May Book Haul!

Hi Readers! May has flown by! I have already boasted about how I read 12 books this month. And, May has also thankfully been the month in which I was finally able to order new books! As any other reader, I have a huge To-Be-Read List which keeps getting longer every single day, believe it or not! And, only a few of the books on my TBR match the categories of my 2020 Reading Challenge, which is why I had to do twice the research before ordering these five books! I’m pretty sure I haven chosen well. Have a look!

 

~~THE DUTCH HOUSE by ANN PATCHETT~~

This one has been on my TBR for a few months mainly because it is recommended by so many people all over the world. I have already finished reading half of it. And, though it is not the greatest of all, it is quite enjoyable so far. By reading this book, I will have ticked the category of ‘Recommended by an Internet Stranger’ from my Challenge. It is rated quite highly at 4.17/5 on Goodreads. Below is the Goodreads Description:

“At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves.

The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.

Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives, they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.”

 

~~AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE by TAYARI JONES~~

‘An American Marriage’ is another novel recommended by a lot of people. It is also recommended by Bill Gates. So, if I like this book, I will put it under the category of ‘Recommended by a Celebrity I Admire’. It is rated at 3.96/5 on Goodreads & below is the Goodreads Description.

“Newlyweds, Celestial and Roy, are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive and she is artist on the brink of an exciting career. They are settling into the routine of their life together, when they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.

This stirring love story is a deeply insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward- with hope and pain- into the future.”

 

~~A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by AMOR TOWLES~~

A while back I had started reading ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ on its e-book version & I was quite intrigued. Now, this may sound weird, but there are some books that I can easily read digitally, mainly light reads. And, then there are these books which I need to read from the paperback versions. This is why, I bought this book & being historical fiction, I’m quite sure I will like it. This book again is recommended by Bill Gates. So, either this book or the above book will go under the category of ‘Recommended by a Celebrity I Admire’ depending on which I like better! Its Goodreads rating is 4.35/5 on Goodreads. The highest of these five books! Check out the Goodreads description below:

“He can't leave his hotel. You won't want to.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Civility--a transporting novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel.

In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel's doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.

Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count's endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.”

 

~~GILEAD by MARILYNNE ROBINSON~~

‘Gilead’ is not as popular or even as recommended as the other books on this list. I will tell you the story as to how it came on my TBR list. A while back, I was reading all novels which turned out to be very disappointing. So, I was totally done with reading mediocre literature. I took the decision only to read Pulitzer Prize winning books, at least till I felt better about my reading choices. That’s when I saw ‘Gilead’ which had won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2005. After reading the description, I was all for it! This is definitely one of the books I will read in near future. It has a rating of 3.85/5 (low according to my standards, but I am ignoring that) & below is the description.

“Twenty-four years after her first novel, Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson returns with an intimate tale of three generations from the Civil War to the twentieth century: a story about fathers and sons and the spiritual battles that still rage at America's heart. Writing in the tradition of Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman, Marilynne Robinson's beautiful, spare, and spiritual prose allows "even the faithless reader to feel the possibility of transcendent order" (Slate). In the luminous and unforgettable voice of Congregationalist minister John Ames, Gilead reveals the human condition and the often unbearable beauty of an ordinary life.”

 

~~THE WATER DANCER by TA-NEHISI COATES~~

I had always wanted to read something by Ta-Nehisi Coates, but since most of his works are non-fiction, I wasn’t very keen on it. But then, I came across this fictional novel & I knew I had to read it. When I read this, book I can finally tick the box on ‘Recommended by Oprah’ from my Reading Challenge. The Goodreads rating is 4.07/5 & below is the description.

“Young Hiram Walker was born into bondage. When his mother was sold away, Hiram was robbed of all memory of her — but was gifted with a mysterious power. Years later, when Hiram almost drowns in a river, that same power saves his life. This brush with death births an urgency in Hiram and a daring scheme: to escape from the only home he’s ever known.

So begins an unexpected journey that takes Hiram from the corrupt grandeur of Virginia’s proud plantations to desperate guerrilla cells in the wilderness, from the coffin of the deep South to dangerously utopic movements in the North. Even as he’s enlisted in the underground war between slavers and the enslaved, Hiram’s resolve to rescue the family he left behind endures.”

 

So! That is about it! Along with these five, I also am yet to read ‘The Nightingale’ by Kristin Hannah, ‘The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle’ by Haruki Murakami, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, ‘Unaccustomed Earth’ by Jhumpa Lahiri & so many more!! Let’s all have an amazing month of June! Happy Reading to all!

Until next time,

May Reads – 12 Mini Book Reviews!

Hi Readers! Can you believe it? I read 12 books this month! That’s my second highest score. Top score still stands at 15 books. I’m pretty sure I will break that record one of these days! From these 12, I have already written full reviews for a few. And, I won’t go in details about the three Harry Potter books that I read. So, that leaves us with 6 new reviews! Let’s get to it!

THE BEST

~~ORIGIN by DAN BROWN~~

I have read ALL of Dan Brown’s books & I have always found his writing thrilling. Even though the theme is the same in almost all his books, the thrill & mystery of it is always so well-built! Origin is not an exception. This one does not have any mythological references or any signs or symbols, yet it had me at the edge of my seat. It again features Robert Langdon who is an obvious favourite.

There are around three parallel story lines, all of which, are intriguing. The story is about how Edmond Kirsh, a futurist & Langdon’s student, has found answers to 2 existential questions. Where we came from? Where are we going? But, during his presentation, he gets murdered. And, so Robert Langdon along with the Museum Director Ambra Vidal set upon the adventure to find the answers & reveal Edmond’s discovery for the whole world to see. I liked how it was a bit different than his other books & also enjoyed the ending! I have rated it at 4/5 on Goodreads.

~~THE COLOR PURPLE by ALICE WALKER~~

The Color Purple is the story of Celie, starting with when she was fourteen years old till she is middle-aged. The prose is in the form of letters; initially, letters that Celie writes to God, later on letters between Celie & her sister Nettie. Set from the period of 1910 to 1940, we get to see the story of Celie who is a shy girl, who lets everyone walk over her, does what everyone tells her & basically lives a meaningless life. With the company of opinionated, smart & beautiful women like Shug Avery, Nettie & Sophia, we finally see Celie become her own woman. We watch Celie transform from that shy girl into Shug’s lover. We see her being harassed by Albert to finally standing up to him. From living a meaningless life, we see her actually achieving things & becoming independent.

I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. In a few short pages, it creates strong character arcs for almost all main characters, it talks about racism & sexist attitudes & more importantly it enlightens us with the brightness that is women empowerment. I have rated this book at 4.5/5 on Goodreads.

You can check out the full review here!

 

~~UNTAMED by GLENNON DOYLE~~

Untamed is a short book, but the messages it sends are something that will last a lifetime. It starts with a captivating Prologue which sets the theme of the book perfectly. The book is divided into three parts. Part One named ‘CAGED’ talks a lot about the personal life on the author & she connects these things to bigger things. In this, she creates a solid foundation for the rest of the book. Part Two named ‘KEYS’ is probably the most important section in this book. This is the part which I will go back to read time & again. In this, Glennon Doyle talks about the keys which will set you free from the cage. Part Three named ‘Free’ is the longest part of the book & this I quite enjoyed reading. There are a lot of stories + brilliant metaphors + guidance. I have rated it at 4/5 on Goodreads.

Check out the full book review with my key takeaways here!

 

~~THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by TAYLOR JENKINS REID~~

As the title suggests, the story is about the life of the legendary actress & an international sensation Evelyn Hugo. It revolves around her acting career, her seven marriages, her one intimate on-off relationship & just the brilliance of being Evelyn Hugo. Even if the title says ‘Seven Husbands’, soon into the novel you find out that Evelyn is bisexual & that the love of her life is another actress named Celia St. James. We see how their relationship faces ups & downs throughout the novel, how different every marriage of Evelyn is, the brutality of Hollywood & understand Evelyn Hugo as a real person.

I loved the narrative. I loved the characters. I loved how real they seem to the reader. I loved how intense the characters are that every reader will have different perspectives of them. This historical fictional novel had a bit of everything. A bit of mystery. A bit of drama. A bit of life lessons. A bit of LBGTQ+. From all the angles combined, the final product is flawless. I have rated it at 4/5 on Goodreads.

Check out the full book review here!

 

THE MEDIOCRE

~~AFTER DARK by HARUKI MURAKAMI~~

I don’t think there is any particular way in which I can portray why I liked reading this book. It is so strange & weird. I have read strange stories written by Murakami before, but this was a different level of strange. Because I love fiction & impossibilities, I enjoyed reading his short story. I rated it at 3/5 on Goodreads.

Here is the Goodreads description because I cannot fathom to make one:

“At its center are two sisters—Eri, a fashion model slumbering her way into oblivion, and Mari, a young student soon led from solitary reading at an anonymous Denny’s toward people whose lives are radically alien to her own: a jazz trombonist who claims they’ve met before, a burly female “love hotel” manager and her maid staff, and a Chinese prostitute savagely brutalized by a businessman. These “night people” are haunted by secrets and needs that draw them together more powerfully than the differing circumstances that might keep them apart, and it soon becomes clear that Eri’s slumber—mysteriously tied to the businessman plagued by the mark of his crime—will either restore or annihilate her.”

~~BEACH READ by EMILY HENRY~~

Beach Read was recommended multiple times on so many platforms that I had to read it. I hate reading romance novels & this one adds to the pile. I have no idea why it was so hyped. I found it to be quite average. It is a romantic story between January Andrews & Augustus Everett. With a predictable story line, not much effort put on other characters & a mundane plot with a bit of sensuous narrative, this book hasn’t achieved anything new in the Romantic genre. I have rated it at 2.5/5 on Goodreads.

Goodreads describes it as “A romance writer (January) who no longer believes in love and a literary writer (Augustus) stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.”

~~VERY GOOD LIVES by J.K. ROWLING~~

I did not know about this book until recently. This is basically the commencement speech presented by J.K. Rowling at Harvard University in 2008. She has talked about the fringe benefits of failure and the importance of imagination. The book comes with illustrations by Joel Holland. I have always liked reading book forms of speeches rather than actually watching the speeches. They are always inspiring & worth the time. But, this must be the first time J.K. Rowling failed me. I was not at all inspired by this book. It felt more like reading things I already knew, put in a lazy format. I hate to say this, but I would have loved reading a more lively, interactive & inspiring speech by her. I have rated this book at 3/5 on Goodreads.

 

THE WORST

~~LOLITA by VLADIMIR NABOKOV~~

Lolita has to be one of the worst books I have read in my lifetime. The Catcher in the Rye comes in quite close but cannot beat it. I knew what I was getting into when I started reading this ‘classic’, and yet I was grossed out. Such books are not the kind of literature the people of today would find interesting to read at all. The language was poetic & at times inappropriately funny, but the whole story is just too perverted & miserable. Even though I have a high tolerance when it comes to reding, I just plainly hated reading this. I have rated it at 1.5/5 on Goodreads.

Here is the Goodreads Description. I only agree on the ‘unforgettable’ & ‘ingenious word play’ part.

“Humbert Humbert - scholar, aesthete and romantic - has fallen completely and utterly in love with Lolita Haze, his landlady's gum-snapping, silky skinned twelve-year-old daughter. Reluctantly agreeing to marry Mrs Haze just to be close to Lolita, Humbert suffers greatly in the pursuit of romance; but when Lo herself starts looking for attention elsewhere, he will carry her off on a desperate cross-country misadventure, all in the name of Love. Hilarious, flamboyant, heart-breaking and full of ingenious word play, Lolita is an immaculate, unforgettable masterpiece of obsession, delusion and lust.”

~~POSTSCRIPT by CECELIA AHERN~~

After having absolutely LOVED ‘PS: I Love You’, the prequel to ‘Postscript, I had high expectations, to say the least. But this book surely let me down. The story here is basically how Holly helps other terminal patients to say goodbye to their families by joining the PS: I Love You Club. There is some wisdom in it, but it mainly drags out. There wasn’t a need for a sequel in the first place. The holy shrine of ‘PS: I Love You’ should have remained untouched. This is the first book of Cecelia Ahern’s that I did not like. I have rated it at 2.5/5 on Goodreads.

~~HARRY POTTER~~

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I cannot state how much I am enjoying re-reading Harry Potter. I read three from the series just this month. In June, I will probably complete the remaining two!

 

So, all in all, it was a great month!! In addition to 12 books, I also watched 11 TV Shows & 13 Movies! From my 2020 Reading Challenge, I have now read 29/52 books!! I will be back with another post about my Book Haul soon enough!

Until next time,

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. (Mindscape Reviews)

Hi Readers! I’m so happy that I am having such a fantastic month of May. I have read a lot of books this month, watched a lot of TV shows & movies, learnt a lot of food recipes! 

Talking about books, I recently finished reading Taylor Jenkins Reid’s ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ & I really enjoyed it. I don’t know why I waited so long to read it when I had thoroughly loved ‘Daisy Jones & The Six’! She is such a brilliant storyteller & I love how she creates these fictional musicians & bands & actresses to write their fictional biographies. It’s the kind of narrative I now love! If Taylor decided to write fictional biographies of fictional writers or teachers or literally anyone, I’d be down to read them too! Now that you know how excited I am, here goes the review!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~~INTRODUCTION~~

As the title suggests, the story is about the life of the legendary actress & an international sensation Evelyn Hugo. It revolves around her acting career, her seven marriages, her one intimate on-off relationship & just the brilliance of being Evelyn Hugo. Even if the title says ‘Seven Husbands’, soon into the novel you find out that Evelyn is bisexual & that the love of her life is another actress named Celia St. James. We see how their relationship faces ups & downs throughout the novel, how different every marriage of Evelyn is, the brutality of Hollywood & understand Evelyn Hugo as a real person.

~~CHARACTERS~~

Let’s start with Evelyn Hugo. I think the way she is written, there aren’t enough words to really imagine a woman like that. At the age of 17, she strikes as a woman who can go to any length to achieve her dream of becoming a famous movie star, which was her mother’s dream. She can forget her roots. She can sell her body for it. She can marry a co-actor on a movie for it. She can spread a rumour that she had miscarriages for it. She can act in a graphic sex scene just so the rumours of her being a lesbian go away. She can do anything for it. But then, at the age of 50s, all she wants is a life with Celia. And then toward the end, at the age of 79, when she has lost all the people closest to her, all she wants is to tell her real story to the world. We can see how her character unfolds while reading the novel. While she stays the same ambitious woman with a go-get-it attitude & a no-nonsense aura, we also see her become more human.

Celia St. James is another exceptional actress. Don’t you love watching multiple powerful female characters? I sure do! When I viewed Celia as a standalone woman, I noticed that she is as commendable as Evelyn. But, when they are together, you can see how she lets Evelyn take her over. It’s like her enigma of a personality becomes minuscule in front of Evelyn. Yes, she does stand up for herself against her. Yes, she breaks up with her twice because of her reasons. While Evelyn is always at extremes, Celia is always on the middle ground, which is why it never works out for them until it does. I think there was a lot of scope for the author to portray Celia better.

There are also a lot of characters obviously, given all the husbands. But, all of them are not consequential to this review. Plus, it will take out the fun when you actually read the book. But, we have one important character (Husband No.5) – Harry Cameron. He discovers Evelyn & makes her a star. Soon they become best friends & then a family. Harry is a gay man, which works out perfectly with the story line. Harry is the kindest & most lovable character in the story. It is impossible not to like him.

 We also have Monique Grant who is the one talking to present-time Evelyn to write her biography. Yes, a story in a story, love that too! I really liked how initially Monique was quite a mess, but as she talks to Evelyn, she takes a kind of confidence & courage from her story. The moppy Monique becomes a stand-up woman with a clearer thought-process who is unafraid to demand the things she deserves. I liked this bit of character growth.

~~OVERALL THOUGHTS~~

What can I say? I loved the narrative. I loved the characters. I loved how real they seem to the reader. I loved how intense the characters are that every reader will have different perspectives of them. Once I started the book, I couldn’t keep it down. I finished it in three days! This historical fictional novel had a bit of everything. A bit of mystery. A bit of drama. A bit of life lessons. A bit of LBGTQ+. From all the angles combined, the final product is flawless. I have rated Taylor Jenkins Reid’s ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ at 4/5 stars on Goodreads. I wasn’t sure which category I would put this book in before I started, but now clearly, I have put it in the ‘LGBTQ+’ category in my Reading Challenge.

In the beginning of the novel, Evelyn mentions that everyone related to her story is dead, which was a give-away & yet when we see them dying, it breaks our hearts. I did not see that happening. Also, I liked how for a character like Evelyn Hugo, it would have been predictable that she would not want children. But, just the brilliance of making her wanting to be a mother was something I did not see coming. That was a nice touch to make Evelyn more of a complex character. The book also portrays on the struggle people of LGBTQ+ must have faced in the 50s! The hate & potential risks are portrayed really well. The whole book was like watching a Bollywood movie, only better because I’m sure if it were a Bollywood movie I might not have liked it as much.

Now, I will tell you what I was a bit hesitant about. The book is divided into seven main chapters for the seven husbands. After reading about half of it, it became a bit monotonous to me. The repeating theme of marrying again & again & also the on-off relationship between Evelyn & Celia. If it didn’t have the twist in Harry Cameron’s chapter, I would’ve been let down. I also liked how the author picked up with Husbands sixth & seventh breaking the earlier pattern. That is about it. Apart from these things, I found the book to be entirely entertaining & would definitely recommend reading it!

So, now we have a week of May left. I am hoping to read at least one book more before the month-end to top off the total books read to 10 for the month! Wish me luck! I will soon be back with mini reviews for my May Reads!!

Until next time,

The Color Purple. (Mindscape Review)

Hi Readers! How are you all? Guess what? I have officially completed 50% of my 2020 Reading Challenge! I was quite unsure of reading 52 books, but now that we have the gift of time, I think I will actually cross that mark! Okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Last week I completed reading ‘The Color Purple’ by Alice Walker. Initially, I started reading this book because it was an ‘LGBTQ+ Book’ stated in some article. But, it was so much more than that, which is why, I didn’t put it under that category on my Reading List. Instead, I put it on the category of a ‘Classic’. I had heard a lot of praise about this book & I am so glad that it was all worth it, which is usually not the case with so many classics.

~~INTRODUCTION & STORY LINE~~

It is the story of Celie, starting with when she was fourteen years old till she is middle-aged. The prose is in the form of letters; initially, letters that Celie writes to God, later on letters between Celie & Nettie. In the initial pages of the book, we understand that her father raped her & she had 2 children from him at the age of 14 who he gives up for adoption. And all this happens just in the first 10 pages. So, just how can one not possibly read further? Set from the period of 1910 to 1940, we get to see the story of Celie who is a shy girl, who lets everyone walk over her, does what everyone tells her & basically lives a meaningless life. She gets raped by her father. Is forced to marry an older man (Albert) at the age of 14. She becomes the stepmom to rotten children who are close to her own age. The one person she loves, her sister Nettie, has to go away from her. She lives a life of hardship until Shug Avery comes in her life.

We see how Celie becomes attracted to Shug & in return how Shug make Celie braver every day. Where Celie is shown as the most mundane character, we have all these other STRONG & AMAZING FEMALE CHARACTERS in her life. Shug Avery is a singer & being a coloured singer at that time is huge! We also have Sophia (Albert’s son Harpo’s wife) who is the perfect opposite of Celie. She is outspoken & rules over Harpo. She cannot be controlled by her husband as easily as Celie is by hers. She is the most badass female character in this book & I love her for it. Then, after about half of the book, we are re-introduced to Celie’s sister Nettie, in the form of her letters. And, reading about Nettie’s life sure was a breath of fresh air! Nettie becomes a missionary & goes to Africa with a couple who had adopted Celie’s 2 kids. I mean, how refreshing & powerful is that?

With the company of opinionated, smart & beautiful women like Shug Avery, Nettie & Sophia, we finally see Celie become her own woman. We watch Celie transform from that shy girl into Shug’s lover. We see her being harassed by Albert to finally standing up to him. From living a meaningless life, we see her actually achieving things & becoming independent. In a novel like this, you see why it was critical for someone like Celie to be the protagonist instead of say, Sophia or Shug. This is not just a story of transformation but so much more than that.

~~OVERALL THOUGHTS~~

When I started reading ‘The Color Purple’, my first thought was “No.” The reason for this was because it was not in correct English. Having recently read ‘Miguel Street by V.S. Naipaul’ which was a whole lot in incorrect English, I was not keen on reading another one so soon. But, that’s when the magic happened. After reading the first few chapters, I just closed it. But, in those few chapters itself, the book captivated me. Yes, I did not like the narrative, but the power behind that narrative was astounding. Every time, I kept the book away, something in me kept going back for more. It is like some kind of magnetism that I was sharing with this amazing book! And when I decided that I was actually going to read it, I started to enjoy it in a much more deeper sense. Ignoring the language, now I was engrossed in all these amazingly & thoughtfully woven characters & their lives. I don’t think I felt such taking to any other book.

From the story, it is well established that the message the author wanted to focus on was women empowerment. Apart from this, there are also a lot of other themes throughout this novel. Themes on the impact of the low position of African-American women in the American social culture. Themes on how Black Lives Matter. Themes on God. Themes where poor unempowered women have to tolerate abuse from men. Themes of industrialization on villages. So many themes. In a short novel, Alice Walker managed to shed light on a lot of life’s injustice & make it so impactful.

~~CONCLUSION~~

Given that The Color Purple is a classic, it has been reviewed time & again with a lot of different perspectives. This was one of the reasons why I wasn’t very keen on writing a book review. But, of course, I had all these thoughts about the brilliance of it that I had to share it here! In my opinion, The Color Purple is the epitome of literature.

The Color Purple is a landmark novel wherein we see despite the racism of the society, sexist views in their own families & a lot of other injustices, how African-American women find the strength & grace to go on for the eternal love for their children & with the support of these lasting female friendships. There is SO MUCH to learn from this novel. I am sure every time one re-reads it, there is some new lesson. I have rated it at 4.5/5 on Goodreads.

What is your take on The Color Purple? Did I oversee any of the themes? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time,

Top 5 Favourite Authors!

Hi Readers! How are you all? Stay home & stay safe, guys! For me, it is really difficult not to pick a new book 10 minutes after I finish the last one. But, I am giving myself a READING DETOX for a couple of days (I hope I am successful in this.) I thought I will share this because even though reading is good, excess of anything is never good. Whatever you are doing in this time, keep a balance of it & don’t overdo it. Let’s keep our sanity!

Since I am on a Reading Detox, I thought I will use this time to write about books. (Is that allowed?) Anyway, my post about my Top 10 All-Time Favourite Books gained me some page views. THANKS SO MUCH!! So, here I am, about to reveal who are my Top 5 Favourite Authors! I had to think on this way more than I had anticipated. It was so ambiguous. Some authors I loved, but I had read only one or two of their books, which is not sufficient to make this list. Some authors were in the similar genre, so it sounded unfair. I was sure of only five and so here we are doing Top 5 Authors instead of Top 10! Let’s go!

~~J.K. ROWLING~~

I think everyone must know that the first one would be J.K. Rowling! I mean, anyone who has read Harry Potter of our generation knows what a brilliant author she is! So many of us have even re-read the Harry Potter books time & again. I myself am re-reading it currently & I have to confess. They provide so much joy to me. J.K. Rowling reminds me how to relax & enjoy a book. She is the mastermind & I am always going to be biased when it comes to her! Apart from Harry Potter, she has written quite a few books, but I haven’t gotten to reading them yet. On the list!!

~~KHALED HOSSEINI~~

When it comes to Khaled Hosseini, I am always left speechless. I have read all four of his books including the illustrated poem. Only in his case, I have rated all his four books at 5/5. As you know, I am a very judgy reader & give my stars sparingly, but not here! He knows how to make his readers FEEL ALL THE EMOTIONS! I think I must have written this statement in all of his book reviews! Very few authors can write historical fiction so well & hit the mark every single time. I will forever be grateful to him, the stories he has to tell the world & all the characters he has created.

Check out some book reviews here:

And the Mountains Echoed

A Thousand Splendid Suns

The Kite Runner

~~HARUKI MURAKAMI~~

What can I say about Haruki Murakami? I think he is the only one to reach this list so quick even when I was introduced to him this late. Only last year I started reading his books & became an instant fan. I mean, how can you not? His writing is just so different & I absolutely love the eccentricity of it. I am going to read all the eerie stories he has written so far & is yet to write! My favourite Murakami books are Kafka on the Shore & A Wild Sheep Chase.

Check out some book reviews here:

Kafka on the Shore

A Wild Sheep Chase

~~PAULO COELHO~~

Paulo Coelho is another genius of his own kind. I have read a lot of his books & I am always amazed. I would give anything to be able to have a thought-process that he does. Sometimes after reading his works, I feel like how much percentage of my brain do I even use? How come such beautifully complicated thoughts never enter my brain? For what it’s worth, I feel he makes me a better person with a broader mind. My favourite Paulo Coelho books are The Alchemist & Eleven Minutes.

Check out a book reviews here:

Eleven Minutes

~~SIDNEY SHELDON~~

To be honest, it has been ages since I read anything by Sidney Sheldon, but there was also a time when I read nothing else. I remember when my dad first told me about him & we both like a lot of the same books. I obviously started one book & soon I had read up to 7 of his books! Sidney Sheldon introduced me to crime & thriller genre which I got happily addicted to. It’s high time to read some of his books again! My Favourite one has to be Tell Me Your Dreams.

Those are my Top Five! Did you guess any of those? Tell me about your favourite authors in the comments below! Apart from the above I also really love these authors – Jhumpa Lahiri, Fredrik Bachman, Dan Brown, John Green. I really need to read more of these to know if I love them & I also need to read a lot of other authors as well! So many books & so little time. Yet, here I am doing a Reading Detox!

Until next time,