My Reading Corner

THE CURSEBREAKERS SERIES BY BRIGID KEMMERER Reading has always been an inevitable hobby since my childhood and being that way, fairy tales are always special. Who doesn't love escaping what we know as reality and living in a magical land with mysterious and interesting creatures, witches, characters that we dream about, superpowers and what not? The Cursebreakers series has one such fictional world called Emberfall with totally lovable characters. I binge read this series last month and have been trying to post a review which is finally happening. For people who haven't heard of this series, it is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast. I am going to share my thoughts for each book separately so that I can let you know as much as possible of my entire reading journey. There are going to be spoilers but I've marked the start and end of spoilers below so that if you don't want to be spoiled, you can skip those parts. Let's get started! A Curse So Dark and Lonely: A C...

  BE BETTER BIT BY BIT BY NISHITH GOYAL Look who has found a wonderful self - help book...yes!! I am surprised that I'm impressed. For everyone looking for a book that will actually work and not just talk, you have Be Better Bit By Bit by Nishith Goyal. It has everything that a self - improvement newbie would truly need. This book is not another one which throws encouragements which feels good to read and not to implement. It made me implement the ideas without even knowing that I am doing those. Who wouldn't want such a motivation? This book didn't teach me what to do (which obviously should be decided by me) but it taught me how to do and why should I do which in turn makes me do them. Trust me guys, as the name denotes its going to be at a slow rate which gave me a trust that I am going to sustain forever in why I do. Self care is so misunderstood as a task but its not just that. Its a journey which we must take and keep travelling consistently. As time flies the results...

YESTERDAY'S GHOST BY NIKHIL PRADHAN  There is this group of four people, part of the army team called the Black Team who took part in a secret mission in Sri Lanka thirty years back. They were then forced to retreat from the armed forces and each move in a sepertae path to lead their lives. One day, they receive a code message related only to the event that shook their life thirty years back and their nightmares come true. If you are a sucker for Paranormal reads, this one is your plate of pie. In fact, I was sort of scared to sleep the night I read this book. It will definitely give you that vibe because of the setting, the mysterious character called Black Knight and the chain of events that would relate to creepy & ghostly stuffs. Now, moving apart from the gothic feeling, I felt that the book was confusing at some points like...I could not follow the writing very clearly and I also feel some questions are unanswered though I could not tell what the questions were. It was ki...

I am so grateful that I got to read this book. The Daughters of Charchinar by Almas Hussain is a book that everyone should read atleast once in their lifetime. It hit me damn hard in so many ways. This book is about Nafisa and Meher, twin sisters born in the land of Charchinar where the life of women is not at all imaginable. They are raped as punishment for crime committed by the men in their family. They are killed just because they wish to pursue education. Charchinar is a land where girls and ladies are treated worse than a non-living thing. When I did read the blurb of the book, the line "Here, rape is a punishment and not a crime" itself made me feel so much scared and also it was then that I knew this book is a must read. The twin sisters lose their mother during their birth and from then they grew up in the kitchen and taken care by the cook Tuktuk. Their lives are impacted so much by the meaningless and barbaric rituals of Charchinar. The book then follows the life o...

The King of the Sea by Nandan Gautam: I am blank as the book is! I literally do not know what I should talk about the book as the book is itself about nothing but everything. Have you ever thought beyond our lives? Why do we live? What is that after we get everything that we run after? What is there at the end? And a big WHY?! This book is truth and not any illusion or just thoughts. I agree with what I think the author conveyed through the book because I think not everyone can interpret the book in the same way. It could be unique for every reader of this book. As said in the beginning of the book, it was entirely my choice and my own mind that constructed a story with the words put in by the author. It's a story but not a story as such. The life of man is portrayed as a long and everlasting journey in a ship which doesn't know its destination. The crew in the ship keeps  travelling with a hope that they would see land/destination one day which is us who keep livi...

THE HEART'S INVISIBLE FURIES BY JOHN BOYNE This book is a sort of a different read for me. Yes it was something unique from all the other books that I read. This is a book about Cyril, the protagonist who is a homosexual in Ireland. The story begins from 1945 where Mrs.Goggins, Cyril's mother is thrown out of the church and ends in 2015. This explains the length of the book indeed (713 pages). It describes more about Ireland and the lifestyle change of people there way from older days to today. I really was able to discover lots of new ideas from the book. It gave my mind a more broad view on different parts of the world and stuffs. The entire life of Cyril from scratch made me realize that the world is really huge and means more than what we knew. It was really a wonderful experience reading this book. Although it didn't go well for me at first, the subsequent parts where really interesting. The narration was good and kept going smoothly. There were lots of vari...

BEARTOWN BY FREDRIK BACKMAN Done with this and yayyy!!! Long read it was. I always wanted to sit for long and read this book but I was struck with something else and was travelling as well. I happened to read from just some 40 pages a day at maximum... to the least of single page a day. Such was my reading progress for this book unfortunately. Yeah! I know its bad. Yet, worth it folks!! . Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐   Alright, I knew that Fredrik Backman is not going to disappoint me and he didn't. Though I was not spellbound as I did when reading The Man Called Ove, this book is another obvious testimony that Fredrik  is a master writer and OMG!! I just love him for his writing. I have never read such casual books as his. So this book is about a town called Beartown where hockey is everything the town depends on. Its in the outskirts and is not recognized at all. So the people is beholden with hockey to make the town popular and well known. The story is so simple and contempor...

EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED BY JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER Have you read this book? If yes, what is your thought about it? It was the first book of mine in 2019 and believe me I took about a month to complete it. It was a very bad read for me. I literally did not like this one and I don't know why. The writing was humorous I agree!! But a huge NO...This is not my type. I did not post a review because I didn't know wat should I say. And today I came across this in my bookshelf and thought about sharing my experience with you.

WILD WORLD BY DEEPAK ARORA I am contented that I actually read this book and didn't miss it. Prior reading I had a perception that it is some sort of children's adventure. But this is a book that everyone of us must read. It is about a jungle called Wild World which also acts as a place for people who come for wildlife safari to spend some time amidst the peaceful life of the jungle. The tigers in the jungle are being reduced in number by the poachers until only Raja and Rani, a couple tigers exists. Of them Rani was taken to the city zoo and the forest life cycle is in complete danger. The jungle is in the verge of destruction. What will happen to the so rich beauty and resource of the nature? Will it survive the human greed that knew no bounds? . The story is so captivating and impressive. The narration is simple but trust me everyone will love it. A very strong and much needed message is conveyed through so gentle and beautiful story. I will surely recommend it to...

TURN THE TABLES BY PRIYA KUMAR First of all it was quite a different experience for me to read self help kind of book. But it was entirely not like how I have made an assumption about it. It was a good experience. There was no overflowing emotions that I find difficult to control while reading something fictional, although I love them. This was a very relaxed read for me. I read slowly, grasping every single sentence in it. And truely it was so inspirational. If you feel down or lack that quick pint of boost that is required at times to stay on track I will surely recommend this book. It was not entirely throwing mere motivational statements but was thought provoking with real time incidents described. This way I found it more engaging than I have expected it to be. The best part that I completely loved about this book is the set of questions that follow every chapter. It helped me greatly to relate the stuffs and to know myself deeper. I came to know new perspectives on vari...

THE SECRET OF THE PALAMU FORT BY RAZI I am a huge fan of Indian mythology right from first and so it is my kind of thing. The story is about a curse that arises from history of the Palamu Fort. The murder of Professor Anand acts as the starting point for every set of mysterious creepy events that occur. Robin, a well known detective is approached for solving the mystery and hence the story unveils. Will Robin find the answers for the curse that accounts 350 years old and claims the lives of those that try to find the hidden secret beneath?. I really enjoyed reading and the book kept me at the tip of the seat. No pages were without gasping surprises and literally I could not stop reading. I was growing curious over each single line and had no patience for knowing the answers. Trust me, it sends chills into the minds of readers at places. The history of India never fails to impress oneself and yet this book is another proof for the fact. Everything about the book say writing,...

I WILL FORGET YOU TOO BY ABHILASH AMAN Trust me people it is worth your reading time. This is a book that I would call to be something where everything fits in just right. It is a story about a boy Abhilash who falls in love with his classmate. They stay loyal to their feelings yet are bound by the rules of the so called society. It brings them to a situation where they are about to decide whether to just trust their feelings or comply with the pressure around them. Aman,  you have made a really awesome work. The book was just so raw and real. The writing was perfect for the plot. It was gentle with such a content in it. I felt a sense of satisfaction after reading this. The title completely makes sense and the book cover brings in the ambience for the events in the story. The plot is simple, neat and did not involve more descriptive stuff. It was up to the point. Totally, I really loved this clean, little and adorable work. 

THE LAST AVATAR BY VISHWAS MUDAGAL To start with the story line, this book talks about the fight between the good and the evil, between the right and the wrong. The world is at the brim of World War III because of the cruel terrorist group the Invisible Hands supported by Jian, an important person from China, one of the most powerful countries. The political leaders were unable to stop Jian who wants to become one supreme commander of the world. However there are the guardians of truth who strive hard to protect the world from the evil. Neel, the chosen one along with Nushen from China does incredible things for the safety of the two countries and the world. The story is more of the scientific fiction type blended very well with the historical mythology and proves to be an engaging read together. I loved the book and its characters. The book is a result of huge background searches done by the author and deserves appreciation for his hard work. The writing was reader friendl...

A MAN CALLED OVE BY FREDRIK BACKMAN I just literally sat there with a smile in my lips and tears in my eyes when I closed the book. And I was idle for a minute or two thinking how could a book be so very wonderful. Oh my god!! I love this book beyond everything. It made me laugh out loud and also made it difficult for me to swallow the lump in my throat at the end of each chapter. The book kept me engaged right from the moment I started reading it. It was such a page turner that I woke up in the morning looking forward to complete it today. The story is about the old man Ove who is too grumpy and has stopped living after his wife passes away. It is about how the neighbours brings out the best version of Ove. This man taught me so many things that matters in life and so many other which does not. I am definite that I would reread this book someday and have the same excitement as of now. And this is truely a book that deserves every praise that exists. The writing is so good and...

I WILL GO WITH YOU BY PRIYA KUMAR The book is a wonderful thriller that keeps you page turning and crazy on your seat. The story is about a flight running from Dubai to New York with Robert as the captain. There are about three hundred passengers each with a different background united on board. Captain Robert is an officer retired from the US Air force and has lost his family to an accident done by a drunken driver. He lost his mind to insane depression and decides to end his life on board by consuming poison. His suicidal plans turns into an unexpected murder and the captain decides to end his life along with the entire flight. What happens to the innocent lives on board? Does the ATC from ground convince the captain to save the passengers? Will the captain change his mind? The plot keeps revealing unexpected twists and definitely does not allow you to put your book down. The entire journey is absolutely breath taking. It is also a blend of spiritual genre within showing the...

ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE BY GAIL HONEYMAN This book was the one in hype for so long and I was super excited in reading this. But unfortunately I didn't get the hype that all others got but yes it is really a very good story . It was totally a very deep story which someone will be living somewhere right at the moment and the thought of this forms a lump in my throat . Yes, the life of Eleanor Oliphant is tragically sad yet it is narrated in humorous way. I was laughing at many places. This book talks about Eleanor Oliphant in her thirties who had a tragic childhood and is the brave survivor of it. She lives a completely isolated life and her loneliness completely sucks. One could in no way imagine such a life. She meets a singer and in first sight finds him to be the one made for her and to bring her out of her own life. Will Eleanor be able to come back to a normal life like others?The story unwinds her journey of dealing with the past and getting ready to face...

WHEN BREATH BECOMES AIR BY PAUL KALANITHI I don't want to say anything for this book because it's beyond every word that I say. Before going into the review let me tell some feelings that I personally had when reading this book. Life is not what it is. There is something called DEATH that everyone of us must encounter which may be just an end or a tragic end. We dream a lot of our future and desires. But is that all going to be the same? Who knows what is waiting for us on the other side of time? Life is more than the silly things that we worry about. We run and run daily with a hope that tomorrow will be better than today. But will it? Nothing is precious than present. Life is the biggest game in which rules keep changing. At the tip of the edge if we turn back will the path be contented and happy or will it be full of struggles? . We don't know we literally do not know wat are we and why are we living. This book gave so many such thought to me... Paul Kalanithi i...

SIX  O F CRO WS BY LEIGH BARDUG O To begin with, it is th e collector's edition and the copy of the book is very much appealing to read. The plot of the story lies in a country called Kerch. Kaz Brekkar is a boy in his teens who became the leader of the Dregs in young age.  The crew of six members of the crow club is assigned to a very daring and deathly mission in turn of a huge sum of money that one could imagine. The mission involves entering the much secure Ice Court in Fjerdan. They build up an apt plan before their start but unfortunately things end up much complicated and dangerous to their expectations. Things go very wrong and they become helpless at times. Will the crew accomplish their task? Will their debts be met? With no great unity even among the six will they end up alive? The entire journey is completely breath taking and adventurous. The book includes the Grishaverse magical members. The Grisha magic will make sense if you have read the "Shadow and B...

ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES BY JENNIFER NIVEN No other books that I have read had such an intense impact and was a very different reading experience This had been a very delicate read with every words going deep in my mind. I did feel everything that the characters go through, I felt the weight, I felt the rush of excitement, I felt everything other emotions from the book myself.  The story is about a boy Theodre Finch and a girl Violet Markey. They meet at the moment when both were in the urge to end their lives and the story thereafter does every miracles. Finch is someone who lives his own life and is called to be a weird freak by others and wanted to end his life someday. Violet lost her only sister in an accident and loses every hope in life and then meets Finch and changes her perspective of life. Unfortunately, there comes in the things that we do not wish to happen. Thank you Jennifer Niven  for such a wonderful book that you gave us.