Posts in Books & Reading

Books You Need to Pick Up in 2024

I’m a little late on my top picks, book recommendations if you will, from last year but hey what else is new. I told myself in 2024, I go back to writing for myself but that was also what I told myself at the end of 2022. But here I am, making another attempt to steer away from the endless corporate and creative writing I do 6 days a week at my job.

Up first, a few stats to get those juices flowing.

✦ I read a total of 72 books in 2023

✦ Out of which 40 were eBooks on my beloved, Kindle aka Mr. K

✦ 17 were hardcovers

✦ And 15 were paperbacks

Not bad for someone who claims to prefer reading on her Kindle but could definitely do better. I did go on a ‘Book Buying Ban’ after my Birthday Book Haul this year but more on that later.

✦ Only 15 were nonfiction — which is definitely concerning but on the flip side, I did read quite a bunch of Children’s Literature which was surely an unspoken, reading goal of mine for the year.

My Favorite Reads from 2023

So, out of all the books I read last year, not necessarily published in 2023, here’s what should be on top of your TBR pile:

𖦹 Every damn book by Claire Keegan — I read 3 of her titles last year and I’m a fan. She offers you a blend of evocative prose and poignant storytelling. Such nuanced characters, and human relationships that leave you breathless. I often find myself in awe and disgust (at the same time) with humans after reading her short but immersive worlds. If you fancy human emotions and the complexities of human relationships, then do yourself a favor and pick any (preferably all) of these: Small Things Like These, Foster and So Late in the Day.

𖦹 Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout — She is such a celebrated author, I doubt anything I say will add to her glory but I can tell you this, after reading this book, I was emotionally charged. She writes with such simplicity but manages to shake you to your very core. If you are not a fan of Pandemic Books, then steer clear of this one but any other title of hers promises to fill you with empathy, which to be honest, we can all use, especially in the world today. Pick this one up, if you are interested in an in-depth understanding of the human condition.

𖦹 Detective Kosuke Kindaichi #8: The Devil’s Flute Murders by Seishi Yokomizo, Jim Rion (Translator) — Are you guys actually surprised to see this here? In 2022, Death on Gokumon Island (Detective Kosuke Kindaichi, #4) was a let down but Pushkin Press knew which one to pick up next, and the latest left me wanting more, all over again. The scruffy detective is back this time in a post-war Tokyo navigating multiple murders, ghostly visitations and a haunting melody. My Top Tip to reading the Kindaichi books: take a photograph of the dramatis-personae (list of characters) from the start of the novel because you will go back multiple of times owing to a huge cast of characters.

𖦹 Cormoran Strike #7: The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith — Just like my last pick, the last installment of this series too left me feeling underwhelmed. But boy did Rowling redeem herself or what. The Running Grave is now officially one of my top 3 from the series, this one kept me on the edge, and I found myself screaming at the page often. I inhaled this massive tome rather than sleep for a few nights, not to mention the last chapter made me gasp out loud. For fans of Strike and Robin, this book wasn’t long enough and the mystery was CHEF’S KISS!

Honorary Mentions

Time now for a few special shoutouts that did not give me a book-hangover but are great recommendations for a diverse reading experience.

✿ The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
✿ The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji, Ho-Ling Wong (Translator)
✿ Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
✿ A Dire Isle by R.V. Raman
✿ Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson
✿ Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, Eric Ozawa (Translator)
✿ The Murder of Twelve by Jessica Fletcher and Jon Land
✿ Welcome to Paradise by Twinkle Khanna
✿ Highlands Christmas by Amy Quick Parrish

And now for an opinion that is synonymous with the entire Book Community on the Internet, books by Freida McFadden are creepy but easy thrillers. You’ll more or less know what went downhill but you will still be glued to the pages. Her books are easy one-sitting reads and supremely delicious for a cold, cold night. I read 3 of hers this last year: The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1), Never Lie and The Gift.

I genuinely believe these titles will challenge your perspective on nuances of the human experience, and grip you in the best way possible.

I wish you moments of pure escape, and a world filled with peace, health and joy.

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

My Favorite Books of the Year » 2022 Edition

My favorite, the best of the best, my top picks from my reading year. I read a total of 56 books in 2022, which is not bad given my erratic work schedule but how I miss the days of more books, more pages in a year. And today, am unveiling the ones you need to get a hold of — and pronto. As always, I’m not focusing on the plot (or any spoilers), which a blurb can also communicate, but rather on why I would recommend picking it up.

My Top Picks from 2022

PARANORMAL PICK: The Shining by Stephen King

Totally worth the legacy; not horror per say but definitely psychological horror and one of the best atmospheric reads ever. And yes Joey was right! Indulge in some extreme cabin fever this winter and experience the gripping writing style of the King.

Goodreads | Amazon

MYSTERY PICK: Detective Kosuke Kindaichi Series by Seishi Yokomizo, Yumiko Yamakazi (Translator)

I read the 2nd, 4th and 6th installment in the Detective Kosuke Kindaichi series, newly-translated/printed by Pushkin Press. Apt for fans of Agatha Christie, and Golden Age Crime Fiction, especially if you are looking into reading more translated fiction. If for nothing else, pick-up this for the scruffy Detective from the 40s, who just might be as brilliant as Poirot (don’t quote me on that).

Goodreads | Amazon

THRILLER PICK: The Master Key by Masako Togawa

Another stellar by Pushkin Press, this one is short but punchy, and boy was a I glued or what! Impressive construction, clever plot and questionable characters. A thriller ideal for a cold, cold weekend night, come for the eerie vibes, stay for a moving end.

Goodreads | Amazon

NONFICTION PICK: I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Everyone on the planet read this book in 2022, and everyone who did, raved about it, and rightly so! I do not have a new way to saying how amazing this memoir is but I can tell you this, are you a daughter? Yes? Then do yourself a favor and pick this one up, and I hope you do not find a single moment you can relate to.

Goodreads | Amazon

HISTORICAL FICTION PICK: The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sherriff

Probably the most comforting book on Earth, it’s like a hug in a book! The entirety of the novel is set in a fortnight, and you will come across many poignant moments that are equally entertaining. A lot of it reminded me of my family vacations, and at times, I found myself with a lump in my throat because I could see Pa and Anas throughout the book. Do not expect a lot to happen but please, please pick this one up for its simplicity and quaintness.

Goodreads | Amazon

SCIENCE FICTION PICK: You Have Arrived at Your Destination by Amor Towles

Towles’ writing continues to knock the socks off of me and this taste of Dystopia by him was just WOW. This is short, intriguing and thought-provoking — get ready to question everything we do in the name of Science and Progress!

Goodreads | Amazon

ROMANCE PICK: Booked for Christmas by Lily Menon

Get ready to swoon under a 100 pages, good balance between sweet and smut, an enemies to lovers trope — need I say more?

Goodreads | Amazon

I’ve a bonus entry for you guys, Tis the Season for Revenge by Morgan Elizabeth, the reason this sits between my favorites and honorable mentions is that I’m a little conflicted about some of the scenes in the book. Don’t get me wrong, I truly enjoyed it, definitely for fans of Elle Woods, but I just couldn’t digest the male lead. Who doesn’t love a good boy who is utterly dirty in bed but the 360 degree change this guy goes between the sheets and the lounge was just not believable enough for me. Nonetheless, perfect for this time of the year. 

Honorable Mentions

Family of Liars by E. Lockhart

This is a prequel to one of my all-time favorite Young Adult (YA) books, ‘We Were Liars’, and I loved every but of it. It is surely a thriller, and will keep you hooked but has a melancholy undertone running through and through. A specific sibling relationship subplot kept tugging onto my heart strings. I miss you Anas, and I’m just going to leave it here.

Goodreads | Amazon

A Will to Kill by R.V. Raman

A murder mystery set in the misty, northwestern Tamil Nadu and perfect for fans of  ‘locked room mysteries’, and you will find yourself hooked from the very first chapter. It is a clean, knotty mystery, a nod to British crime fiction but set close to home — if you know what I mean.

Goodreads | Amazon

Isolation Diaries: Hello, Brave New World!

Is it just me or did June fly by? Another month bites the dust as COVID-19 ravages through human civilization and we find ourselves between uncertainties upon uncertainties.

June was particularly difficult at home, June 17th meant Anas had been gone for 6 years. On the 18th, Areeb’s birthday as always was extremely awkward and soon it was Father’s Day!   

The precariousness of our times, leads to many wise and a few foolish decisions, for example, I decided not to buy more books up until I am absolutely sure of my finances. And then I decided to wax my underarms all by myself; I am sure you can filter the wise against the foolish on your own.

Work has been – well – when everything around is unprecedented, the one constant in my life has been my work and I am so grateful for it. Many of us continue to struggle with ends-meet and I feel privileged to be able to continue earning a living for the comfort of my home. Privilege – this word should hold new meaning in this ‘Brave, New World’ (thank you Aldous Huxley for that adequate term) for all of us.

For the last 4 to 6 weeks, there has been a constant inflow of information in regard to the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Although I come from a family where caste, creed and color does not decide how you are treated, sadly my culture dictates otherwise. 

I live in a country where daughters are weighed against the color of their skin and sons are measured against their monthly income. Structured Ignorance and Organized Racism prevails under the name of norm/tradition in Pakistan. And while Unilever – Fair & Lovely tried to address its brand name, Netflix shifted $100 million to Black-owned banks and the English Premier League printed ‘Black Lives Matter’ on players’ jerseys; our Mothers continue to hunt down the fairest maiden in the land. 

As businesses re-open across the country, my nation fails to pay heed to what the government and the WHO say. We can change democracies, ace Oxford/Harvard, beat England/Australia/South Africa/New Zealand at cricket, fight extremism, print 5.2 billion square meters worth of textiles but we cannot breathe through a mere 3 gram, non-woven polypropylene mask! When I see women in designer Lawn using iPhones at a Supermarket queue with no mask on, I feel compelled to stop and point. And I’ve done that on a handful of occasions but it still doesn’t seem to make an iota of difference.

Everyone is in a hurry to get back to the normal but what we fail to consider is that our negligence is only going to stretch this test further. I understand the economic downfall, I know we cannot stay at home any longer but would it hurt to wear a mask while doing groceries? Would it be the end of the world to let people pass through a narrow passageway and wait for your turn? Is it completely insane to maintain social distance in offices?

On bright side of things, Liverpool was crowned Champion(s) of England, I gave up on clean eating, organized my bookcases, watched all of Mahesh‘s movies, found a new favorite book and now TAX season is finally upon us, and as we say goodbye to a scorching June, we can only hope and pray that July brings what we call Herd Immunity.

I’d like to take this moment to acknowledge my privileges both in personal and professional capacities. And I vouch to continue to educate myself in and against Cultural, Economic Institutional, Sexual, Physical, Religious and Racial Discrimination in hopes that one day my daughter would not be required to send in her best-photograph for a match that is already made in heaven.

P.S. I broke my book-buying-ban of 3 months on June 18, 2020 but don’t worry, I donated 25 titles from my personal library and then bought only 5 new ones. But as Areeb says, “Sis, that justifies nothing…”. How is that my 22 year old, baby brother holds the sum of all that is true in the world today – nothing justifies, nothing

Isolation Diaries: 18-hour Shifts, Epilators & A New Favorite Book | Lockdown Day 41

Hello! Long time no see. It has been completely manic lately and I feel utterly blessed. Its been 7 weeks of lockdown and while on one hand, we are finally accepting the ‘new normal’, lack of funds and resources are driving people off the edge.

In the midst of these uncharted times, I feel blessed beyond measure that I have some kind of work to earn a part of my livelihood, I know its not the same with everyone. During a Pandemic, business owners and/or product owners wear multiple hats; earlier as my role as a supervisor, I now find myself splitting my day into 11 different functions across 18 work hours which is definitely challenging but also gives me the opportunity to learn new crafts. Turns out, I can build tech products and tabulate a P&L report as well!

When I am not lost among a bunch of metrics, invoicing and Kanban moves; I occupy my breaks with helping around the house. Now that we are home all the time, I decided to finally give my mother what she always wanted – a daughter who can do more than just boil the water. I try to prepare Iftari – Blessed Meal and take care of mopping and dishes. But it doesn’t help much with Mom taking it easy, she feels that tenacious need to do-over everything I just did. May be I am not doing it right or may be she is just being a Mother.

As I scrub down the floor, my baby brother often walks by and elucidates on how I am turning into a Gorilla thanks to all the extra ‘fuzz’ on my body. Two more weeks and I’ll be growing a beard. Years ago, my father was wonderful to get me a Braun Silk Epil that has continued to be my savior but once you go Wax, nothing else comes close! And as much as I hate to admit it, I miss my brow-lady and that familiar feeling of smooth, smooth underarms.

So work is erratic, TV is down, my Tech Lead wants “Flexible Hours”, vinyl gloves are running out, new books on Kindle are $10.99 a piece, Mom thinks I need to get married during Quarantine (as it would be easy to take a leave of absence from work *facepalm*), Areeb wants to have a BBQ party with his friends up on a rooftop which of course Mom forbids and I have absolutely no idea what to do about my growing love handles! All in all, we’ve air in our lungs, potatoes in the pantry and free movies on YouTube, couldn’t be more grateful.

And just when I thought my inability to concentrate on a book was spiralling out of control, I found a new favorite book! That’s right, imagine me advocating a book which is not ‘Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl’ or ‘Animal Farm’ or ‘Ghachar Ghochar‘ or the ‘Cormoran Strike Books‘; I fell completely in love with ‘A Gentleman in Moscow‘ by Amor Towles. This book is inspiring, smooth and sparkling filled with hope, perseverance, ingenuity and impeccable manners amid isolation. It felt like the most appropriate story for these testing times. I got my copy from Liberty Books and it is also available on Kindle, highly recommend it. And now back to our regular scheduled whining…

As Rachel said, “The nights are the hardest. But then the day comes and that’s every bit as hard as the night. And then the night comes again…”; I think that’s the one feeling that we all share right now, all it took was 1 pandemic to bring the human race together like never before. Everyday we wake-up, work, eat and sleep in the same surrounding and yet we are confronted with life’s greatest challenges – ranging from tackling the bills on the counter to deciding Saturday night’s movie/film pick.

If you are still reading my babble, I hope you are taking care of yourself and I pray that this ordeal will soon come to an end with nothing but the good and pure remaining.

 

Isolation Diaries: A Millennial Dealing with Quarantine and a Reading Slump | Lockdown Day 25

I have not only joined an online course, tried my hand at cooking, organised my bookshelves but also gave my baby brother a very questionable haircut; I am a Millennial dealing with isolation during a Pandemic.

#WorkFromHome has not entirely been traumatising even when the business has seen better days. Mom’s health hasn’t been all too well lately but she is holding up like a champion, not to mention my brother has managed to track down many family heirlooms in the last few weeks. As a family, we’ve managed to squeeze our expenses, rid myself of a few mistakes but uncertainty continues to loom as new cases surface with each morning.

In the midst of trying to plank the curve, I’ve been hit with what I am terming as a ‘Reading Slump’ but it could be entirely something different. I’ve been keeping my mood swings, eating habits and exercising patterns in check but have sadly failed when it comes to reading. For someone who looks forward to finding some precious time over the weekend to read, the idea of a lockdown sounded aspiring. Every year I try to read as much as possible; setting up a GoodReads goal; squeezing in a few pages every chance I get; during work commute, during lunch hour, before hitting the hay etc. Reading is not a mere hobby but rather a form of self-expression for me. I’ve was once caught secretly reading at a cousin’s wedding whilst she said “I Do” – so you get the gist right?

I also made use of the first week of lockdown with much success and read around a dozen books but for the past few weeks, I haven’t been able to read, I look onto my shelves, admire my TBR pile, add titles to my wishlist on Amazon but I cannot seem to find myself get lost inside a book. Often I find myself reaching the bottom of the page only to realize I haven’t the foggiest of what I’ve just read.

Given what is happening outside the comfort of my home, is this feeling completely normal? Is the isolation getting to me? I was under the impression that as long as I keep making ends-meet, I will be sane and will not let these uncharted times effect me but was I wrong to think I’ll be immune to a global, mind shift?

The TBR on my nightstand is collecting dust (hypothetically – I dust voraciously) while I scroll through Twitter for the umpteenth time. And I don’t know how to overcome this situation. I guess, we are all struggling to focus right now and surviving a global pandemic is certainly not a cake walk.

If you are reading this, here is a little prayer for you, I know its difficult and what you are struggling  with right now – too shall pass. I hope things will get better for you and your loved ones. Here’s to a better time ahead!

Isolation Diaries: 16 Things I Am Grateful For | Lockdown Day 06

Yayyyy! It’s the weekend, as if I had an erratic work-week with no time for myself. In the midst of dark, dark times, I cannot help but feel blessed and grateful for basic necessities of life which we often take for granted. More often than not they seem “just because” or “obvious” but can mean the world to others.

Here are 16 things that I feel blessed and grateful for especially when my province in under a lockdown and there is no hope of a future paycheck.

Mom’s Health

My mom is a diabetic of 22 years and during these uncharted times to to see her hold-up is nothing short of paradise; SHUKARALLHUMDULILLAH. ✨

My Patio

We spend our evenings out on the terrace away from public and close to nature. 🌳

My TBR

At the beginning of the lockdown, I had 23 books on my “to be read” pile and under these circumstances, I couldn’t be more proud of my hoarding (with respect to books only). 📚

Parents’ Medicine Cabinet

Since I can remember we’ve had a fully-stocked medicine cabinet, a habit that has helped us multiple times during our isolation. 💊

Brother’s Spanner

My baby brother is studying to be a CA at the moment but just like Pa he has this natural inclination towards ‘fixing stuff’; during a lockdown his skills have come mighty handy especially when the water pump refused to start! 🔧

PTCL

I have been repeatedly told to chuck out PTCL Broadband and go for a private net provider but boy do I love them or what. Imagine not having internet connectivity; how else would I unleash my negativity onto the world? 📡

Savings

And not I am not referring to what I saved over the years. With pandemonium around us and no frequent visits to the bookstore, think about all the money I am saving during this lockdown. 🙈

Yoga

I have this tendency to gather weight on my cheeks and my yoga mat has been helping me to keep the mass at bay. ☯️

YouTube

And to all those beautiful souls who upload old, murder mysteries… 💻

Tomatoes

Undoubtedly the most versatile vegetable ever – after potatoes obviously. Did I mention I’ve perfected my Shakshuka? 🍅

Zero Maintenance

Bushy brows for the win! 👍

Vitamin D Supplements

If it wasn’t for Osnate-D, I would literally whiter away in my egregiously built room. 💀

To be Brown

Imagine all those young men and women who are isolated inside an empty flat/apartment right now; I am never going to complain about smothering parents. Ever! 👩‍👧‍👦

Babies

And how one big baby living next door is compelled to annoy me every 30 minutes without fail. 🐣

Techy Bae

Need I say more? 💋

Will I Start Sagging TODAY? 🆓

Best & Worst Books of 2018

It is that time of the year folks, where we all get excited to share our best books and not-so-best reads of the year. And without further ado let’s get down and dirty!

I managed to compile a mid year reading wrap-up, earlier this year, and thus the following list will be more precise and compact but feel free to browse through that one before you continue on. And also the books mentioned down below are not necessarily published in 2018 just the ones I read this year.

Best Books of 2018

Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag & Srinath Perur

My very first fantastic read of the year, no doubt was Ghachar Ghochar written by Vivek Shanbhag and translated by Srinath Perur. This is a little book packing a humongous punch, if you are looking for a short story and a powerful narrative about family ties, and the grand scheme of things then you can be certain this one will not disappoint you. I went with 5 stars.

Publisher: Harper Perennial
Available in Pakistan

Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians #1) by Kevin Kwan

Up next we have a book, almost everyone on Earth knows by now, that’s right we are talking about Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. If you are looking for a beach read with glamour, drama and gossip, pick this one up and thank me later! I gave it 5 stars.

Publisher: Corvus
(Easily) Available in Pakistan

Holding by Graham Norton

A small-town setting and an Irish village guard who has to plough through heaps, and heaps of gossip to uncover answers that just might save his career and his life. This one was definitely a surprise for me, first book by Graham Norton and the attention to detail was just absolutely perfect, I went with 4 stars.

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Available in Pakistan

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

You. need. this. book. in. your. life. Enough said!

Small town setting, domestic thriller, suburban drama, call it whatever, Ng outshines in this one and you will literally not know what hit you whilst knowing every single thing! And if you don’t know what the firetruck I am taking about then pick up the book today and let’s make a spoiler chat group! I went with 5, big, shiny stars.

Publisher: Abacus
Available in Pakistan

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

An author who pays homage to Christie like no other! If you are into sharp but easy mysteries/thrillers that can be devoured in one sitting then you’ve got to pick up this book! Lapena creates the ideal atmosphere for a cold, cold night, it is the perfect combination of clever and witty and if you are looking for a character-driven-thriller then what are you waiting for? I went with 4.5 stars.

Publisher: Bantam Press
Available in Pakistan

Matched (Matched #1) by Ally Condie 

Remember all the dystopians that hit the market right after The Hunger Games and the Divergent series? I had read them all and was tired of the chosen-one theme but then Matched came along! And I think the reason why I enjoyed this one so much is because it is JUST a love story, people fighting in the name of love and not to create a rebellion against the newly-formed government against the backdrop of a futuristic society. Pick this one up if you are looking for a YA series with love, trauma and lot of pining! I went with 4 stars.

Publisher: Penguin 
(Easily) Available in Pakistan

Blood on Snow (Blood on Snow #1) by Jo Nesbø 

‘Crime by the Book’ talks about Jo Nesbo all the time! And this year when I finally saw one in my local bookstore, I picked it up and realised that years and years of wax lyrical for Nesbo weren’t nearly enough! This one is particularly a slim novel and is a stand-alone from Jo Nesbo, not a Scandinavian murder mystery, but most definitely still Nordic Noir. Its takes you on a dark and gritty journey into underworld of Oslo and I promise, you won’t be able to put this one down! I went with 4.5 stars.

How to Live Plastic Free: A Day in the Life of a Plastic Detox by Marine Conservation SocietyLuca Bonaccorsi, Richard Harrington & Clare Fscher

I could write a whole, different blog post about this book and I think I’ll do just that! For the record, I went with 5 stars.

And that’s about it! Unfortunately it was a year of disappointments for me in terms of reading but I did stumble upon a few stories that were good but didn’t live up to name in the very end. Here are some honourable mentions, many of which didn’t make the cut by just a mere point:

Autumn (Seasonal #1) by Ali Smith (Literary Fiction)

Sidney Sheldon’s Reckless (Tracy Whitney #3) by Tilly Bagshawe (Thriller, Suspense)

A Monk’s Guide to a Clean House and Mind by Shoukei Matsumoto (Nonfiction, Philosophy, Self Help)

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus (Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery)

The Right Time by Danielle Steel (Adult Fiction, Romance)

The Exact Opposite of Okay (Untitled #1) by Laura Steven (Young Adult, Contemporary, Feminism) 

The Good Doctor of Warsaw by Elisabeth Gifford (Historical Fiction)

Sea of Strangers by Lang Leav (Poetry, Contemporary)

Pyjamas are Forgiving by Twinkle Khanna (Contemporary, Indian Literature)

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (Women’s Fiction, Contemporary)

The Girl in Room 105 by Chetan Bhagat (Mystery, Indian Literature)

Love Her Wild by Atticus Poetry (Poetry, Romance, Contemporary)

Worst Books of 2018

As I mentioned earlier, this year, I came face-to-face with many disappointments, story-lines that were unable to draw me in and/or authors that just didn’t do anything for me. Here’s a quick look at the worst reads of my year:

Parker Pyne Investigates by Agatha Christie (Detective Fiction)

Artemis by Andy Weir (Science Fiction)

This Man (This Man #1) Jodi Ellen Malpas  (Erotica, Contemporary, Romance)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe #1) by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (Young Adult, LGBTQ Literature, Contemporary)

The Perils of Being Moderately Famous by Soha Ali Khan (Autobiography)

How Do You Like Me Now? by Holly Bourne (Women’s Fiction, Contemporary)

One Perfect Christmas and Other Stories by Paige Toon (Holiday Fiction, Christmas)

And yes folks! We are done with yet another year of reading, I read a total of 64 books which up front might look like a decent number but with the number of blah books I read, I am hoping 2019 brings better. Here’s to a new year of health, joy, prosperity, intentional choices and good reads! See you next year.

 

 

 

DEAR DIARY – Why Don’t I Feel Like Reading or Writing?

I’ve been having a hard time reading and writing. Especially when all I think about nowadays is publishing my book. It’s a combination of various factors I believe, I’ve been super busy at work with my product’s SQA process. My 2-hour commute home and the unavailability of books I want to read at my local bookstore chain isn’t helping either. I mean come on Liberty Books, how difficult it is to stock up Liane Moriarty books? And why would you guys take so much of time to get Lethal White into the country? Even Pyjamas are Forgiving is taking time to cross the border!

This year brought a revelation that I never expected from someone like me. I want to work for myself. May be it was hitting the big 30 that surfaced this thought. But lately, I have been craving to set up my own business but that is a talk for another day.

The fact that my 3rd attempt at taking my family for a vacation just went down-under might have to do a lot with this feeling of “Blah”. But together all these feelings and my erratic schedule has been making it harder and harder for me to really get into a book. Not to mention, its been a month since I last penned something.

I do have a Goodreads Reading Challenge set for myself but I don’t believe in pressurizing myself into reading X number of books in year or stick to X number of reading hours per day. In fact, I believe in taking quick breaks between books or even a week or two but not being able to get into the habit of reading for sometime has me concerned.

Moreover nothing has inspired me to write or piqued my interest to delve into its abyss and revel in its glory. Even right now, writing this mediocre post is not satisfying me in any way. I don’t even know what to say.

Perhaps this post won’t even see daylights of the Internet and remain hidden among other drafts of my blog. Or may be getting it out there will help me get over my reading-slump and my writer’s block.

I am not even sure what to do about it, so I’ve chosen to just ramble on and send out a plea to the cosmos. Perhaps help will soon be on its way!

So until, I regain my jam, here’s to the love of the written word,

Cheers!

BOOK REVIEW: Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz

As far as I can remember, I’ve always been a James Bond fan. The love affair started with the action-packed movie franchise but soon the love of the written word steered me towards the books.

Love of Bond

Hurdled in front the television set with a ton of snacks, I remember catching every Bond movie that came out with Pa (and of course he brought home the edited versions). As years passed by, my obsession with old movies ensured I turn back the clock and catch all the ones I missed. And then one-by-one devoured the books. To date, a James Bond movie thrills me to my very core and even though I have severe hots for Pierce Brosnan, I always been overly-critical of the movie adaptations. Especially when they ruin the book altogether. Ian Fleming is one of my favorite authors and when I read on Twitter that Anthony Horowitz was coming out with a James Bond novel, I had a list of reservations already prepared.

Anthony Horowitz

My brother has been a Horowitz’s fan for years (thanks to the Alex Rider Books and the Gatekeepers series) and up until last year when I read the Magpie Murders (2016), I had never experienced a Horowtiz story before. And I was pleasantly surprised when a wonderful Christie-esque murder mystery lit up my holidays. Having said that I was skeptical of the idea – I mean James Bond in the hands of someone other than Fleming? The horror! The horror!

How James Bond became 007?!

And then it happened – I read “Forever and a Day” in July and knew I had to take back my initial verdict. Surprisingly this is not the first James Bond novel by the author. Somehow I missed Trigger Mortis (2015) by him but none the less the origin story of James Bond was exciting but with a bit of predictable plot line. But may be that’s only because I’ve read almost all of Bond literature out there. And since this was Bond’s first mission (the book takes place before the events of Casino Royale) you can’t blame him entirely can you?!

Excerpt from the Book

“There is one more thing.” M reached for his pipe, although he didn’t light it. “You’re going to need a number. You’ll be working with 008 and 0011. I don’t know why, but 009 sprung to mind. What do you think?”

Bond had been getting to his feet but he sat down again. “If it’s all the same to you, sir, I’d like to take over the 007 designation.”

M raised an eyebrow. “Really? Why?”

“Well, I suppose there are two reasons. The first is that I knew Richard Blakeney. The man who used to carry that Double-0 number.” Bond named the man who had died. “I’d go so far as to say we were friends and I’d like to keep his memory alive, flying the flag, so to speak.”

“And the second?”

“I think it sends out a message. You can take one of us down but it changes nothing. We’ll come back the same and as strong as ever.”

My Review

On the goodreads.com scale, I gave this book 4 stars and I would’ve been a little more generous but shades of Vesper in a similar character forbid me to do so. Some fans might disagree but many similarities do surface here and there including the ultimate evil plan of the villain. One thing that I am grateful for is a different Bond, we see a different man, we see him make mistakes and watch him often rescued by others. This is exquisite because we see how he was able to develop as a spy in the following years.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk5HDlElHSv/

One of my favorite moments was when we discover the origin of Bond’s signature line — “Shaken, not stirred” and yes you will be surprised (I wonder if Fleming would’ve agree with it or not?). A few favorite, reoccurring characters to the series are obviously absent but are handsomely replaced by similar figures. You’ve a couple of scenic destinations and to my sheer surprise almost no sex. I mean well there is but compared to the book/movies – I should say nothing.

I don’t even feel the need to comment on the action because we can all trust Horowitz to create a series of igniting events. If you enjoy thrillers and have absolutely no idea of Bond’s history, you will still thoroughly enjoy this book. Just be warned you will find yourself predicting a few elements but the easy writing style and an entertaining lineup of characters won’t let you put it down.

For those of you who are interested, ‘Forever and a Day” is available in Pakistan.

Book Spine Poetry – Origin & First Attempt

Origin of Book Spine Poetry

In the year 1993 artist Nina Katchadourian gave birth to the concept of ‘Book Spine Poetry’ that coupled the art of photography with poetry and was displayed as a stack of books in a particular sequence in order to create a sentence or story. The ‘Sorted Books’ project spread quickly but continued to dominate photography and creative platforms alone. It wasn’t until a decade later when Tumblr showcased the hashtag #BookSpinePoetry that this art grew in its popularity together with contributions from the Book Riot & the Huffington Post. Now that is what many refer to as Internet Legacy and since I am a 90s kids – being part of this movement thrills me.

Discovery & My First Attempt at Book Spine Poetry

The following is a set of random selections that just caught my attention, when I stood in front of my personal library. I did not have a plot or ploy for a specific book spine poem. But what I loved about the experience was it was innate. Meaning of all the books in my collection these are the ones that caught my eye thus elucidating on my inner most thoughts. I think, I can safely say these help express my feelings at-best.

So here goes nothing…

Evidence of Love
City of Lies
Girl Boss
Working to 9 to 5
It’s Kind of a Funny Story
And this is True
Reckless
Voices of the Heart
The Sun & Her Flowers
Fun & Games
Of Mice & Men
Nothing Lasts Forever.

Wouldn’t you like to tryout this unconventional but incredibly creative medium? I’d love to see your constructions, remember the stack can be read from top to bottom or left to right. The end result can be humorous or dramatic but the overall venture is brilliant and engaging. Why should Tumblr have all the fun? Just tag me on Twitter and/or Instagram and I will see you there.

Good Luck!