeing what happens to her, and the way his despair and complete hopelessness is described brought tears to my eyes. This is not how Lord Krishna is usually depicted - a person who gives up everything dear to him for the dream of a prosperous empire and when it all collapses, the person who is supposed to be the hope of all people becomes hopeless himself - I've never seen him shown this way before and I thought it was a brave and well done attempt by the author. But towards the end, the story brings these two formidable characters together again and I can't wait to see what happens next.
While I may not have felt as in awe of this book as it's predecessor, the characters are what make this series so amazing and I tip my hat off to the author's extensive imagination. As I've said before, if you are interested in reading reinterpretations of the Mahabharata where there are no divine elements and are open to view the characters in new light, then you should definitely give this trilogy a try. You might just end up finding a new fantasy series and author.
This was such an unexpected read and I'm so delighted. I had completely forgotten that I preordered this book and when it suddenly showed up on my kindle, I couldn't resist and had to begin immediately. I'm a huge fan of anthologies, and this was a wonderful opportunity to discover the most compelling female voices in contemporary Indian publishing. This a great collection of tales featuring badass women, who are fed up of being told what they should and shouldn't do, and decide to take destiny into their own hands. There is also an underlying theme about the devastation being caused towards our Mother Earth across many stories and I loved this nod to Indian mythology where we worship Bhoomata. There are obviously both hits and misses like any anthologies, but I definitely ended the book feeling quite magical.
Gul by Shreya Ila Anasuya
This story had so many elements - the backdrop of the Sepoy mutiny, the mehfils of Lucknow, courtesan culture of the time and a beautiful tale of immortal love of two women.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Gandaberunda by S. V. Sujatha
Wow this was creepy af. But written quite well. And I can't say anything else without spoiling it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Rulebook for Creating a Universe by Tashan Mehta
This felt like a story about how women who stray from the so-called “rules” are always punished and used as cautionary tales. And that women should make their own rules and create their own destiny. This also seems like a very allegorical tale about the creation of a universe and I thought it was a good one.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The Demon Hunter's Dilemma by Samhita Arni
This was a wonderful story - a demon hunter realizing that everything she has been taught is not necessarily true, that we shouldn't be quick to judge a whole group of people just because of the actions of the few. Definitely a very timely truth.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Earth and Evolution Walk into a Bar.. by Sejal Mehta
This story had so many layers to it, but the heart of it is how humans are destroying the earth and also how the superior intelligence of humans is only increasing their penchant for violence against each other, and what will happen when Mother Earth decides to retaliate. This was masterful storytelling and I would have loved for it to be longer.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tridevi Turbulence by Trisha Das
Written as a conversation between the Goddesses, this story is a metaphor for how humans are abusing river Ganga and what would probably happen in the future if it isn't stopped. Both witty and interesting.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stone Cold by Kiran Manral
Set in a futuristic world where every human touch is forbidden and cloning is the method to create the future of mankind, this story explores the theme of human desire. It was written very well.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The Gatekeeper's Intern by Ruchika Roy
I'm not sure I really understood this story about life, death and afterlife but I think the inherent message was that we should strive to create balance in the world, and not reinforce the negative things in life.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Grandma Garam's Kitty Party by Shweta Taneja
I think this was a story about wanting to be different from what our family believes in, but ultimately realizing the importance of trusting our family. But it takes places among a group of chudails and it was written in such a hilarious manner, it made me quite hysterical. Couldn't stop laughing.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Carnival at the Edge of the Worlds by Shveta Thakrar
This is kind of a little retelling of Nala and Damayanti's story but I can't say I understood it well.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Rakshasi's Rose Garden by Sukanya Venkatraghavan
Quite a creepy tale about a Rakshasi living in the modern world, what starts out like a gossipy story turns into something so much more painful. Wonderfully written and made me quite emotional.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bahameen by Asma Kazi
I can't say I understood the deeper meaning behind the story but it kinda tells that even deeds done with good intent can have devastating consequences.
⭐️⭐️.5
The Girl who Haunted Death by Nikita Deshpande
A very compelling retelling of Savitri's story, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. A kind of cautionary tale about “be careful what you wish for”, I thought it was written brilliantly.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Apocalyptica by Krishna Udayashankar
Another story about the devastation happening around in the world, not just due to climate change but also violence perpetrated by humans in general - this one is told through the eyes of the three Goddess who are fed up of their Trimurti husbands not doing enough and decide to take matters into their own hands. It's brutal but definitely a wonderful read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Average Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.96
I'm still oscillating between a 3.5 or 4, but rounding up for now.
After the super fun trilogy that was Trouble Brewing, I was hoping the author would write a spinoff about some of my favorite characters, but instead we got this brand new series starter featuring assassins. I wasn't sure what I was expecting and I still dont know what I'm feeling at the end.
Hawes is the titular character, the Prince of Killers and head of an organization of vigilante assassins. Despite his activities, he really is a loyal and kind man who loves his family and his city, and just wants to build a legacy that will keep the innocent people safe. I loved his interactions with his family, their love and banter is on point and pretty entertaining, even during daunting times. Dante on the other hand is an enigma - despite his assertions that he wanted to help Hawes, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. We also don't get his POV, so I felt like I didn't get to know him well enough; just that he has ulterior motives. There is obviously very interesting chemistry between the two right from the beginning and I can see the potential for explosive times, but we only got a glimpse of it this time. I thought both the characters of Holt and Helena were fascinating and very much in contrast to Hawes, and that makes them a pretty cool trio. I love how they always stuck together and I appreciated that family dynamic.
Layla Reyne writes very fast paced novels and this was no different. I flew through the book in just a few hours and never wanted to put it down. There is betrayal in the air right from page one and the author made sure to sustain that suspense for me throughout. I really couldn't guess the identity of the traitor and that was a nice shock. The story takes place almost in the span of a week, so I liked how the author showed the possibility for more for the couple and didn't veer into instalove territory. It was all going fine until that monster of a cliffhanger that made my jaw drop and I don't even know what to do now anymore. Wow was that a brutal last line.
Finally, I just wanna say that this was a fun and entertaining novel, definitely more in the suspense category rather than the romance. If you enjoy books with antiheroes, vigilante assassins and kickass siblings, then this book is for you. There is a lot of suspense going on here that'll keep you guessing. But be prepared for a completely unexpected cliffhanger at the end that will blindside you. I'm still reeling from the shock and can't wait for the sequel.
I had completely forgotten this book was releasing last week until someone mentioned on a group chat, and I knew I had to read it immediately. I actually didn't have a lot of expectations, just wanted it to be an engaging read, but this one turned out to be surprisingly very good.
It wasn't until the second book of this series Sita did I realize it was going to be a multilinear narrative with the first three books following three different characters but merging at the same point towards the end. This made the experience of reading Sita a bit boring because the last third of the book felt very repetitive. I guess I went into this book feeling similarly, but Amish definitely did a great job of dispelling all my misconceptions. The writing is very engaging right from the get go, fast paced and entertaining while also not shying away from the philosophical and dharmic discussions that I've come to associate with Amish's books. The entire reinterpretation of Raavan's backstory, which we generally don't know much about is done masterfully and I loved how much of emotion the author was able to evoke in us. I also really loved the whole theme of every hero needing a strong villain in their life to have a large scale impact on the minds of the people. I guess my only gripe was that because the book was covering a very long timeline, there were huge time jumps and we are only told about major events rather than showing them happen.
Raavan's character is really a study in contrasts. He is knowledgeable, accomplished, intelligent and ruthless but on the other hand loves his brother Kumbhakarna to no end. He has his moments of humanity and just when you think he is capable of change, something happens that completely changes the trajectory of his life. The depiction of unrequited love and absolute grief is so utterly raw and gritty in this book that it really shook me. Kumbhakarna is a character whom we don't much about at all in the original epic but he completely fascinated me here and I really liked him a lot. At his core, he is a kind and compassionate person who wants to be more dharmic, but his devotion to his brother is also complete which leads him onto paths he doesn't necessarily want to embark on. I adored the interactions between the brothers - how they were able to show their vulnerabilities to each other made me very emotional and connected to their relationship, but also seeing it change gradually pained me. It's definitely this relationship that carries the emotional weight of the story and is what made it such a wonderful read.
To finish, I just wanna say that if you are fan of Amish's earlier works, you should definitely read this one because I thought it had a great balance of mythology, political machinations, mystery and emotion. It also ends on a very epic note and I'm already very excited to see how Amish is gonna interpret the rest of the epic. However, if you haven't read any of the author's books before, I would highly recommend to start with the Immortals of Meluha. While this Ram Chandra series is not exactly a spin-off of the Meluha trilogy, there are many interconnecting elements between the two that I feel can be enjoyed better if you have start at the beginning.