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_askthebookbug's Reviews (1.34k)
Manjhi’s Mayhem is such a chaotic book, I love it! It reminded me of those old Bollywood films when things were done for love and action was a mere reason to serve justice. Tanuj Solanki has done a fabulous job in writing this novel, which although written in English felt quintessentially very local. You can hear the protagonist uttering sentences in Hindi, letting out cuss words every now and then. There’s romance, action, suspense and like a cherry on the top, a lot of masala.
Our protagonist is a handsome man from a village who now lives in Mumbai and works as a security guard for a cafe. Sewaram Manjhi aka Harish Jhakhar has a fake ID that let’s people believe that he’s not a Dalit. It’s important that he gets a job and survives in this city that never sleeps so he does everything in his power to fit in. It is while working that he notices and falls in love with a woman named Santosh (an odd name for a woman, I know). Santosh works in a restaurant just opposite the cafe and soon they take a liking to each other. But Santosh has a job for her brawny sweetheart and it is to find a stolen bag that contains lakhs of money.
Santosh and Sewa share a fiery romance and although he finds Santosh’s liking towards him suspicious and very convenient, he still agrees to help her out. This manjhi that Santosh has asked Sewa to create eventually sets a lot of things in motion, revealing many characters and their roles in her story. This book speaks consciously of the disparity between the rich and the poor and how his actions are perceived as an act of justice. I don’t want to give away too much of the story but this was a solid book in terms of storyline and it’s execution.
I definitely recommend this book to everyone who love to indulge themselves in fast paced, intriguing stories. Thanks to publisher for the copy.
Our protagonist is a handsome man from a village who now lives in Mumbai and works as a security guard for a cafe. Sewaram Manjhi aka Harish Jhakhar has a fake ID that let’s people believe that he’s not a Dalit. It’s important that he gets a job and survives in this city that never sleeps so he does everything in his power to fit in. It is while working that he notices and falls in love with a woman named Santosh (an odd name for a woman, I know). Santosh works in a restaurant just opposite the cafe and soon they take a liking to each other. But Santosh has a job for her brawny sweetheart and it is to find a stolen bag that contains lakhs of money.
Santosh and Sewa share a fiery romance and although he finds Santosh’s liking towards him suspicious and very convenient, he still agrees to help her out. This manjhi that Santosh has asked Sewa to create eventually sets a lot of things in motion, revealing many characters and their roles in her story. This book speaks consciously of the disparity between the rich and the poor and how his actions are perceived as an act of justice. I don’t want to give away too much of the story but this was a solid book in terms of storyline and it’s execution.
I definitely recommend this book to everyone who love to indulge themselves in fast paced, intriguing stories. Thanks to publisher for the copy.
Read till the very end only to realise that I wasted four days reading it
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Lucy Foley's debut novel The Hunting Party attracted stellar reviews and when her second book came out a year later, it was a bigger hit. Having read both the books, it was immediately clear that I liked The Guest List more. Both the novels have quite a few similarities be it regarding the setting of the story or the narration through multiple POVs but what sets them apart is the evident improvement in Lucy's writing style. The Guest List is undoubtedly a gripping and spooky read, causing goosebumps and several hair-raising instances. I definitely recommend this.
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The celebrity couple Jules and Will choose a remote island off the West Coast Ireland for their wedding. The event, although intimate would leave no stone unturned in oozing elegance and money. Aoife and her husband Freddy who are the wedding planners are the only two people who live on the island apart from the guests. The occasion brings in a mixed group of people which includes a Will's ex-public school friends and Jules's stepsister and parents. Jules who has always strived for perfection couldn't be happier to have Will as her husband. But an anonymous note warning her against Will sits in the pit of her stomach like a heavy rock. Olivia, the stepsister is clearly depressed and has a dark past hovering over her head. Hannah, the wife of Jules's best friend Charlie, has her eyes open for everything that goes on around her all the while carrying her own grief. Aoife too is haunted by her past.
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When the storm kicks in on the wedding night, things go out of hand. Panic sets in and a body is found. Secrets are revealed and skeletons come out of the closet. Nothing and no one seem innocent anymore. The Guest List is a book of lies, betrayal, love, grief and hurt; a perfect concoction for a brilliant novel. The book was extremely fast paced with short chapters, making me sit at the edge of my seat. Although, one may guess couple of outcomes, it definitely doesn't lessen the impact of revelation. With messy and troubled characters, Lucy nails this story. The thrill of having read a good murder mystery is truly indescribable.
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Rating : 4.8/5.
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Lucy Foley's debut novel The Hunting Party attracted stellar reviews and when her second book came out a year later, it was a bigger hit. Having read both the books, it was immediately clear that I liked The Guest List more. Both the novels have quite a few similarities be it regarding the setting of the story or the narration through multiple POVs but what sets them apart is the evident improvement in Lucy's writing style. The Guest List is undoubtedly a gripping and spooky read, causing goosebumps and several hair-raising instances. I definitely recommend this.
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The celebrity couple Jules and Will choose a remote island off the West Coast Ireland for their wedding. The event, although intimate would leave no stone unturned in oozing elegance and money. Aoife and her husband Freddy who are the wedding planners are the only two people who live on the island apart from the guests. The occasion brings in a mixed group of people which includes a Will's ex-public school friends and Jules's stepsister and parents. Jules who has always strived for perfection couldn't be happier to have Will as her husband. But an anonymous note warning her against Will sits in the pit of her stomach like a heavy rock. Olivia, the stepsister is clearly depressed and has a dark past hovering over her head. Hannah, the wife of Jules's best friend Charlie, has her eyes open for everything that goes on around her all the while carrying her own grief. Aoife too is haunted by her past.
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When the storm kicks in on the wedding night, things go out of hand. Panic sets in and a body is found. Secrets are revealed and skeletons come out of the closet. Nothing and no one seem innocent anymore. The Guest List is a book of lies, betrayal, love, grief and hurt; a perfect concoction for a brilliant novel. The book was extremely fast paced with short chapters, making me sit at the edge of my seat. Although, one may guess couple of outcomes, it definitely doesn't lessen the impact of revelation. With messy and troubled characters, Lucy nails this story. The thrill of having read a good murder mystery is truly indescribable.
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Rating : 4.8/5.
I read romance books rarely and always wonder why I don’t read them much. Over time I’ve come to realise that romance novels act like a welcome respite amongst all the intense stories that we are caught up with. And whenever I do read a rom-com book, I can’t help but reimagine those days when I used to watch Sweet Home Alabama, Made of Honour and 27 Dresses, all googly eyed. Romance involves hope and I’m all for it.
Yes & I love you was such a fun book to read. We have a female lead who’s sharp, witty, gorgeous and also has Tourette’s syndrome. She lives her life inside this protective bubble that she’s afraid will break any moment. Being a entertainment and movie reviewer, she has the liberty to work out of a shared space and this is where she ends up meeting the handsome and kind, Jasper. Jasper is an improv actor, struggling to pay his bills and is coming out of a bad breakup. When these two opposite personalities collide, there are inevitable sparks.
There’s the usual flirtatious chapters, the sexual tension building up like a slow bubbling volcano. This book has everything that makes it a perfect romance book, including all the smut. But above everything else, I really appreciate Roni writing about a main character that comes with her own set of challenges. For someone who knew pretty less about Tourette’s, I loved reading this book. It’s informative and the lead characters maintain a healthy relationship that respects space and the condition. It doesn’t weaken Hollyn, the woman in charge but only empowers her to finally make peace it.
I enjoyed reading this book so much so that I finished it merely in a day. So that says something. Thank you for the copy @penguinindia x @reader_viddh
Yes & I love you was such a fun book to read. We have a female lead who’s sharp, witty, gorgeous and also has Tourette’s syndrome. She lives her life inside this protective bubble that she’s afraid will break any moment. Being a entertainment and movie reviewer, she has the liberty to work out of a shared space and this is where she ends up meeting the handsome and kind, Jasper. Jasper is an improv actor, struggling to pay his bills and is coming out of a bad breakup. When these two opposite personalities collide, there are inevitable sparks.
There’s the usual flirtatious chapters, the sexual tension building up like a slow bubbling volcano. This book has everything that makes it a perfect romance book, including all the smut. But above everything else, I really appreciate Roni writing about a main character that comes with her own set of challenges. For someone who knew pretty less about Tourette’s, I loved reading this book. It’s informative and the lead characters maintain a healthy relationship that respects space and the condition. It doesn’t weaken Hollyn, the woman in charge but only empowers her to finally make peace it.
I enjoyed reading this book so much so that I finished it merely in a day. So that says something. Thank you for the copy @penguinindia x @reader_viddh
In Your Blood I Run is a gripping thriller set during the pre-independence era. It is also Sonia’s debut novel but as you read through, it’s hard to believe that because her writing has a certain finesse to it. Revolving around two characters, she weaves a story that also exudes feminism. This is the story of Ratan and Lavanya, two childhood friends who lose touch only to reunite years later because of a murder.
When Sarah, a British army officer’s wife is found murdered in Shimla, all the evidence points towards Ratan. Ratan is more than just her driver. He is also Sarah’s confidant and lover, one who knows all her deepest secrets. Ratan flees immediately because what chance does an Indian have in the British court. When Sarah’s body is discovered, a seemingly controversial book is found next to her which happens to be Lavanya’s.
The police is quick to blame Ratan and his friend Lavanya for the murder and these two seemingly harmless people set about on a journey to prove themselves innocent. The story flows quickly and shines equal light on both the characters. Lavanya’s portrayed as a young woman with a loud mind, who writes about the societal problems pertaining to her gender. A bunch of Brits are added to the story and when the perpetrator was revealed, I was truly surprised.
In Your Blood I Run is a great debut work by Sonia, one that’ll surely place itself as a strong contender for this year’s thriller category.
When Sarah, a British army officer’s wife is found murdered in Shimla, all the evidence points towards Ratan. Ratan is more than just her driver. He is also Sarah’s confidant and lover, one who knows all her deepest secrets. Ratan flees immediately because what chance does an Indian have in the British court. When Sarah’s body is discovered, a seemingly controversial book is found next to her which happens to be Lavanya’s.
The police is quick to blame Ratan and his friend Lavanya for the murder and these two seemingly harmless people set about on a journey to prove themselves innocent. The story flows quickly and shines equal light on both the characters. Lavanya’s portrayed as a young woman with a loud mind, who writes about the societal problems pertaining to her gender. A bunch of Brits are added to the story and when the perpetrator was revealed, I was truly surprised.
In Your Blood I Run is a great debut work by Sonia, one that’ll surely place itself as a strong contender for this year’s thriller category.
I finished the second book in the Say Everything series in just a day. I had forgotten how addictive romance novels are! The only common thing in all the series are the female protagonists. Three women who become friends at a shared work space star in each of these books. Fun fact, these titles can be read as a standalone book too. While the first book featured a woman coming to terms with Tourette’s, What if You and Me focuses on characters suffering from PTSD.
Andi is the owner of a true crime podcast where she teaches people how to remain safe in this nasty world. When she moves into a new rental property, she bumps into her neighbour accidentally. Hill Dawson, a retired firefighter has his own demons to fight but he somehow feels protective towards Andi. Hill prefers staying in his own cocoon, after suffering a heartbreak and a life altering physical injury. Andi, although seems bubbly outwardly has a hard time trusting men and so begins the unlikely friendship of these two.
Roni writes wonderfully and from what I’ve noticed, she builds characters who come with either a physical and mental condition or the ones who carry heavy baggage. She shines light on topics that no one seems to talk about. The story is lovely and predictable but you will still find yourself unable to stop reading it. The third book in the series features another friend named Eliza and I can’t wait to read it.
We definitely need more authors who explore such character depths when it comes to romance genre. I highly recommend it. If you like Emily Henry’s novels, I’m quite certain that you’ll love this one too.
Andi is the owner of a true crime podcast where she teaches people how to remain safe in this nasty world. When she moves into a new rental property, she bumps into her neighbour accidentally. Hill Dawson, a retired firefighter has his own demons to fight but he somehow feels protective towards Andi. Hill prefers staying in his own cocoon, after suffering a heartbreak and a life altering physical injury. Andi, although seems bubbly outwardly has a hard time trusting men and so begins the unlikely friendship of these two.
Roni writes wonderfully and from what I’ve noticed, she builds characters who come with either a physical and mental condition or the ones who carry heavy baggage. She shines light on topics that no one seems to talk about. The story is lovely and predictable but you will still find yourself unable to stop reading it. The third book in the series features another friend named Eliza and I can’t wait to read it.
We definitely need more authors who explore such character depths when it comes to romance genre. I highly recommend it. If you like Emily Henry’s novels, I’m quite certain that you’ll love this one too.
The final book in the Say Everything series was probably my least favourite of the three but it doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy it. While the first and second books focused on Hollyn and Andi, this one finally stars Eliza, thus concluding the series. Having read two books by Roni, I had no doubt that this one too will probably address a mental health issue and I was right. Eliza is a therapist but like all humans, she too finds herself overwhelmed with emotions during certain situations. And it is often during holidays that she feels utterly alone.
When Eliza hurries to her co-working space on Christmas to keep herself distracted, she bumps into her work neighbour Beckham. They barely exchange a few words everyday but the two are surprised to find each other alone during Christmas. Eliza has already categorised Beckham as a recluse, one who prefers being alone so she is stunned to see him strike a conversation with her. They quickly become friends, each knowing a bit about the emotional baggage that they carry. As the story unfolds, we get glimpses of their past. There’s no denying that there’s sizzling attraction between the two of them and against all odds, they end up in a romantic situation.
But the story isn’t that simple. There’s talks about mental health and how it’s not a taboo. There’s a pattern one can see while reading Roni’s books and I, for one am delighted that’s there’s finally something so important in a romance novel. Like other romance books, this one too is predictable because they all end happily but the way stories are built are fascinating to watch.
These books can get you out of your reading slump and lighten up the mood. So the next time you’re craving for a sweet story, you know where to look :)
When Eliza hurries to her co-working space on Christmas to keep herself distracted, she bumps into her work neighbour Beckham. They barely exchange a few words everyday but the two are surprised to find each other alone during Christmas. Eliza has already categorised Beckham as a recluse, one who prefers being alone so she is stunned to see him strike a conversation with her. They quickly become friends, each knowing a bit about the emotional baggage that they carry. As the story unfolds, we get glimpses of their past. There’s no denying that there’s sizzling attraction between the two of them and against all odds, they end up in a romantic situation.
But the story isn’t that simple. There’s talks about mental health and how it’s not a taboo. There’s a pattern one can see while reading Roni’s books and I, for one am delighted that’s there’s finally something so important in a romance novel. Like other romance books, this one too is predictable because they all end happily but the way stories are built are fascinating to watch.
These books can get you out of your reading slump and lighten up the mood. So the next time you’re craving for a sweet story, you know where to look :)
I read quite a lot of romance novels last month and to my complete surprise, I loved them all. But amongst all of them, this book still haunts me. If He Had Been With Me is about two teenagers who love each other and yet can’t be together. To most, this book may sound childish, to read about the kind of love that is generally associated with young adults but the beauty of this story lies in its writing. This was my first time reading Laura and I was simply mesmerised. The story begins with a tragedy and then it moves backwards, unravelling the events that eventually led to this incident.
Autumn and Finn have known each other all their lives. Their mothers have been best friends for the longest time so it was an unsaid thing that the kids too would grow up to be close friends. The two could not have been more different from each other but many summers pass with them having sleepovers and celebrating holidays together. But somewhere while growing up, they let go of their hands and even though they rotate in the same orbit, there’s an unending distance between them. They now have different friends and date different people but somehow at the loneliest hours of the day, they find their way back to each other.
The story shifts from past to present, with the author giving us little insight to their childhood memories. And suddenly at one point, we see them realising that they have always been in love. The curtains are lifted and Autumn sees it clearly now. It has always been Finn. As the story comes to an end, we see the ominous chapter that Laura warned us about.
Laura writes beautifully about everything under the sky. She makes love seem wonderful and pain, too melancholic. She makes us read about friendships that are unbreakable and of distance that is heartbreaking. But what she does best is write about longing, like a piece of chocolate that’s lying just near the tips of your fingers but somehow is still unreachable. Reading about Autumn and Finn has been a roller coaster ride and even though I’m not usually so deeply involved in teenage romance, this one somehow worked for me. I highly recommend it.
Autumn and Finn have known each other all their lives. Their mothers have been best friends for the longest time so it was an unsaid thing that the kids too would grow up to be close friends. The two could not have been more different from each other but many summers pass with them having sleepovers and celebrating holidays together. But somewhere while growing up, they let go of their hands and even though they rotate in the same orbit, there’s an unending distance between them. They now have different friends and date different people but somehow at the loneliest hours of the day, they find their way back to each other.
The story shifts from past to present, with the author giving us little insight to their childhood memories. And suddenly at one point, we see them realising that they have always been in love. The curtains are lifted and Autumn sees it clearly now. It has always been Finn. As the story comes to an end, we see the ominous chapter that Laura warned us about.
Laura writes beautifully about everything under the sky. She makes love seem wonderful and pain, too melancholic. She makes us read about friendships that are unbreakable and of distance that is heartbreaking. But what she does best is write about longing, like a piece of chocolate that’s lying just near the tips of your fingers but somehow is still unreachable. Reading about Autumn and Finn has been a roller coaster ride and even though I’m not usually so deeply involved in teenage romance, this one somehow worked for me. I highly recommend it.
Every time I read something by Bhaskar Chattopadhyay, I’m reminded of why I’m in awe of his writing. To me, there’s no other Indian writer who nails thrillers like he does. Not only are his plots so hard to predict but it often feels like your world has turned upside down by the time you finish his books. It’s like coming out of a movie theatre with a foggy head, the one that usually happens after you have watched a spectacular film. Patang too, was one such incredible book that shook me with its climax.
Chandrakant Rathod is roped in to solve what looks like a serial killer situation when bodies keep appearing in the strangest places. This mysterious man is well loved and respected by the police force but stays hidden from the public. Rathod loves a good puzzle, one that keeps his mind whirring and so he readily agrees to catch this serial killer when he spots a fellow genius in him. He goes on a wild goose’s chase, trying to stay one step ahead of the killer. I think the best part of this book is Chattopadhyay’s ability to keep us engaged in the story. It’s hard to think of anything else when you have this book in your hand and that, to me, is a major win.
As it so happens with his books, the climax blew my mind away! I did not see it coming and there were a few quiet moments after I finished the book where I tried to wrap it around my head. If our protagonist, Rathod is a genius then his creator, Chattopadhyay is a legend. He has again reinforced the fact that there is no other writer who executes such difficult storylines like he does.
I don’t think I’ll ever stop recommending his books and this may very well be at the top of my list this year.
You don’t know what you’re missing out on if you haven’t yet given him a chance.
Chandrakant Rathod is roped in to solve what looks like a serial killer situation when bodies keep appearing in the strangest places. This mysterious man is well loved and respected by the police force but stays hidden from the public. Rathod loves a good puzzle, one that keeps his mind whirring and so he readily agrees to catch this serial killer when he spots a fellow genius in him. He goes on a wild goose’s chase, trying to stay one step ahead of the killer. I think the best part of this book is Chattopadhyay’s ability to keep us engaged in the story. It’s hard to think of anything else when you have this book in your hand and that, to me, is a major win.
As it so happens with his books, the climax blew my mind away! I did not see it coming and there were a few quiet moments after I finished the book where I tried to wrap it around my head. If our protagonist, Rathod is a genius then his creator, Chattopadhyay is a legend. He has again reinforced the fact that there is no other writer who executes such difficult storylines like he does.
I don’t think I’ll ever stop recommending his books and this may very well be at the top of my list this year.
You don’t know what you’re missing out on if you haven’t yet given him a chance.