Eclipse .. By Stephenie Meyer

 

Life or Death?

Mortality or Immortality?

Vampire or Werewolf?

Bella Swan is a human girl - tormented by the herculean decision to choose between something good versus something indispensable. As the cover of the book suggests, she is torn, trying to force the two magnets of her life with opposing sides to stick with each other. But like oil and water, they are not meant to be mixed together.

The third book of the Twilight Saga picks up the story from the return of Bella's vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen. Even though she is happy and content to be spending all her time with Edward, she terribly misses her werewolf best friend, Jacob Black, who refuses to talk to her because of the natural enmity between vampires and werewolves.

That is not the only problem that Bella is facing currently. She has a sadistic vampire trying to revenge her mate's death with her own and also the Volturi - the vampire royal family - who insisted that her heart should stop beating one way or another in the near future because humans weren't allowed to know they existed. As a consequence of all these reasons, she has no other choice but to become a vampire, for which she is quite ready if the alternative is to leave Edward and that she cannot bear.

However, Jacob despises Bella's decision to give up on her human life. He offers his love and protection for life to her and pleads her to stay human and choose him instead. 

From the open hostility between Edward and Jacob to the agonizing terror of the vampire army and the wretched suspense of their creator's identity, this book was an epic adventure to the readers. I particularly enjoyed the unspoken comradeship between the Cullen and the Quileute families, which started to brew because of their mutual love for Bella.

Stephenie Meyer has evolved with each of her books in this series. She has taken her story-telling to another level by sharing Rosalie and Jasper's past and the Quileute legends in the most intriguing way possible. Even with all the love triangle predicament that was created, she managed to take the story forward with an unprecedented level of precision and pulled off the most epic battle between the good versus evil vampires.

Even though this book has gathered a lot of mixed reviews like its predecessors, I will go out on a limb and would describe it as a captivating series and would recommend it to those of you who wouldn't mind a bit of "fantasy for teens" at any stage of their lives. 

Do check out my reviews of the previous two books of this series:

Twilight

New Moon

And keep your eyes peeled for my blog on the last and final book of this series - Breaking Dawn.

Happy Reading!!!

Inferno .. By Dan Brown

 

There's a switch. If you throw it, half the people on Earth will die. If you don't, the human race will be extinct in a hundred years. What will you do?

Humanity's fundamental question is asked to all who are in denial that our time on earth might be numbered and it's coming to an end sooner than we can imagine!

Dan Brown is my favorite author in the modern world and there is no doubt he keeps on producing a nail-biting, fast-paced drama that takes us back to some of history's most chilling episodes that we might otherwise keep away from. And this time, he has us on our toes and makes us face the crucial realities of over-population and the burden it is to our mother nature and suggests that the Black Death might be one of nature's ways of punishing mankind's multitude of sins.

Poussin painted The Plague of Ashdod in 1630-31 (Credit: DEA / G DAGLI ORTI/ De Agostini via Getty Images)

With exquisite details, the novel entices us with its nonstop action thriller with Robert Landon and his lady accomplice - Dr. Sienna Brooks. They are running from assassins and armed soldiers, to find the location of a bioweapon, threatened to be released to the world by a master transhumanist and Dante fanatic, Bertrand Zobrist, who wants to curb the world from humankind’s biggest fear - extinction by over-population.

Their mission is to decipher an obscure Dante poem, re-engineered by Zobrist, that will reveal the location and the true nature of the deadly plague, which Zobrist created to reduce the population of Earth so that humans can achieve transhumanism before the probable apocalypse of time.

Bertrand Zobrist had boundless hope for humankind and believed we are living on the threshold of a glittering "posthuman" age - genetically enhanced species. However, he also understood that we'd not live long enough as a species to realize that possibility. So, he took matters into his own hands to save us from the brink of extinction and blamed the World Health Organization for stopping him from doing so. He aptly quotes the below line from Dante's poem to describe WHO's denial towards the perils of over-population and to do nothing about it!

      The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their  neutrality in times of moral crisis.  
                                                                                                                                                                         - Dante Alighieri

 

I always seem to learn a great deal from reading Dan Brown's books and this novel explores the centuries-old poem - The Divine Comedy of Dante; Sandro Botticelli's Map of Hell; Vasari Mural and the magnificence of the gilded mouseion - Saint Mark's Basilica and Hagia Sofia. 

The historical references of major artifacts are a literary feast for your senses. Dan Brown takes us through famous museums, old crypts, and celebrated tourist spots of Florence, Venice, and Istanbul, where Robert’s knowledge of symbolism; famous frescoes with their inconspicuous messages to the world; secret passages, and their historical significance enable the World Health Organization to unearth Zobrist's menacing ploy. 

This book, without a doubt, is an absolutely phenomenal read and an eye-opener to the unprecedented situation that we are currently facing with the coronavirus pandemic, which could be another blatant reminder that one way or the other, nature always finds a way to keep the human population in check or we actually might be a species who is on the brink of collapse. 

Imagine how different our world might be if more leaders took time to ponder the finality of death before racing off to war.

 

Murder on the Orient Express .. By Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is one of my favorite childhood authors and it has been a long time since I read any of her books. So, when I recently picked this one again, it was with some trepidation at the possibility of me enjoying this one. To my utter surprise, I re-discovered my passion for Agatha's mysteries. 

A train stopped at midnight in the snow. 

A dead body is found in a compartment.

Twelve stab wounds leave no doubt it was a murder. 

And Hercule Poirot, tasked with solving the crime, is certain the culprit is a passenger on the Orient Express.

Murder on the Orient Express is one of Detective Hercule Poirot's well-known series of novels and as always is a classic mystery that makes you scratch your head trying to draw your own conclusions and playing the mental detective, but takes you completely by surprise at the end of it all. 

But how come this particular book made it into a movie with multiple adaptations?

It is the 10th installment of Hercule Poirot's series, which was published in 1934. Even though it was published 87 years back, the language is incredibly simple and easy to sink into and the novel stands absolutely well on its own. It’s also a really concise mystery that doesn’t waste time with fluff and description, rather it’s driven by dialogue as the investigation plays out.

The characters were wonderfully varied. The star of the book, Poirot, actually took a back seat to the other characters, but this was very purposeful. He is a more laid-back and introverted person than many famous detectives, which works really well for his line of work. When people don’t notice you, it’s easy to observe things they'd prefer to remain hidden. 

So, to answer my previous question, this novel has a poignant storyline with an outstanding ending that keeps the readers on their toes and the classic styled perfect vision for a "closed" set-up (A Train with limited passengers) of detection is always fun visualizing. 

Overall, the book is a great read that will keep you hooked and make your head spin in circles. So, its HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Happy Reading!!!

The Pearl Sister .. By Lucinda Riley

 

The Pearl Sister is another mesmerizing read by Lucinda Riley that continues to highlight her incredible talent and imagination as a storyteller.

The fourth installment of this series continues to surprise us with yet another gripping story of the fourth sister, CeCe, the struggling, awkward artist, who seems adrift and in desperate need of inspiration, companionship, and contentment. She decides to run to Australia to find her roots. What will she find there and what is her relationship with Kitty Mercer, a person who lived hundred years ago, is hands down a marvelous read!

The interweaving plot of CeCe and Kitty cannot be more compelling, which takes place at the same wild and hot landscape, although in two completely different era, was exceptionally captivating to read and digest.  

The prose is expressive, eloquent, and heartfelt. And the plot is a heartwarming saga filled with familial drama, introspection, love, loss, grief, determination, passion, and loyalty, as well as an in-depth look at the culture, history, and politics of Australia, including the effects and influence of both the aboriginal people and the pearling industry.

Happy Reading!!

Check out my posts on the other books of this series:

• The Seven Sisters
• The Storm Sister
• The Shadow Sister

The Awakening .. By Kate Chopin

 

A Novel by Kate Chopin, published in 1899, The Awakening is a feminist drama of a 19th-century woman named Edna Pontellier and her struggle between her increasingly unorthodox views on feminity and motherhood with the prevailing social attitudes of the turn-of-the-century American South. 

This book is widely criticized because of the so-called "flawed" protagonist's selfish behavior. However, the gravity that this book carries lies not in the heroine’s flawed actions but in her ability to be flawed. Written during the backward 19th-century society that not only asks but creeds that women should be the perfect embodiment of macho yearning: subservient, immaculate, modest, sensitive – and to be otherwise was to be unwomanly. Kate Chopin presented the then remote possibility that perhaps a woman defines herself rather than is defined by the conventions and social-edicts around her. 

“Many who knew her, thought it a pity that so substantive and rare a creature should have been absorbed into the life of another, and be only known in a certain circle as a wife and mother. But no one stated exactly what else that was in her power she ought rather to have done.”

The writing is quite beautiful. From the very start, Chopin does a great job of creating the tone and the atmosphere with unique taste and flavor. The plot resembled a little to Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, but only on the surface. Both women are married unhappily, both of them fall in love and decide to pursue a love affair outside of their marriage. Both of them defy society. Despite many similarities between Anna’s and Edna’s upper-class life, one can’t dispute that Chopin has created a unique and fascinating character in her own right. Modern women have been the beneficiaries of the bravery of such women as Chopin who braved convention and brought such subjects into the light.

The Girl Who Lived .. By Christopher Greyson

The first book I ever read of Christopher Greyson is The Girl Who Lived and I am wondering why didn't I discover this author earlier?! It is an absolutely thrilling novel about a sole survivor of a multiple-homicide and the cat-and-mouse game played by the killer and the would-be victim, that would for sure capture any reader's interest right from the start. 

Faith Winters is now twenty-three and is back in the same town where her dad, her elder sister, her best friend and her best friend's mom's brutal murders took place ten years ago. Barely surviving the encounter herself, Faith spirals into a pit of depression, alcoholism and unrelenting anguish. No one believes that she recognizes the killer even after all these years and is obsessed about catching the "Rat Face" single handedly. As she works to try once again to dig herself out of the grave through court mandated AA meetings, survivors groups and "family" time with her mother, her past comes back to haunt her once again.

Hush, little girl, rest your head. Hush, little girl, stay in bed. The sun and your friends are fast asleep. Now’s not a time to cry and weep. For in your dreams, there we’ll be. Hurry now, and follow me.

 

Greyson did such a phenomenal job threading the needle of the unreliable narrator trope while simultaneously creating a character in Faith that you couldn't help but root for. From the start your heart breaks and bleeds for Faith's story and what she has endured from such a young age but you can't help but want to shake her out of her self-induced survivor's guilt.

It was a well-crafted, fast-paced page turner with a resilient and an unapologetic protagonist who keeps you on edge with every thought and move she makes. The story takes so many unexpected twists with furious emotional depths that proves the authenticity of each character at every level.

I strongly recommend this book to all the avid readers who are looking for a break-neck pace action thriller novel. Please check out the Kindle Unlimied edition for the same.

Happy Reading!!!

Train to Pakistan .. By Khushwant Singh

"Freedom is for the educated people who fought for it. We were slaves of the English, now we will be slaves of the educated Indians - or the Pakistanis"

The bloody violence sweeping India after the partition has not yet touched Mano Majro, a small village of Muslims and Sikhs, on the India-Pakistan border. But in the summer of 1947, the murder of a Hindu moneylender and the arrival of a train full of dead Sikhs set of a tragic chain of events.

This novel gives a vivid account of the massacres of Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs that happened during those days. It will paint us a picture that will never fade from our memories. This fiction, which was nonetheless based on a horrific reality is more of a peek into the depressing, dark and dirty politics that was played on families of common people and the atrocities stemming from the partition is one of the bloodiest in the history of mankind.

Khushwant Singh has done a brilliant job in showing us the socio-economic, political and emotional atmosphere of those troubled times acknowledging the sins committed on both sides of the border. He makes a moral commentary that bubbles up through the main characters from their thoughts and actions and presents a grim story that deserves to be told.

This blog is a tribute to the great unsung heroes and innocent victims of that time, those who saved and united their families; those who tried and failed; those who kept fighting till their last breath to protect the people they love and those who lost a war that was never theirs, to begin with!!!

"India is constipated with a lot of humbug.

Take Religion

For the Hindu, it means little besides cast and cow-protection.

For the Muslims, circumcision and kosher meat.

For the Sikhs, long hair and hatred of the Muslim.

For Christian, Hinduism with a sola topee.

For the Parsees, fire worship and feeding vultures.

Ethics, which should be the kernel of the religious code,

has been carefully removed."

--Khushwant Singh, Train to Pakistan

Secretly Hers .. By Jamie Beck

The sequel of Accidently Hers, Jamie Beck brought around another fun ride with Grey and Avery's best friends - Trip and Kelsey. I started reading this story with a little bit of trepidation, as these two characters didn't come out that well and seemed a little on the shallower side in the last book. But, to be honest, it turned out as funny and romantic as the last one.

Kelsey wants marriage and a family. It's all she ever wanted, ie. to be loved by one man as much as she loved him. However, all Trip want is adventure and adrenaline. He loves women - all women. Marriage seems boring and if his father is anything to go by, the idea of committing to one woman just isn't part of his DNA.

Sparks fly between these two, especially when Trip decides to help Kelsey "not seem so desperate" around men and also both agree to have a no-string-fling till she finds "the one". Denying they have any sort of relationship besides this deal, they unknowingly fall under the ultimate spell of love.

Their relationship was feisty, intimate and poignant, especially the witty banter between them was endearing at its best. The evolution of chemistry between these characters was a significant enjoyment factor in the book. It was a pleasure to know how much thought has been put into the story with the right amount of twists and a charming ending. 

Secretly Hers has a riveting, tantalizing and heart-melting tale, which makes it a phenomenal summer/beach time book. Enjoy!!!

Happy Reading!!!

New Moon .. By Stephenie Meyer

"Time passes. Even when it seems impossible. Even when each tick of the second-hand aches like the pulse of blood behind a bruise. It passes unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it does. Even for me."

Bella has been going out with her vampire boyfriend Edward for six blissfully happy months. The only thing that bothers her is his steadfast refusal to even consider changing her into a vampire.

Edward takes Bella to his family home to celebrate her eighteenth birthday where a stupid accident leaves Bella covered in blood and nearly triggers a feeding frenzy in Jasper, Edward's brother. This incident affects Edward thoroughly, who becomes distant from Bella and decides to finally leave her forever.

Edward is Bella's whole world and his abandonment is a harsh blow. Her whole world falls apart and she becomes withdrawn from the world. In desperation, she puts her life in danger constantly in order to hear Edward's voice in her head cautioning her to be safe, to feel that he still cares. This leads to a whole new range of dangerous activities including learning to ride a motorbike and cliff diving with her old friend Jacob Black, who becomes her partner in crime, fixing the bikes and teaching her how to ride it. Although the pain of Edward's departure never leaves Bella, Jacob soon becomes her best friend and helps her to fill the void in her life.

Unfortunately, things could never be that simple for a girl like Bella! She soon discovers that part of Jacob's Quileute heritage is that he is cursed to be a werewolf in order to protect his tribe from vampires. So, while she is mourning for her vampire boyfriend, she ends up befriending a werewolf, who constantly puts his life in danger to protect her from other deranged vampires, who are hunting her down to take revenge on Edward.
I mean, WHAT A PICKLE!!

Well, this is one of the books that have very ambivalent reviews among the readers mostly because of Bella's character is unrealistic, not to mention the whole plot being non-viable.

If you let go of these thoughts, then you would appreciate the power of imagination and the way the author has illustrated the narration, bringing out the right emotional landscape and explaining the complexities of relationships.

This book is about the indefinable love that Bella feels towards Edward and the deep warmth that is spread in her life because of Jacob's presence is enigmatic to humans in general but spectacular at the same time.

Despite the frequent barbs of some reviewers directed at Meyer's style, I find that her prose carries the story along in a steady and quick flow. Also, the way she used the prologue in both her books to give it a dramatic and overwrought opening was significantly prominent.

So, if you readers have got this far in the series already, then, in my opinion, you are in too deep to quit now. 

Do check out my review on its previous installment and wait for me to post on its third:
Twilight



Happy Reading!!!

The Shadow Sister .. By Lucinda Riley

The third book of The Seven Sisters series is all about the third sister -  Star, the silent and overshadowed one out of the lot. I wanted to read this one the most as I wanted to know the story behind Star's quiet nature and her history, which turned out to be one of the best. 

Star is the sister who always lives under her sister CeCe's shadow, doing what CeCe wants, living where CeCe wishes to stay and doesn't use her own voice or stand up for herself ever. The constant presence of CeCe undermines her past and future and makes her depressed with her job or her life as a whole.

One of those days, when she finds herself alone and ventures out to find the bookstore in London, which was mentioned in her Pa's letter and is somehow related to her origin, her life takes a turn. Not only does she lands herself a job in the bookstore, but she somehow ends up taking care of a child in Kent while finding things about her past and living with a strange family she might be related to.

Talking about Star's past is straight out of Jane Austen's novel with an extraordinary and fascinating twist. It's all about an English girl Flora MacNichol, a true animal lover and natural botanist with her own menagerie. She is devastated that she has to leave her childhood home and spend her future in London in the care of her mother's friend and taking care of overprivileged children and leave her beloved pets behind. Little did she knew that the intentions of her parents and caretakers might not be as simple as she is comprehending. The rollercoaster ride she goes for thereafter was extremely unnerving to read and what is more, she may or may not have English Royalty blood in her body and how is Star related to Flora and what happens to her after she finds out her story, is quite intriguing, emotional and passionate all at the same time.

This is a truly beautiful story that is put together with so much imagination with regal figures of the Edwardian period. The characters are unique, flawed, multifaceted, lovable and eccentric. The prose is remarkably well-tuned and eloquent. Quite often in a book of this nature, I do find that one aspect of the dual storyline is better than the other, but in this case, both aspects are seamlessly interweaving so many characters and their secrets. It is, without a doubt, the best read for me in 2019.

I really do feel that The Seven Sisters is destined to become a classic. It will be a series that I will re-read time and again and that's saying something considering each book is on an average 700-800 pages long!

Happy Reading!!!

Please do check out the previous two book review of this series:
The Seven Sisters
The Storm Sisters

The Guardian.. By Nicholas Sparks

A 29-year old widow, Julie Barenson's husband, Jim who died four years ago due to cancer, sends her a letter from beyond the grave along with a Great Dane puppy to make her happy. She names him "Singer", who helps her move on in life and find someone who can make her as happy again. 

Jim's lifelong friend, Mike is smitten with Julie, however, he doesn't have the courage to ask her out yet as she is dating another man named Richard. When he finally plucks up the courage, Julie decides to break up with Richard and go out with Mike instead. But Richard becomes obsessed with her and starts stalking her so much that Mike and Julie have to go into hiding. Little did they know that he is also a wanted criminal for double murder and would go to any length to get to her.

The story turns super interesting with Singer playing a major part in it!

All in all the book had good content with a few misplaced logic and will keep you engaged throughout, which is what matters at the end of the day. Also, it wouldn't be called so much as a thriller but there was a slight bit of suspense to the overall plot that makes it a little dramatic and enjoyable to read.

If I were to rate this book out of five, I would give it three stars just to keep me occupied until the end.

Happy Reading!!!

Accidentally Hers .. By Jamie Beck

Love can happen in the most unusual of ways. It can be beautiful, it can be magical or it can be accidental.

Another love story, I thoroughly enjoyed reading. A romance set with a backdrop where the love interests are pitted on different sides of a criminal/legal battle made for a winner.

Grey Lowell and Andy Randall are two people that have been spurred by an infatuation that soon turns into something more real, but the circumstances could not be more against them as both of them are fighting a losing battle against each other, where neither can't afford to lose. But a win, in either case, also means that they have to let go of each other in the process. What a pickle!

Even though it is very much a meat and potatoes contemporary love story, the combination of drama, character development, and romance were perfectly paced. The lead and all the supporting characters were easily lovable and the anecdotes that they shared were truly enjoyable.

Accidentally Hers is not the greatest book ever written, but who cares when you are getting ample entertainment, which is all it's about.

Happy Reading!!!

The Shining .. By Stephen King

The scene from FRIENDS pretty much sums up its review and piqued my curiosity to start reading this book in the first place.

Rachel: Hmm. (she opens the freezer) Umm, why do you have a copy of The Shining in your freezer? 

Joey: Oh, I was reading it last night, and I got scared, so. 

Rachel: But ah, you’re safe from it if it’s in the freezer? 

Joey: Well, safer. Y’know, I mean I never start reading The Shining, without making sure we’ve got plenty of room in the freezer, y’know. 

Rachel: How often do you read it? 

Joey: Haven’t you ever read the same book over and over again? 

Rachel: Well, umm, I guess I read Little Women more than once. But I mean that’s a classic, what’s so great about The Shining? 

Joey: The question should be Rach, what is not so great about The Shining. Okay? And the answer would be: nothing. All right? This is like the scariest book ever. I bet it’s way better than that classic of yours.

Well, what Joey said is somewhat the truth. The Shining is a great book, but not the scariest in my opinion, still one of the best ghost stories I ever read.

The story is of a small family that has an unpleasant past with bad blood between the members who are on the verge of falling apart. Nevertheless, they want to hold on to each other and thus look for a fresh start. A new beginning that requires them to move to a new house, a hotel in this case. A place that, as it turns out, is HAUNTED.

Add to that a psychic or clairvoyant kid, who is young enough to be influenced and scared by the supernatural powers and entities. An empathetic figure who is willing to help a bad-tempered alcoholic father and an over-paranoid mother, gets in terrible trouble because of his capability to "Shine". 

King has created a lot of spookiness with things that are metaphysical to wrap the reader in a blanket of horror. Even though you will not feel the goosebumps that you are supposed to feel while reading a scary book, you will surely feel the anxiety for the unpredictability of the unread plot. Some of the chilling moments that will get your heart pumping harder are the strange apparitions to crazed topiary animals to haunted elevators and an atmosphere thick with foreboding. 

It is the sheer brilliance of the writing style that makes this book worth it and makes it stand out in a crowd of similar books. The thing I have come to love about this author is the fact that he very subtly lets you inside the head of the characters and forces you to feel their emotions.

“Monsters are real. Ghosts are too. They live inside of us, and sometimes, they win.”

I envy the people who have already watched the 1980 classic film version of it because I might as well have been living under a rock. Time to get cracking on the movie...

Happy Reading!!!

The Storm Sister .. By Lucinda Riley

My first ever blog post was on the first installment of this series, "The Seven Sisters" and ever since I have been dying to get my hands on the hard copy of the second book from various libraries, but was finding it almost impossible.

Finally, I caved in and purchased a copy of it in Kindle and I am so glad I did, as it turned out to be as good as the first one, might even be better since I am into the story full on now and trust me when I say that this journey is unbelievably fascinating.

Without further ado, let me review this beautiful story.

And before I get into the second book, let me give you a quick replay on the first one. The story is of six different girls from six different origins, adopted and raised by an aged and wealthy man called Pa Salt, as his own daughters at his home, Atlantis, a fabulous secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva. He didn't get a chance to bring the seventh sister as per the story, but I am sure there will be some mystery around her as well, which will be revealed in the other books. He named each of the girls in the name of the seven stars of Pleiades. One day when they are all grown-up and are leading their own lives in different cities, they suddenly receive the news of their father passing away and each of them gathers at Atlantis, where they are told that he has left them each a letter with a tantalizing clue to their true heritage. 

The first story was of Maia, the eldest of the sisters, who goes on a hunt to find out about her birth parents and how she came about to live with Pa Salt in the first place. This tale of hers took me on a whirlwind journey of colors from the past and aesthetically touched my heart. To find out more about the story, please check out my review of The Seven Sisters.

The Storm Sister is the story of the second sister, Ally, who, after receiving the news of her father's death, rushes back to Atlantis to find her letter and clue to her past. Although devasted by the news, she finds herself quite content at present with her newfound love and her passion for sailing, that she decides not to pursue the past for now. However, her life is altered completely when she loses another loved one and when destiny throws her face to face with reality, that she has no choice but to embark on a journey in search of her original roots.

The clues lead her to the icy beauty of Norway, where the story again takes us a hundred years back in time highlighting the story of a young Norwegian woman and singer Anna Landvik, who happens to be part of the original five-act play, Peer Gynt, composed by Edward Grieg. Her journey from the countryside to the city of Christiania, to become a popular singer was remarkable and tragic, filled with love, loss, grief, introspection, and new beginnings. 

There is so much love in this book - the quest for Ally to find her roots, her beautiful relationship with Theo and his parents. The sadness and drama of losing loved ones. The joys of finding new hopes and things to live for was worth reading.

Lucinda is such a talented writer and her attempt to paint and write music with her words is commendable. The story itself was a stunner, so eloquently mixed in the present day is the tale of life across Europe in the early 1900s up through World War II. 

The Storm Sister was a marvelous epic read and one that consumed me. This is definitely going into my favorites collection.

Happy Reading!!!

The Zoya Factor .. By Anuja Chauhan

Let's get a taste of this new buzz going on in the showbiz starring Sonam Kapoor. The Zoya Factor is a quirky little love story of a girl who was born at the moment India won the cricket world cup of 1983. She grows to become the soul-spirit to the Indian Cricket team when they go about winning each of the matches where Zoya have breakfast with the team. Amazed by the ragtag team's sudden spurt to victories, the nation declares her a Goddess, which gets so ridiculous to the point of irritation to the Indian skipper, Nikhil Khoda, with whom she develops a romantic relationship later.

Would she still be her sensible self and not go crazy deep into this "Goddess" mode or will she start believing that she is the reason for the team to play well and lose her chance at love? 

For many, this novel might seem like a chick-lit. I too agree. Yet still, it doesn't feel like your usual breezy romance. The story has great potential to keep you glued till the end. What really blew my mind was the "Hinglish" part, which was hilarious. Especially the satire on Indian cricket management and the team itself were honest. It also gave a slight peek to the workings of the great Indian advertising industry as well.

Overall the book runs on an ordinary plot with predictable twists and turns with a much-deserved happy ending that was surely written to please the Indian masses. The metaphors used in the book have an evocative quality that makes the story feel real and that's where you find the book so much more readable.

I think Salman Dulquer was a good choice as Nikhil Khoda and I wish they had chosen Parineeti Chopra in place of Sonam. At least her chubby cheeks would've done justice to Zoya's facial description, which was highlighted so often in the novel.

I strongly recommend this book to those who prefer some fun rom-com reading. Or would you rather watch the upcoming movie? Do let me know!

Happy Reading!!!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets .. By J.K. Rowling

No words can describe how much I love this book, although this is not my favorite of the whole series, still, no one can deny the sensation it caused across fans all over the world when it was released. Be it the novel or the movie, both were just perfect!

I am not here to review the book, as better people have already rated it the best read series of all time, so I would rather just talk about it, as I am one of the biggest fans of Harry Potter ever and would never stop raving about it.

Let me walk you through Harry's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which was yet again an adventurous one where he had another face-off with the evil wizard - Voldemort!

During his summer holidays, Harry was depressed because the cruel Dursleys were not allowing him to talk to his friends. And since he was not allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts, the poor thing couldn't do anything about it. Here is when an amazing character - Dobby, was introduced to put Harry out of his misery.

Well, not really! 

Dobby is a house-elf, who came to warn Harry about the dangers he will be in if he returns back to Hogwarts this year. However, instead of helping Harry, he made matters worse for him by getting Harry in trouble with the Dursleys, who locks him up permanently.

Harry was saved by Ron and his twin brothers as they fly him out of there to "the Burrow" (Ron's house) in a freaking flying car during the middle of the night. Mrs. Weasley was not pleased with the means of getting Harry out, even though the outcome was what she hoped for. She happily accommodates Harry in their house for the rest of the summer holidays, which turned out to be really fun for him. He especially enjoyed Mrs. Weasley's cooking, playing Quiddich with the Weasley brothers in the yard and a trip to Diagon Alley was what he would've hoped for. He was also pleasantly surprised at how much the Weasleys adore him, especially at how Ginny (Ron's little sister) seems to react, every time Harry enters the room.

"What Harry found most unusual about life at Ron's, however, wasn't the talking mirror or the clanking ghoul: It was the fact that everybody there seemed to like him."

Now when it was time to return back to Hogwarts, things again started to go downhill for Harry. He and Ron missed their train from platform nine and three quarters, so they had to again fly Ron's dad's flying Ford to Hogwarts, which they thought would be a super cool way to travel and it would make everyone jealous if they land it on the school grounds in style, instead, they crashed the car straight into the Whomping Willow, a hitting tree planted on the grounds of Hogwarts, which beat the shit out of them. They were lucky to get away with detention, too bad for Professor Snape, as he was definitely planning for their expulsion.

There was a new "Defense Against the Dark Arts" teacher in the school this year, Gildroy Lockhart. He was the most annoyingly pretentious yet colorful character and was famous in the wizarding world for constantly showcasing himself as a hero, claiming that he saved the wizarding community from dark creatures in his super-expensive, self-proclaiming books. However, as a person, he repeatedly makes a fool of himself in front of students and the staff while demonstrating his bravery.

As Dobby predicted, bad things had started taking place in the school. Someone, who claimed to be the "Heir of Slytherin" was trying to hurt the students whose parents were "Muggles" (non-magical folks). Threatening notes were written on the wall which made Harry very concerned about finding the culprit, as his best friend, Hermione was one of those students who could get hurt.

Another reason for Harry to find clues about the heir was because everyone suspected him to be the heir, as he could talk to snakes in parseltongue, an ability, which was infamously related to dark arts and known to be associated with Voldemort.

Situation took a worse turn when Hermione was petrified along with a couple of other muggle-borns and Hagrid was dismissed from the school, as everyone thought it was something to do with him because of his monster fixation and the fact that he was last expelled from school in his third year, which was fifty years ago when the chamber of secrets, which houses the Slytherin monster, was last opened.

The story becomes unbelievably interesting when Dumbledore was asked to leave the school, following more attacks on students and Harry and Ron take matters in their own hands and sets out to find the location of the chamber all by themselves.

What sets this book apart is the way J.K. Rowling has created the flow of the entire story connecting Harry's past with his future. She introduces lots of interesting magical creatures, like the gnomes, a giant talking spider, Pheonix, and a Basilisk. She also formulates a death-day party featuring ghosts who were funny and creepy at the same time. This story also takes Harry's and Draco Malfoy's enmity to the next level, which was extremely fun to read. 

It surprises me by J.K. Rowling's ability in creating a fantasy world to die for. I always feel the adoration for the characters every time I read this glorious, bewitching novel. It still baffles me that many still haven't read it yet. I seriously don't know..what are they waiting for?!

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - Albus Dumbledore

Happy Reading!!!

The Perfect Murder .. By Stacy Aumonier

Is the perfect murder ever possible?

One of the short stories compiled by Ruskin Bond in his collection of murder mysteries/thrillers that go with the same name and one of the most ironic, I'd say! 

Paul and Henry are two brothers who are poor and waiting for the opportunity to inherit their late uncle's fortune. Unfortunately, they couldn't get their hands on it until their aunt passes away. However, given their financial situation, they were not in a position to wait for the dead woman's shoes, since as old and grumpy she was not likely to perish sooner they'd have expected. So, one not so fine day, they decided to take matters in their own hands as they are left with no choice but to finish her off. But the thing must be done without violence, without clues, and without a trace.

The beauty of this story is its unpredictability and narration is exciting without indulging into an overt dramatization. 

I absolutely loved the entire collection of these short stories and it is for those who love pitting brains against some of the most accomplished writers of mystery stories.

Happy Reading!!!

The Red-Headed League .. By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

One of my favorite Sherlock Holmes stories. Anyone would love it for its quirkiness alone.

A red-headed man by the name of Mr. Wilson has sought the advice of Sherlock Holmes in a strange case where Mr. Wilson was employed by Mr. Duncan Ross, manager of the Red-Headed League, to copy from an Encyclopedia for four pounds a week only because he had a vivid shade of red hair. After several weeks of nominal work, the league vanished without a trace and no one knew what the whole business was or who Mr. Duncan Ross was. Holmes takes up the case and unveils the cleverly conceived mystery of the whole business.

What hooks you more is the creativity of the story and its not so much the crime as the approach to solving the crime which makes it a great story in my opinion. The subtle clues that Holmes picks up as he goes about solving the case makes this quite an enjoyable read.

If you want some fun bed-time reading, pick this short story that comes with the collection of other Adventures of Sherlock Holmes or in the Complete collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories. If you would like to read this individual story, please check out the below link:

The Red-Headed League

Happy Reading!!!