Shivam

Just wrapped up “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin, and wow, what a ride!

This book had me hooked from start to finish. I was all in, feeling everything - happy, sad, even ticked off at the characters sometimes (in a good way, you know?). Couldn't stop thinking about it, even when I wasn't reading.

At first, I was like, “Where's the romance?” But then the friendship thing really grew on me. The way these three main characters vibe together? It's something else. And yeah, there's some romance, but not your typical stuff.

Being a gamer myself, I geeked out over all the video game industry bits. It was cool to see how games get made and all that behind-the-scenes stuff.

Characters-wise, Marx stole the show for me. Dude had me feeling all kinds of emotions. I related more to Sam ‘cause we're both introverts, but Marx? He just hit different.

This was exactly the change-up I needed from all the romance I've been reading. The world-building is on point, and Zevin throws in all these little details that make it feel real. Plus, the writing's not complicated, which is always a win.

If I had to rate it, I'd give it a solid 4 out of 5. Yeah, there were a few slow bits, but honestly? I didn't mind. The rest of it more than made up for it.

If you're looking to switch things up from your usual reads, give this one a shot. It's got friendship, creativity, and a whole lot of heart. Definitely worth your time!

The book is divided into small, thoughtfully titled stories that slowly but steadily transport you to the places, midst the flora and fauna, views of which Bond has captured in his simple yet poignant writing. There is not a single dull moment and despite the swift flow of stories like torrential rain, I spent many days savoring this book in small morsels.The warmth of nostalgia, the tenacity of curiosity, the joy of kindness making the author treat the snakes, moths and flowers tenderly filled my heart with love for our environment like never before is inspiring.The book inspires us to be curious, aware of our surroundings, taking time to patiently admire nature's bounty.

This book is not just a book of short stories by Ruskin Bond, but these stories are more of a feeling. While reading them, you'll get transcended to the mountains, surrounded by the huge Chinar trees of the Himalayan Ranges. Where the rivers flow silently, where the monkeys dance over the trees. All those who have visited the mountains once or even those who haven't will find an immediate connection, a peaceful notion of being within nature. Of being a larger part than a speck of dust in this universe. Isn't it intriguing how much we take nature for granted?
The natural beauty around is so easily accessible to us that we have forgotten its true essence. And I am thankful to the author for making me realise my mistake through this amazing book.

“My Favourite Nature Stories” by Ruskin Bond is a collection of author's beautiful experiences with nature and its beauty. Set in the lap of nature, these stories will make you yearn for the music of rustling leaves, the orchestra of the night creatures, the sweetness of the sparkling waters and the warmth of nature's love.
The easy yet witty narration enhances the reading experience and the detailed descriptions just add so much more dimension to the stories.
And let's not forget to mention the gorgeous and aesthetic cover.

Also, don't forget to pick up this book to share some of the author's adventures and enjoy his writings.

Wow, I just finished “The Women Who Stole My Life” by Marian Keyes, and I've gotta say, it was a struggle to get through. 500 pages of pure frustration? Check. Boring plot? Double check.

Let's start with the characters - or should I say, the lack of character development. It felt like Keyes had a vague outline and just threw in whatever popped into her head. The result? A repetitive mess with a writing style that left a lot to be desired.

And don't even get me started on the main character. Without giving away spoilers, her decisions were so infuriating that I found myself wanting to throw the book across the room. How many times can you yell “Why?!” at a page before you lose your mind?

The plot conveniences were off the charts. I mean, seriously? How is any of this supposed to make sense? And backstory? What backstory? It's like Keyes forgot that readers might want to know, oh I don't know, why things are happening?

There were a few funny moments sprinkled throughout, but they were so few and far between that they definitely weren't worth slogging through the rest of the book for.

I'm feeling generous, so I'll give it two stars instead of one. There were a couple of redeeming qualities, but they were about as rare as finding a four-leaf clover in a concrete jungle.

In short, unless you're a masochist who enjoys literary torture, you might want to give this one a hard pass.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Just finished “Beautiful World, Where Are You” by Sally Rooney, and honestly, it's a bit of a mixed bag.

First off, it took me a while to get into it. The first 50 pages were a bit of a slog, but once I connected with the characters, things picked up. Rooney's got a knack for creating interesting people – I found myself really invested in their stories and struggles.

Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room: the social and political commentary. Look, I get what Rooney's trying to do, showing how these characters think about the world and all. But man, it felt so disconnected from the actual story. Every time it popped up, it yanked me right out of the plot. Not a fan of how that was handled.

Character-wise, Eileen and Simon's relationship had me hooked. Alice and Felix? Not so much. Felt like their romance needed more deapth.

The book's structure was pretty cool – switching between regular chapters and emails. Never seen that before, but it worked for me.

Gotta say, some of the themes hit close to home. The loneliness, the feeling that no one likes you, wondering if you could do better in life – yeah, I felt that. Made the characters super relatable.

In the end, I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. The characters and relatable themes pulled it up, but the distracting social commentary knocked it down a peg.

Would I read more Rooney? Maybe. I've got “Normal People” sitting on my shelf, so I'll probably give that a go. But if it's packed with the same kind of disjointed social commentary, I might have to call it quits on Rooney after that.

Bottom line: It's a decent read if you're into character-driven stories and don't mind some philosophical musings thrown in. Just be prepared for some random societal deep dives that might throw you off your reading groove.

As this is my introduction to the suspense, mystery genre and this is also my first audiobook experience, I liked this book a lot.

This story took quite a bit of time to develop and seemed to meander at will. Laura (Lo) had a lot of issues that contributed to her not being taken seriously by many when her story couldn't be validated. But then, the story took a turn and things got tense as we are put in the position of believing her account. Of course, I guessed wrong (probably missed a few clues when my mind wandered) and the clever little twist at the end elevated my rating.

I enjoyed the narrator, Imogen Church, who really captured Lo's character. Be forewarned that her interpretation of an American accent will make you chuckle. I'm glad I decided to listen to the story because she made the slow start more interesting. While this wasn't the most original plot, it was entertaining. Just hang in there until things get going.

So, I just finished “Sapiens” by Yuval Noah Harari, and honestly, it was a bit of a slog. Don't get me wrong, I can see why people rave about it, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

First off, this book is looong. Like, way too long. 450 pages? Come on, Harari, ever heard of editing? It could've easily been trimmed down to 300 pages without losing much. There were times I seriously considered giving up, but I pushed through because of all the hype.

The amount of detail in this book is overwhelming. Maybe I'm not the target audience, but there's so much information that I found myself not really caring about. It gets repetitive too, with some points being hammered home over and over.

I've got some beef with some of Harari's takes. Like, claiming the British Empire peacefully gave independence to its colonies? That's a bit of a stretch. And comparing violence levels between eras by just looking at numbers? It feels like it's disregarding the value of individual lives in the past.

To be fair, the book is packed with information, and I can see how history buffs or anthropology enthusiasts might love it. But for me, right now, it was just too much. Maybe I'll give it another shot in a few years when I'm in a different headspace.

If you're super into this kind of deep dive into human history and don't mind a hefty read, you might want to check it out. But if you're looking for a light, breezy read about human history, this ain't it.

For now, I'm chalking this up as “not for me” and moving on to something a bit more my speed. Maybe I'll revisit it someday, but for now, it's a 2 out of 5 for me.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

This book was a good read but I was little confused by the end, it ended very quickly and abruptly. I read this book without any background or synopsis and I didn't know how much page this book has because I read on kindle, and I always hid the page no. when I read the book, I know I have to read the synopsis first, I always do but, this book was on sale on kindle so I bought without even thinking twice.

Anyways leave all this shit and I'll say this I was a little overwhelmed by this book, I heard lot of good this about this book that made my expectations very high. But in all senses it was a good read, I have to read it twice to fully enjoy the book. But so far what I have read and understand I'll say that the style of the writing is very good and the story in itself is amazing.

So in conclusion I'll recommend this book to everyone but I'll say don't start this book with high expectations. Maybe after second read I'll give this 4 stars.

Some books you read because someone recommended you or you read because you always wanted to read the book. But sometimes you read the book because you liked its name or synopsis or most of the time its cover. I know most people say don't read the book only because you like its cover, but thank god I bought this book. In some way this book ended my reading slum, for quite sometimes I wasn't able to pick a book and read it. But when I pick this book, then and there my reading slum ended. I only had one book on my favorite list and now it increased to two.

I read some reviews people are saying “Ohh this book is so funny, so charming, so sad at the same time blah, blah, blah” but for me this book was comforting. People have one book which is comfortable for them to read at any time, for me this is that book. I mean its humor is so pure that you always throughout the book will have a grin face, even when there is something sad this book will not shy away to make you laugh at the situation. Here author is not trying to make you laugh by jokes or anything but the situation itself makes you laugh. I always laughs at the Patrick'The Lanky One's situation, he is my favorite character in this book.

Alright now let's talk about the sad part. I am the type of person who does not cry while watching movies or while reading books. But this book will break your heart. You know what is going to happen next but still you will not be able to control yourself from being sad and your eyes will fill with tears. The romantic angle between Ove and Sonja is so genuine and real, it really melts your heart. When this line came up “Maybe neither of them forgave themselves for not being able to give the women they loved more than anything what they wanted more than anything” I stopped took a moment or few, lift my finger up slide it through my eyes and wipe my tears off.

This book neither tries to force you to laugh or cry. But this emotion automatically affects you. Because the author “Fredrik Backman” has done such a good job that from the very beginning he makes you connects with the character ‘Ove' so whatever Ove is feeling you are feeling with him. There are so many character that you attach yourself with Parvaneh, Anita, Jimmy and many more but i not going to spoil your experience by telling you about these character. I want you to experience these feelings yourself that's why I didn't talk much about the content of the book or about the character. This book is not about that, its about the journey you go through, the emotions you go through with Ove.

Just finished “Six of Crows” and wow, what a ride! The ending really hit the spot with a perfect cliffhanger that has me itching to grab the second book right away.

The story follows six main characters, and honestly, they're what makes this book shine. While the author sometimes gets a bit heavy-handed with the details (like, okay, we get it!), the character dynamics really pull you in. Nina and Matthias's storyline? Absolutely captivating. Their relationship had me hooked from start to finish.

Now, about Kaz - bit of a mixed bag there. The author built him up as this brilliant mastermind early on, and while he did pull off some clever moves, it didn't quite live up to all that initial hype. As for Kaz and Inej's relationship... it's fine, but feels like something we've seen before. Nothing groundbreaking, but still enjoyable enough to keep you reading.

Jasper and Wylan were fun additions to the crew, though we didn't get as much time with them as the others. Would've loved to see more of their dynamic!

People keep comparing this to Ocean's 11 (which I haven't seen), and I can see why - the heist element is super engaging and felt fresh. My one gripe? Never really felt like our crew was in real danger. There was always this sense that they'd find a way out somehow, which took away some of the tension. The plot twists were decent, though if you're paying attention, you might see them coming. They felt a bit rushed - wish the author had built up the suspense more before the big reveals.

What really blew me away was the world-building. Every city, every location is described so vividly you can picture it in your mind. And this is coming from someone who usually isn't big on fantasy!

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Bottom Line: Despite some nitpicks, “Six of Crows” is a solid read with great characters and immersive world-building. Already planning to dive into the sequel!

Who doesn't know about this book even if you are non reader you atleast heard of this book. Its a masterpiece if you read this book in your initial reading.

So, I just finished “The Palace of Illusions” and honestly, it's a mixed bag for me. The first 50 pages? Pretty good. The last 100 pages? Actually enjoyable. But that middle part? Man, it was so repetitive and boring that I wanted to just quit.

If the author was trying to show feminism or women's empowerment, I don't think she did a good job. And here's what really bugged me - it felt like the author just wanted to write a love story between Panchali and Karna, which isn't even in the original Mahabharata. But she knew she couldn't completely change the original, so instead she just shoved Karna into every freaking page. It's supposed to be a retelling, but why change something that wasn't in the original? To me, it just looked like the author's fantasy.

Also, I'm not a fan of the writing. Sometimes it's so repetitive and uneven that it put me off reading. I think the author was confused about what she wanted to say with this book. Really, I don't know what the purpose of this book is, or maybe I'm just too dumb to get it.

The only interesting part was the last hundred pages, and that's just because it was about the war. I've already watched the Mahabharata TV Show, so this didn't really add much for me.

In the end, I'd give this book 2.5 stars out of 5. It had its moments, but overall, it was more frustrating than anything else.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

So, I just finished “Eleanor & Park” and honestly, I really enjoyed it. The romance between Eleanor and Park? Beautiful stuff. Yeah, it got a bit cringey sometimes, but hey, it's about teen love, so what can you expect?

The main characters really grew on me. I found myself caring about both Eleanor and Park, feeling what they were going through. But the other characters? Not so much. The author kinda left them in the background.

Now, the book does touch on bullying, which is important, but here's my issue - it doesn't really show how to deal with it. It's like everyone in the story just... accepts it? That bugged me a bit.

Sometimes the story dragged on - I reckon they could've cut like 20 or 30 pages and it wouldn't have hurt. But overall, it was a good read, especially if you're into romance.

The ending was... well, good. Not amazing, not terrible, just good. I liked it well enough.

So yeah, if you're looking for a romance book, give it a shot. It's got some weak points, sure, but by the time you finish it, you'll probably feel it was worth it. At least I did.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Just finished “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn and holy shit, what a ride! This book is absolutely insane in the best way possible. I couldn't put it down - it was like a crazy binge-reading session from start to finish.

Even though I saw the movie ages ago (like 10-11 years back), I barely remembered the plot. But man, this book had me hooked. The story is so gripping and intense, it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Flynn's writing is just chef's kiss - amazing.

The characters? Totally fucked up, but in a brilliant way. I mean, “Amazing Amy”? More like Psycho Amy, am I right? But that's what makes it so good. The suspense had me going “what the actual fuck” every other page.

Now, I gotta be real - it did drag a tiny bit in the middle. But honestly, that's just me nitpicking. The ending? Perfection. It wrapped up in a way that left me both satisfied and slightly disturbed (in a good way, if that makes sense).

Overall, this book was a total mindfuck, and I loved every second of it. Solid 4.5 stars out of 5 from me. If you're into thrillers that'll mess with your head, “Gone Girl” is a must-read. Just be prepared to lose sleep because you won't want to stop reading!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Alright, so I just finished “Starters for 10” by David Nicholas, and let me tell you, it was a bit of a rollercoaster. It's basically a coming-of-age story about a young guy trying to navigate his way through early adulthood, with a hefty dose of romance thrown in.

Not gonna lie, the first few chapters were a drag. I mean, I get it, the author was trying to set everything up, introduce characters, and all that jazz, but man, was I bored. The writing style? It's a mixed bag. Sometimes it feels fast-paced and you're flying through pages, but other times it really drags. The highs are pretty high, but the lows? They're down there.

One thing that really bugged me was the main character, Brian. He's supposed to be this relatable, awkward guy, but sometimes he's just plain frustrating. He makes some pretty questionable decisions, especially when it comes to chasing after this girl who seems to have no personality beyond being beautiful. It's like, come on, dude, get it together!

But try to hang in there, because once you push through that slow start, this book does pick up. The middle part? Pretty solid. I found myself laughing out loud at times – it's got some genuinely funny moments. And some of the characters do grow on you, even if Brian can be a bit much.

Now, let's talk about the romance, which is a major theme here. I'm not usually big on mushy stuff, and honestly, this love story isn't exactly groundbreaking. It's cute at times, but also kind of shallow and predictable.

If you're into coming-of-age stories with a dose of British humor, this might be up your alley. It's all about university life, first loves, and finding yourself – you know, the usual young adult stuff, but with a quirky twist.

But here's the kicker – the ending. Oh boy, the ending. I was starting to enjoy the journey, but then the author just had to go and drop the ball. I'm not even exaggerating when I say it pissed me off. It was so disappointing and out of left field, I couldn't believe it.

Despite the issues – the slow start, Brian's annoying moments, and that letdown ending – I'd still give it 3 out of 5 stars. It's got enough fun parts to make it a decent read, especially if you've been through (or are about to go through) university, or just enjoy a laugh at the awkwardness of young adulthood. But maybe borrow it from the library rather than buying it outright.

So, yeah, overall, it was an okay read with some good moments and some not-so-great ones. It's not going to change your life, but it might entertain you for a bit – just don't expect too much from the ending.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​