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_askthebookbug's Reviews (1.34k)
3.5 maybe? This book was quite odd but I cannot overlook the cute elements either.
I haven’t read H. G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau but after knowing that The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a reimagined version of it, I’m quite intrigued to read the original story. Set in the nineteenth century Mexico, the book revolves around our protagonist Carlota Moreau, the doctor’s only daughter. It’s 1870 and Yucatan Peninsula is sweltering hot but Carlota doesn’t want to be anywhere else in the world. While the doctor works on hybrids, creating creatures who are a mix of human and all kinds of animals, Carlota grows up in isolation amidst the beauty of Mexico. She has hybrid friends, who fill in the gap of having no siblings. Then enters Montgomery Laughton, a man of hunting and administrative experience to look after the Hacienda.
Over the years, Carlota grows into a stunning woman. She loves her little secret world until the Hacienda’s owner’s son Eduardo falls in love with her. Their love is dangerous from the very start and things go awry quite quickly. While Eduardo tries to woo Carlota, Laughton tries to control his emotions towards her. But amidst the love triangle, we see the doctor’s obsession in creating a perfect hybrid to supply to Hernando Lizalde, Eduardo’s father.
I love how Silvia throws light on the Mexican War and historical background of that time. The characters are eclectic and are well thought out. The narrative shifts between Laughton and Carlota, both well written. This book has a feminist angle to it and watching Carlota’s growth arch is an absolute delight. There’s an undertone of suspense to the story and the end ties up the story just right.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is an interesting and unique read, one that I’ll remember for a while. And I highly recommend it.
Thank you for the copy @hachette_india ❤️
Over the years, Carlota grows into a stunning woman. She loves her little secret world until the Hacienda’s owner’s son Eduardo falls in love with her. Their love is dangerous from the very start and things go awry quite quickly. While Eduardo tries to woo Carlota, Laughton tries to control his emotions towards her. But amidst the love triangle, we see the doctor’s obsession in creating a perfect hybrid to supply to Hernando Lizalde, Eduardo’s father.
I love how Silvia throws light on the Mexican War and historical background of that time. The characters are eclectic and are well thought out. The narrative shifts between Laughton and Carlota, both well written. This book has a feminist angle to it and watching Carlota’s growth arch is an absolute delight. There’s an undertone of suspense to the story and the end ties up the story just right.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is an interesting and unique read, one that I’ll remember for a while. And I highly recommend it.
Thank you for the copy @hachette_india ❤️
Alaina Urquart happens to be a renowned podcast host of Morbid. So for many, it was a delight to see her debut book being published. As for me, I plunged right into the story and enjoyed precisely half of it. The story is narrated by both the killer and the saviour, each walking us through their lives. On the surface, the story is quite different. Wren Muller who’s a forensic pathologist finds herself being emotionally disturbed by her victims who appear to be brutally murdered. She finds the killer’s MO familiar, something that she knows intricately yet can’t place her finger on. Halfway through the story, we start connecting the dots and the entire plot falls into place.
Butcher Bayou is a serial killer who preys on young women and toys with them before he kills them. He leaves his victims butchered, in a state that shocks the police and Wren. The story runs parallely between the two main characters, one hero and the other villain until it merges into one. But the element of suspense ends somewhere in the middle of the book. Then begins the endless loopholes that eventually became the downfall of the book.
When Wren uncovers the connection between the murderer and her past, I was left confused because things didn’t add up. What started off as a gripping story began to veer off its original course. The mega twist that the author introduced to the story was in fact what failed it. Alaina’s writing too was quite repetitive, making it difficult to hang onto her narrative.
I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot but when I finally finished the book, I was left very underwhelmed. Maybe I’ll do give her podcast a listen but this one was a major disappointment to me.
Thanks for the copy @penguinindia ✨
Butcher Bayou is a serial killer who preys on young women and toys with them before he kills them. He leaves his victims butchered, in a state that shocks the police and Wren. The story runs parallely between the two main characters, one hero and the other villain until it merges into one. But the element of suspense ends somewhere in the middle of the book. Then begins the endless loopholes that eventually became the downfall of the book.
When Wren uncovers the connection between the murderer and her past, I was left confused because things didn’t add up. What started off as a gripping story began to veer off its original course. The mega twist that the author introduced to the story was in fact what failed it. Alaina’s writing too was quite repetitive, making it difficult to hang onto her narrative.
I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot but when I finally finished the book, I was left very underwhelmed. Maybe I’ll do give her podcast a listen but this one was a major disappointment to me.
Thanks for the copy @penguinindia ✨
I wasn’t all too familiar about Emily Ratajkowski before I read this memoir. I of course knew that she was a famous model and that she had appeared in the controversial music video years ago called Blurred Lines. But I had neither followed her too closely nor had I watched the video. So I went into this book with a clear mind. And may I say that Emily is a fantastic writer. She makes you feel seen, her words slowly registering in your mind and even though you two are so different, you understand everything that she tries to say.
My Body is an intimate memoir of just that. Her perfect body is what got her into the fashion industry and as she dressed herself in bikinis and small dresses, she knew that the entire male audience was always watching her. They wanted to touch her, to grope at her, to leave their marks all over her. Being in fashion industry isn’t all too easy, even more so when a woman decides to do lingerie or sensual shoots. Emily knew she was what she was because of her body, it shot her towards fame, putting her name on the map. But what she didn’t know was how people and especially men would take free reins about how she wants to be treated.
Emily has a complicated relationship with her body. She appreciates her beauty, takes care of it but is also insecure in her skin. I couldn’t help but feel how women are always so guarded about their body. How our weights keep gaining and falling. In this collection of essays, Emily addresses a lot of important topics including male gaze, the ugly side of the glamorous business, about feeling free in one’s body. I’m sure that this book creates only two opinions. On the one side, you feel connected to her and nod your head at whatever she says . The other side argues about her being in a model business, cashing on her beauty yet talking about how she unsafe she feels in it. The feelings can be contradicting.
This book has a fantastic collection of essays, capturing her life from the time she was a child to now being a much sought after model. But more importantly, she proves her mettle as a writer.
I highly recommend this memoir.
My Body is an intimate memoir of just that. Her perfect body is what got her into the fashion industry and as she dressed herself in bikinis and small dresses, she knew that the entire male audience was always watching her. They wanted to touch her, to grope at her, to leave their marks all over her. Being in fashion industry isn’t all too easy, even more so when a woman decides to do lingerie or sensual shoots. Emily knew she was what she was because of her body, it shot her towards fame, putting her name on the map. But what she didn’t know was how people and especially men would take free reins about how she wants to be treated.
Emily has a complicated relationship with her body. She appreciates her beauty, takes care of it but is also insecure in her skin. I couldn’t help but feel how women are always so guarded about their body. How our weights keep gaining and falling. In this collection of essays, Emily addresses a lot of important topics including male gaze, the ugly side of the glamorous business, about feeling free in one’s body. I’m sure that this book creates only two opinions. On the one side, you feel connected to her and nod your head at whatever she says . The other side argues about her being in a model business, cashing on her beauty yet talking about how she unsafe she feels in it. The feelings can be contradicting.
This book has a fantastic collection of essays, capturing her life from the time she was a child to now being a much sought after model. But more importantly, she proves her mettle as a writer.
I highly recommend this memoir.
Good lord, I’m tired of reading about Damani’s biceps, fit body and Dr Thelma Hermin Hesse.
Your Driver is Waiting is supposed to be inspired by the iconic movie Taxi Driver but it was nothing like that. Priya Guns creates a protagonist who’s strong, queer and funny (she tries) but even though the character had all it took to be brilliant, it was the storyline and weak writing that didn’t work for me. I wanted to like this novel. I mean, what’s not to like about a female taxi driver being brave and fearless in the face of odd passengers even in the middle of the night? She also goes gymming, is obsessed with her body and CANNOT stop talking about it. It gets quite annoying after the initial few pages. And it continues till the end of the book.
Damani lives with her mother in an unnamed city. She is also an activist of sorts, has a bunch of friends who speak up about immigration and other issues. Having lost her father, she becomes her mother’s carer, who is now grieving and refuses to get up from the couch. Amidst all this, Damani falls in love with a rich white girl named Jolene. There’s sizzling chemistry and romance but right when Damani thinks she knows everything about Jolene, something strange happens.
Damani’s character comes off as ‘trying too hard to stay relevant’. And perhaps this was why I couldn’t connect with her. The story in itself wasn’t too intriguing and the writing didn’t help either.
This book certainly wasn’t for me but I do think I’ll read her second book whenever it’s out. Thanks for the copy @penguinindia ✨
Your Driver is Waiting is supposed to be inspired by the iconic movie Taxi Driver but it was nothing like that. Priya Guns creates a protagonist who’s strong, queer and funny (she tries) but even though the character had all it took to be brilliant, it was the storyline and weak writing that didn’t work for me. I wanted to like this novel. I mean, what’s not to like about a female taxi driver being brave and fearless in the face of odd passengers even in the middle of the night? She also goes gymming, is obsessed with her body and CANNOT stop talking about it. It gets quite annoying after the initial few pages. And it continues till the end of the book.
Damani lives with her mother in an unnamed city. She is also an activist of sorts, has a bunch of friends who speak up about immigration and other issues. Having lost her father, she becomes her mother’s carer, who is now grieving and refuses to get up from the couch. Amidst all this, Damani falls in love with a rich white girl named Jolene. There’s sizzling chemistry and romance but right when Damani thinks she knows everything about Jolene, something strange happens.
Damani’s character comes off as ‘trying too hard to stay relevant’. And perhaps this was why I couldn’t connect with her. The story in itself wasn’t too intriguing and the writing didn’t help either.
This book certainly wasn’t for me but I do think I’ll read her second book whenever it’s out. Thanks for the copy @penguinindia ✨
The Lock-up boasts itself to be a crime fiction novel but more often than not, I thought it was just an ordinary fictional tale. Of course, there’s a crime but the story somehow revolves more around its characters and their several qualities than actually focusing on the crime itself. What baffled me the most was how a book which could have been wrapped up in a hundred pages went on for about 352 pages. I almost gave up multiple times.
The story is set in the 1950s, Dublin when a young woman named Rosa Jacobs is found dead in a lockup garage due to carbon monoxide poisoning. What initially seems like a straight forward suicide case quickly takes a turn when Quirke (pathologist) points out that it is more likely to be a murder. DI Stafford is assigned to the case along with Dr Quirke as they go digging about the poor woman’s history. The two men make an unlikely pair as a doctor detective duo. Due to an unfortunate incident, the two barely get along and also don’t exchange more than 10 lines with each other in the book.
As they investigate the case, ugly heads from the recent war are discovered. Powerful families are suspected and with the help of the dead woman’s sister, the case slowly starts to make more sense. The story is also set in some interesting locations, starting off in Italy, then moving towards Dublin and Bavaria. But this book’s major shortcoming were its characters and an attempt at making them seem darkly charming. DI Stafford did nothing much to crack the case and while Quirke’s minute contribution did set the story into motion, it didn’t amount to much as compared to other detective duos. A lot of time was spent dissecting their lives and romances rather than focusing on the crime plot. The story was truly very stretched.
In short, The Lock-up was a disappointment. I love a good murder mystery but not so much when the surrounding drama takes over the actual plot.
The story is set in the 1950s, Dublin when a young woman named Rosa Jacobs is found dead in a lockup garage due to carbon monoxide poisoning. What initially seems like a straight forward suicide case quickly takes a turn when Quirke (pathologist) points out that it is more likely to be a murder. DI Stafford is assigned to the case along with Dr Quirke as they go digging about the poor woman’s history. The two men make an unlikely pair as a doctor detective duo. Due to an unfortunate incident, the two barely get along and also don’t exchange more than 10 lines with each other in the book.
As they investigate the case, ugly heads from the recent war are discovered. Powerful families are suspected and with the help of the dead woman’s sister, the case slowly starts to make more sense. The story is also set in some interesting locations, starting off in Italy, then moving towards Dublin and Bavaria. But this book’s major shortcoming were its characters and an attempt at making them seem darkly charming. DI Stafford did nothing much to crack the case and while Quirke’s minute contribution did set the story into motion, it didn’t amount to much as compared to other detective duos. A lot of time was spent dissecting their lives and romances rather than focusing on the crime plot. The story was truly very stretched.
In short, The Lock-up was a disappointment. I love a good murder mystery but not so much when the surrounding drama takes over the actual plot.
Ruskin Bond always brings comfort to me. After having a terrible day and in desperate need of something to make me feel better, it’s always his books that makes everything seem okay. This book is no exception. I picked this up only yesterday and I couldn’t put it down. Few stories made me chuckle and some, melancholic. In this book of short stories, Mr Bond recollects his childhood spent with his grandparents and then life as an adult in the hills. But mostly, he writes about animals. Animals of all kinds.
Mr Bond has had a very interesting childhood which he spent with his grandparents. His grandfather brought in all sorts of creatures into his house including a chameleon and also a snake! But when you read these stories, you don’t feel afraid or even mildly nervous about them. In fact, I found the unique mix of animals very amusing. His growing up years were spent watching his grandparent’s relationship with these wonderful creatures. And when he grows up and moves to the mountains, he embraces the birds, insects and other animals that visit his cottage occasionally.
These stories are absolutely delightful, making me believe in the goodness of people. The ease with which Mr Bond writes, describes the many quirks of the animals and people that star in his stories, the new yet familiar beauty of the hills that he describes; all these are what makes his books so very special.
If you’re looking for a book to get you out of a slump or to simply unwind, this is the one you. Thanks for the copy @alephbookco ♥️
Mr Bond has had a very interesting childhood which he spent with his grandparents. His grandfather brought in all sorts of creatures into his house including a chameleon and also a snake! But when you read these stories, you don’t feel afraid or even mildly nervous about them. In fact, I found the unique mix of animals very amusing. His growing up years were spent watching his grandparent’s relationship with these wonderful creatures. And when he grows up and moves to the mountains, he embraces the birds, insects and other animals that visit his cottage occasionally.
These stories are absolutely delightful, making me believe in the goodness of people. The ease with which Mr Bond writes, describes the many quirks of the animals and people that star in his stories, the new yet familiar beauty of the hills that he describes; all these are what makes his books so very special.
If you’re looking for a book to get you out of a slump or to simply unwind, this is the one you. Thanks for the copy @alephbookco ♥️
Every summer vacation while growing up was spent at my grandparents place. My grandfather although not a Tamilian was obsessed with the language to such an extent that he watched TV series, heard Tamil songs on his radio and even read Thuglak (Tamil magazine) until he passed away a couple of years ago. To him, Tamil was always the sweetest language and to prove his point he used to translate a couple of poems written by Tiruvalluvar. While dating my then boyfriend (now husband), I constantly heard of two famous Tamil poets. One, Bharathiyar and the second was Tiruvalluvar. But it was only now that I actually had the chance to read translated poems by the legendary Valluvar. I finally understand the sweetness his words carry.
I think no one else could have translated this book of poems better than @k.a.n.d.a.s.a.m.y . Tiruvalluvar‘s lovely words bloom in her translation. Another interesting aspect of this book is its wonderful introduction where Kandasamy introduces us to Tamil history, culture and language. Tirukkural originally is a text of 1,330 couplets but The Book of Desire includes only the last section of this work which includes mostly love and desire.
Where do I start about how beautiful this book is? As Tiruvalluvar writes about love, sulking, pleasure, longing and sensuality, it’s easy to drown in his words. They’re soft and oh-so sweet. I ended up having so many favourite kurals, each lovelier than the other. If there ever was a poem dedicated to love and all that comes with it, this is the one. I’m so glad I had the chance to read this iconic piece of literature with ease.
I highly recommend this to everyone. Thank you for the copy @penguinindia ✨
I think no one else could have translated this book of poems better than @k.a.n.d.a.s.a.m.y . Tiruvalluvar‘s lovely words bloom in her translation. Another interesting aspect of this book is its wonderful introduction where Kandasamy introduces us to Tamil history, culture and language. Tirukkural originally is a text of 1,330 couplets but The Book of Desire includes only the last section of this work which includes mostly love and desire.
Where do I start about how beautiful this book is? As Tiruvalluvar writes about love, sulking, pleasure, longing and sensuality, it’s easy to drown in his words. They’re soft and oh-so sweet. I ended up having so many favourite kurals, each lovelier than the other. If there ever was a poem dedicated to love and all that comes with it, this is the one. I’m so glad I had the chance to read this iconic piece of literature with ease.
I highly recommend this to everyone. Thank you for the copy @penguinindia ✨
I’m sorry, but I have to say this. This book is such a terrible letdown! I spent days reading it, trying to figure out where on earth the story is leading me to but less than halfway through the book, I began to lose interest in it. The idea behind the book is quite unique but everything good about it ends just there.
Put 7 psychopaths in a study and soon there are murders. One of them is trying to kill the rest and so we scratch our heads to catch the hunter. We are talking about psychopaths here, so the power dynamics of the characters keep shifting. But what I don’t understand is why on earth this book is so freaking long. It seemed never ending and when I reached the end, I was least bothered about who’s the killer. Also, it gets quite predictable. Vera is a good writer, no doubt but this need to go into the nitty gritty of every character and situation didn’t really work for me. If the book was cut down to half its length, the chances of it being a hit would have been greater.
Thank you for the copy @penguinindia x @reader_viddh ✨
Put 7 psychopaths in a study and soon there are murders. One of them is trying to kill the rest and so we scratch our heads to catch the hunter. We are talking about psychopaths here, so the power dynamics of the characters keep shifting. But what I don’t understand is why on earth this book is so freaking long. It seemed never ending and when I reached the end, I was least bothered about who’s the killer. Also, it gets quite predictable. Vera is a good writer, no doubt but this need to go into the nitty gritty of every character and situation didn’t really work for me. If the book was cut down to half its length, the chances of it being a hit would have been greater.
Thank you for the copy @penguinindia x @reader_viddh ✨
Our Crooked Hearts has a lot of suspense, adrenaline and witchcraft. Now, I don’t read many books on anything related to magic so this one took me by surprise when I actually started liking it. We also have a mother daughter relationship that takes the centre stage amidst the interesting storyline. It has all the necessary elements to make it a best seller and I can’t wait to read more by Melissa.
Seventeen year old Ivy is in a complicated relationship with her mother, a woman of eccentric personality and one who is quite hard to read. There’s something unsaid and heavy that hangs between them as Ivy watched her mother overcome by strange moods now and then. One night, while coming home from a party,Ivy spots a naked woman in the middle of the road. After lending her shirt to her, Ivy still can’t stop thinking about the woman once she’s back home. She looked almost like a dream. This event is just the beginning of Ivy’s journey in becoming someone whom she can barely recognise.
The book is narrated from the perspective of both Ivy and her mother, Dana. While Dana speaks of her own growing up years and her stint at being a witch, Ivy narrates her present life. Both their stories eventually meet somewhere in the middle of the book and everything falls into place. What I really liked about the story was how women centric the entire plot is. The characters, both the good and bad ones are equally interesting. The writing is crisp, straight to the point and the book length too is just the right amount. For someone who doesn’t enjoy reading about witchcraft and magic, this one was quite something.
I really recommend this book. Thanks for the copy @penguinindia
Seventeen year old Ivy is in a complicated relationship with her mother, a woman of eccentric personality and one who is quite hard to read. There’s something unsaid and heavy that hangs between them as Ivy watched her mother overcome by strange moods now and then. One night, while coming home from a party,Ivy spots a naked woman in the middle of the road. After lending her shirt to her, Ivy still can’t stop thinking about the woman once she’s back home. She looked almost like a dream. This event is just the beginning of Ivy’s journey in becoming someone whom she can barely recognise.
The book is narrated from the perspective of both Ivy and her mother, Dana. While Dana speaks of her own growing up years and her stint at being a witch, Ivy narrates her present life. Both their stories eventually meet somewhere in the middle of the book and everything falls into place. What I really liked about the story was how women centric the entire plot is. The characters, both the good and bad ones are equally interesting. The writing is crisp, straight to the point and the book length too is just the right amount. For someone who doesn’t enjoy reading about witchcraft and magic, this one was quite something.
I really recommend this book. Thanks for the copy @penguinindia