Posts tagged Top Books

My Favorite Books of the Year » 2022 Edition

Books & Reading 4 Comments

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

My Top Ten Books of 2015

Books & Reading

It is that time of the year folks when I reveal my top reads of the year and keeping with the tradition, I am picking out my 10 favourite titles from my reading year.

And as always the following books are in no particular order. So, let’s get into it! I read a total of 65 books in 2015 accumulating to 18,394 pages (Source: Goodreads) and my first pick from the year is definitely ‘Redshirts’ by John Scalzi. This book was witty, clever and completely unpredictable. You will never know what hit you and I was taken aback by its smart plot. It is basically a science fiction and fantasy combined into a unique format that will leave you shocked but in a good way.

Next is the latest book by one of my favourite authors, ‘Canary’ by Duane Swierczynski. And once again he managed to charm the hell out of me, I was able to get my hands on an advance readers’ copy and I was blown by the sheer simplicity of the plot weaved into complex characters. You will question every move throughout the book and the ‘almost romance’ scenes are just too beautiful for words! An ideal contemporary thriller from Philadelphia!

My next pick was something, I was convinced, I was not going to enjoy but I did and a lot. My days of Chick-Literature ended with my University days and now I am unable to digest them. But ‘Smart Girls Get What They Want’ by Sarah Strohmeyer was a fresh surprise. I was able to immediately relate to the main character because I could understand her teen years’ angst and I will gladly recommend it to any girl of my age because of its brilliant storyline.

Next in line is a spooky book called ‘Your Heart Belong to Me’ by Dean Koontz. This was my first Koontz read and I actually loved it. The book is not to be read alone at night but the genius of it will not let you put the book down. I am actually confused as to why I liked it so much but I am going to stick to my review and recommend it to all suspense lovers.

Up next is ‘Eleanor & Park’ by Rainbow Rowell. I have yet to meet a person who read this book and did not like it. I enjoyed the plot and the story-build myself but its ending just took my heart away. It is a beautiful coming-of-age story with realistic characters you can relate to and at once grow a liking for them.

The next book is a very predictable name in the list and this is ‘The Girl on the Train’ by Paula Hawkins. This was probably the most talked book in 2015 and people termed it as the “Gone Girl of this Year”. I beg to differ, I thoroughly enjoyed it but it stands nowhere near Ms. Flynn’s book. You will enjoy this read to the very last page and it also makes a wonderful present.

‘Death on the Nile’ by Agatha Christie has managed to find a place amongst my all-time favourite reads. If it is a book by the ‘Queen of Crime’, I am bound to enjoy but this one was special owing to its Egypt background and fantastic build up to the climax. I actually knew who was behind it all but Christie makes you question even your strongest instincts. And my beloved Hercule Poirot was as always, simply magnifique!

A great, big thank you to E. L. James for penning Grey! I have always told my best friend that ‘The Fifty Shades of Grey’ was more of a Christian Story than of Ana Steele and James proved me right. Grey was intense, humane and just thoroughly entertaining. Reading Christian’s perspective was far more insightful than Ana’s for sure.

Another Agatha Christie mystery swept me off my feet this year, ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles’ also happens to be Hercule Poirot’s first appearance as the Belgian Detective. Poirot’s inquest was ingenious as usual and the loveable Hastings was delightfully vivid. If you are in the mood for a quintessential ‘whodunit’ then go for this masterpiece!

My last book of the year is also my last top read of the year, ‘Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm’ by Kate Douglas Wiggin. Everyone who knows me knows my favourite classic is ‘Animal Farm’ and I intend to make the whole word read it but this one has certainly has become the book, I will gift my daughter when she turns 12. It is an exemplary American Literature that every girl needs to read while group up!

P.S – I have a fever and a bad case of dry cough. Pardon if you found this blog piece, extremely boring and hushed.

And as always, Happy Reading to You!