Some books let out war cries as they make their point, some are mere noise but no impact. Some books are quiet as they pack a punch that you will remember until the end of your days, and some are quiet and lazy, giving you a much needed respite from everyday life; they are like vacations in a seaside resort – scenic and calm, but put you in touch with yourself. But yet others are so quiet, move so slowly, and make no overall point whatsoever that it just gets on your nerves. The adventure that you seek in reading, in literature, seems to be missing from such books. And one of my recent reads, Mieko Kawakami’s All the Lovers in the Night, is a prime example of that last type.
Tag Archives: Psychological Fiction
A Scarcity of Condors (Venery #3) by Suanne Laqueur | Book Review
I discovered Suanne Laqueur in 2018, when I requested an ARC of A Charm of Finches, the second in the Venery series. And boy, oh, boy, how I fell in love with that book and the characters! Javier, Alex, and Val became so close to my heart, I don’t even know where to start! But I realized that it was the second in the series a tad bit too late, just as I realized that you could read it on its own too. Reading the first one only gave you extra insight into the minds of the characters. When I saw that the third in this series, A Scarcity of Condors, was available for request, I immediately snapped it up. And what a wise decision it was!
The Painter of Signs by R.K. Narayan | Book Review
R.K. Narayan is so well-loved in the Indian literary scene that once upon a time, I used to be really excited to read his books. When I read Malgudi Days, I was actually really bowled over and thought, “Okay, wow, what writing! So simple and beautiful!” I was even further excited to read The Painter of Signs, a book I bought a couple of years ago and got to reading only now.
The Diary on the Fifth Floor by Raisha Lalwani | Book Review
I usually write a short introduction to my book reviews, talking about how I came across this book and any personal trivia related to it. But I’m struggling to come up with a proper written introduction to this book because of how intense it is and because of how much I was and am still affected by it.
The Man on the Middle Floor by Elizabeth S. Moore | Book Review
I had requested a copy of The Man on the Middle Floor from NetGalley based solely on its cover. And I read it a long time after I got it. So long that I only hoped that it justified my faith in the unknown.
Em and the Big Hoom by Jerry Pinto | Book Review
Em and the Big Hoom was gifted to me about 3 years ago. I remember being excited about it but I hadn’t really paid attention to the cover. And since then, it sat on my shelf, staring half-hopefully, half-forlornly at me. It is only yesterday that I thought, “Enough is enough. I cannot go on neglecting this book that I’ve heard so much about.” Thinking thus, I pulled out the book and it was then that the beauty of the cover struck me.
Demons in My Mind by Aashish Gupta | Book Review
The reviews of Demons in My Mind had me intrigued for a long time and the blurb, even more so. The book stayed on my Amazon wish list for quite a while before it made its way to me. I was absolutely ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to start reading it, though, of course, schedules.
A Charm of Finches by Suanne Laqueur | Book Review
A Charm of Finches is the second in the Venery series – a detail that escaped me until it was too late and I had committed to reviewing it. This book is a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So I started with the hope that I could keep up, despite not reading the first in the series, and that I’d still like A Charm of Finches.
House Rules by Jodi Picoult | Book Review
The most highly praised of Picoult’s books were My Sister’s Keeper and Picture Perfect, according to my observation. But when I read through the summary of House Rules, I was intrigued and I immediately snapped it up at a relatively cheap price. Though I bought three of Picoult’s books earlier, it was House Rules that I read first. And I am glad I did so.
Us by David Nicholls | Book Review
It was on a grim, depressing day that I picked up ‘Us’ by David Nicholls. Walking around the bookstore in the mall that I usually go to when I need some me time, I spotted this book sitting against a number of Agatha Christies – a very unusual place to be, in my opinion. The very intriguing cover piqued my dull senses and I gave the blurb a once over.
The Melodramatic Bookworm 