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_askthebookbug's Reviews (1.34k)
We have all had those days when we are glued to a book all day because it’s simply impossible to stop reading it. To me, Yellowface was one such novel. Before this I hadn’t read anything by Kuang and I wasn’t sure what I would find when I dived into this book but boy, what a treat her writing is! The funny thing about the story is how we watch with bated breath as our flawed protagonist wades through some terrible decisions she makes. She’s not perfect but neither are we and when Kuang writes so convincingly about this woman’s reasons for the things she does, you almost find yourself nodding your head. Such is the power of her writing.
This story of two friends, June and Athena is twisted and dark. It reeks of jealousy and the story essentially has bad decisions written all over the plot. Because the story is really about two authors, there’s a lot of insight into the publishing industry which I found fascinating. The nitty gritty of writing, all the sweat and blood that goes into bringing a book to life and the cut throat competition between fellow authors; is tied together beautifully by Kuang. This isn’t a murder mystery but it does make you read in a frenzy because you just can’t wait to see how it ends.
To say that Yellowface is a book about betrayal wouldn’t be enough because it’s so much more than that. Kuang peeks into the very depths of human behaviour and brings out both the best and the worst of it. This novel is brilliant because at its very core is a scandal that is fuelled by social media. And all of it feels so real.
I can’t recommend this book enough because it is absolutely delightful in a crazy way. I read it in one sitting and this is also the sort of book that gets you right out of your slump.
This story of two friends, June and Athena is twisted and dark. It reeks of jealousy and the story essentially has bad decisions written all over the plot. Because the story is really about two authors, there’s a lot of insight into the publishing industry which I found fascinating. The nitty gritty of writing, all the sweat and blood that goes into bringing a book to life and the cut throat competition between fellow authors; is tied together beautifully by Kuang. This isn’t a murder mystery but it does make you read in a frenzy because you just can’t wait to see how it ends.
To say that Yellowface is a book about betrayal wouldn’t be enough because it’s so much more than that. Kuang peeks into the very depths of human behaviour and brings out both the best and the worst of it. This novel is brilliant because at its very core is a scandal that is fuelled by social media. And all of it feels so real.
I can’t recommend this book enough because it is absolutely delightful in a crazy way. I read it in one sitting and this is also the sort of book that gets you right out of your slump.
Lost to the World: A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Five Years in Terrorist Captivity
Shahbaz Taseer, Shahbaz Taseer
I have always loved reading memoirs and Shahbaz Taseer’s Lost to the World is both nightmarish and courageous. After being held captive by a ruthless terrorist group called Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Taseer is finally released in an almost a ‘too true to be good’ manner. Taseer is well known as the son of the assassinated Punjab (Pakistan) governor Salman Taseer. And in this book, Shahbaz talks in detail about his father and his role in helping the common crowd of Pakistan. His father’s honesty and courage eventually led to him being shot brutally. Soon after this horrendous act, Taseer is kidnapped in broad daylight and goes missing for almost five years. This story is not just a valiant attempt at describing his life during captivity but also shows how vulnerable a person can be when everything is snatched away from him.
Shahbaz grew up in a luxurious house which lacked nothing. While growing up he watched his father support the less privileged ones during his political career and also witnessed the repercussions of having done so. Before the family could recover from the death, Taseer is taken captive. A major chunk of the book describes his living condition while being a hostage. The tortures are intense but Taseer’s courage in the face of it all is applaudable. He gives a detailed insight on how terrorist organisations work in layman terms. In the midst of all the brutality, he was often taken aback when some of them showed kindness.
It’s baffling how he survived and then lived to tell the story. The odds were stacked against him and yet fate favoured him. Throughout his captivity, he draws strength from his father who often said ‘I’m not made from a wood that burns easily’. The story of course, has a happy ending but it feels dreamlike to see how it all worked out. Taseer writes crisply and I finished this book in just two sittings. Keeping aside all the trauma, this memoir also shows how willpower plays a significant role in difficult times.
I highly recommend this book and thank @penguinindia for sending it across to me.
Shahbaz grew up in a luxurious house which lacked nothing. While growing up he watched his father support the less privileged ones during his political career and also witnessed the repercussions of having done so. Before the family could recover from the death, Taseer is taken captive. A major chunk of the book describes his living condition while being a hostage. The tortures are intense but Taseer’s courage in the face of it all is applaudable. He gives a detailed insight on how terrorist organisations work in layman terms. In the midst of all the brutality, he was often taken aback when some of them showed kindness.
It’s baffling how he survived and then lived to tell the story. The odds were stacked against him and yet fate favoured him. Throughout his captivity, he draws strength from his father who often said ‘I’m not made from a wood that burns easily’. The story of course, has a happy ending but it feels dreamlike to see how it all worked out. Taseer writes crisply and I finished this book in just two sittings. Keeping aside all the trauma, this memoir also shows how willpower plays a significant role in difficult times.
I highly recommend this book and thank @penguinindia for sending it across to me.
Honestly, at this point I’ve been diving blindly into the world of Emily Henry. I have never been one to enjoy romance novels but this woman has changed my perception of it. The stories are slightly cliched and yet I can’t stop loving them. Happy Place too is one such love story where two people drift apart only to come back together. The characters are absolutely adorable and the romance is heartwarming. I don’t understand how Emily does it every time but she makes me fall in love with the idea of love each time I read her book.
Wyn and Harry find themselves at their friend’s summer cottage having to pretend to be together despite being broken up for months. This facade goes on for a few days while they struggle to keep up with their emotions of being close to each other. There’s obviously a lot of love between the two but the complications weigh more than the history that they have had. They are surrounded by endearing people who support and love each other unconditionally. During their stay, we see Wyn and Harry navigating through their relationship and although we all know how it’d eventually end, it’s hard not to cheer them on.
I love how Emily delicately describes what it takes to have a successful relationship and in Happy Place, she addresses the issue of miscommunication between the two protagonists. There’s so much to learn from her books about how it should feel like to be in a safe and healthy relationship. And kudos to her for being so witty! I have always loved the funny and smart exchanges between her characters and I think this book carried some of the most wonderful dialogues ever. I’m pretty sure she can turn anyone into a sweet mush through her stories.
Happy Place definitely made me happy. And apart from my own love story I think Wyn and Harry’s might be my favourite tale :)
Wyn and Harry find themselves at their friend’s summer cottage having to pretend to be together despite being broken up for months. This facade goes on for a few days while they struggle to keep up with their emotions of being close to each other. There’s obviously a lot of love between the two but the complications weigh more than the history that they have had. They are surrounded by endearing people who support and love each other unconditionally. During their stay, we see Wyn and Harry navigating through their relationship and although we all know how it’d eventually end, it’s hard not to cheer them on.
I love how Emily delicately describes what it takes to have a successful relationship and in Happy Place, she addresses the issue of miscommunication between the two protagonists. There’s so much to learn from her books about how it should feel like to be in a safe and healthy relationship. And kudos to her for being so witty! I have always loved the funny and smart exchanges between her characters and I think this book carried some of the most wonderful dialogues ever. I’m pretty sure she can turn anyone into a sweet mush through her stories.
Happy Place definitely made me happy. And apart from my own love story I think Wyn and Harry’s might be my favourite tale :)
My Poems are not for your ad Campaign was first published in Assamese as Hriday Ek Bigyapan by Anuradha Sharma Pujari. This translated edition by Aruni Kashyap is smooth and flawless, rarely making me feel like I was reading a translated book. Set in the 90s our female protagonist finds herself navigating through the booming corporate world. Bhashwathi, is a well educated woman who moves to Calcutta with her husband. When she decides to look for a job upon her husband’s insistence, she finds herself on the steps of an advertising company through his contacts. Here, she observes how women are treated differently by those capitalising on their bodies.
Bhashwathi is taken aback by how women in her company are compromised to get things done. In this new world, she finds it hard to wrap her head around the fact that things like these are slowly being normalised. Some do it willingly while the others are left with no choice but to indulge in activities that often works in convincing men to accept business deals. But on a fine day, Bhashwathi discovers a poem by a woman named Mohua Roy and her interest is instantly peaked. Who is this Mohua Roy who left the job and whose role Bhashwathi eventually filled in?
As the women get to know each other, Bhashwathi further realises how society is often cruel to women and that the double standards that modern women face for dating do not apply to men. The book is breezy enough, which made me finish it in a single sitting but I did have concerns with the protagonist herself.
She was quick to judge other people around her. It often felt like she couldn’t quite comprehend how hard it must be for women in general to lead a respectable life and understood only when someone took the time out to carefully explain things to her. She couldn’t quite understand her husband’s desire to grow up the corporate ladder. The passion that they shared in their four years of marriage took a backseat and not an effort was made from her end to revive it as well. I think her slightly flawed nature made it difficult for me to sympathise with her.
This book didn’t work for me but it might for you. Thanks for the copy @penguinindia ✨
Bhashwathi is taken aback by how women in her company are compromised to get things done. In this new world, she finds it hard to wrap her head around the fact that things like these are slowly being normalised. Some do it willingly while the others are left with no choice but to indulge in activities that often works in convincing men to accept business deals. But on a fine day, Bhashwathi discovers a poem by a woman named Mohua Roy and her interest is instantly peaked. Who is this Mohua Roy who left the job and whose role Bhashwathi eventually filled in?
As the women get to know each other, Bhashwathi further realises how society is often cruel to women and that the double standards that modern women face for dating do not apply to men. The book is breezy enough, which made me finish it in a single sitting but I did have concerns with the protagonist herself.
She was quick to judge other people around her. It often felt like she couldn’t quite comprehend how hard it must be for women in general to lead a respectable life and understood only when someone took the time out to carefully explain things to her. She couldn’t quite understand her husband’s desire to grow up the corporate ladder. The passion that they shared in their four years of marriage took a backseat and not an effort was made from her end to revive it as well. I think her slightly flawed nature made it difficult for me to sympathise with her.
This book didn’t work for me but it might for you. Thanks for the copy @penguinindia ✨
I have never felt safe at sea but I do live with a partner who would rather build a house in it. I’ve watched him swim like a slick Dolphin, blending into the bluest shades of water and coming up for breath after very long periods. I think this is what partly appealed to me about the book. Leah is used to going on sea expeditions often and Miri has fallen into the routine of not having her wife around. But little did they know that one such regular expedition would change their lives forever.
Leah is a marine biologist and often goes underwater in a submarine for research purposes. She knows and loves everything about the sea, a gift that she received from her father while growing up. When Miri and Leah eventually meet, they feel like it was always meant to be. Their seemingly normal lives turn into a very strange one when Leah goes missing for six months. When she comes back, Miri knows that she’s not her Leah anymore. There’s a eerie shift in her personality and soon it turns into a physical change as well.
The story is narrated by both Leah and Miri, shifting from past to present. The writing is fluid and pulls you in like quicksand. Some of the chapters may feel repetitive but I think it’s intentionally done to impart how sharply their relationship takes a turn. This book falls under horror but it’s so much more than that. There’s so much of emotional aspect that the characters carry, their pasts and presents merging to form spectacular story.
It’s hard to describe how this book made me feel. The fact that it may not work for everyone makes me a little sad because the story is very interesting. The sapphic love is wonderful to read about and Julia nails how well the supporting characters are built to hold the story.
Julia made me both love and fear the sea. And for this, I’m in awe of her.
I highly recommend this underrated piece of work.
Leah is a marine biologist and often goes underwater in a submarine for research purposes. She knows and loves everything about the sea, a gift that she received from her father while growing up. When Miri and Leah eventually meet, they feel like it was always meant to be. Their seemingly normal lives turn into a very strange one when Leah goes missing for six months. When she comes back, Miri knows that she’s not her Leah anymore. There’s a eerie shift in her personality and soon it turns into a physical change as well.
The story is narrated by both Leah and Miri, shifting from past to present. The writing is fluid and pulls you in like quicksand. Some of the chapters may feel repetitive but I think it’s intentionally done to impart how sharply their relationship takes a turn. This book falls under horror but it’s so much more than that. There’s so much of emotional aspect that the characters carry, their pasts and presents merging to form spectacular story.
It’s hard to describe how this book made me feel. The fact that it may not work for everyone makes me a little sad because the story is very interesting. The sapphic love is wonderful to read about and Julia nails how well the supporting characters are built to hold the story.
Julia made me both love and fear the sea. And for this, I’m in awe of her.
I highly recommend this underrated piece of work.
“Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” - Ernest Hemingway
22 Feb 22 recorded the highest number of weddings in so many countries round the globe. Popularly called as “Lucky Twosday”, expecting parents thronged gynaecologists for planning their babies’ delivery on this Tuesday. However, Putin and his friends had other plans for the Lucky Twosday: To wage a war against Ukraine. Luke Harding so poignantly covers what happened before and after of 22/2/22.
I half-expectedly started this book with the notion that the book is all but an account of events. It was, and it was more than that. It is about how a man blinded by a belief, decides to wreck a home - in this case, Ukraine. It is about how a former TV actor-turned-President and his people, stood up to the second largest Army in the world. It is also about resilience, patriotism and the shattering of a whim that fire-power can pin down the grit of a common man.
It is more than 16 months since Russia invaded Ukraine and about 7 months since this book was published. The war still goes on. So is it relevant? Undoubtedly, yes. For the book is not a mere second-hand journalism reportage. The author explains why Putin did what he did, how he amassed and brain washed 17 year old boys to war, and how he expected the people of Ukraine to welcome his soldiers with open arms (which grossly misfired). He also explains how Zelenskyy stood his ground, the people’s love for Ukraine and what lies ahead. Both the countries have been at war since the 17th century but Luke Harding’s Invasion is significant, for Putin’s war is homogenous to Hitler’s. Genocide - a word that can be associated with both.
22 Feb 22 recorded the highest number of weddings in so many countries round the globe. Popularly called as “Lucky Twosday”, expecting parents thronged gynaecologists for planning their babies’ delivery on this Tuesday. However, Putin and his friends had other plans for the Lucky Twosday: To wage a war against Ukraine. Luke Harding so poignantly covers what happened before and after of 22/2/22.
I half-expectedly started this book with the notion that the book is all but an account of events. It was, and it was more than that. It is about how a man blinded by a belief, decides to wreck a home - in this case, Ukraine. It is about how a former TV actor-turned-President and his people, stood up to the second largest Army in the world. It is also about resilience, patriotism and the shattering of a whim that fire-power can pin down the grit of a common man.
It is more than 16 months since Russia invaded Ukraine and about 7 months since this book was published. The war still goes on. So is it relevant? Undoubtedly, yes. For the book is not a mere second-hand journalism reportage. The author explains why Putin did what he did, how he amassed and brain washed 17 year old boys to war, and how he expected the people of Ukraine to welcome his soldiers with open arms (which grossly misfired). He also explains how Zelenskyy stood his ground, the people’s love for Ukraine and what lies ahead. Both the countries have been at war since the 17th century but Luke Harding’s Invasion is significant, for Putin’s war is homogenous to Hitler’s. Genocide - a word that can be associated with both.
What a massive disappointment.
There are some books which holds on tight to the aspect of suspense until the very end, making you think hard to crack the truth but The Housemaid isn’t one of those books. In fact, I could guess the twist from a mile away (just twenty pages into the book). Now, there are books I’ve read and liked where even though you guess the culprit, you still appreciate the atmosphere of the story but again, The Housemaid isn’t one such book. I personally feel that this was written to be read In a day or two, and not having to use one’s brain so much. And sadly, I fall into the category of readers who crave for a good dose of mystery. This is why The Housemaid didn’t work for me.
The writing is fairly good but the very core of the story is cliched; you know where a housemaid works for a rich couple and although they seem nice on the surface, something is terribly wrong. Unfortunately, this trope has already been used a couple of times in other books so there really had to be a USP for this book but I couldn’t find any. When I finished reading it, I couldn’t believe it had garnered a good 4.36 ratings on goodreads but later probably felt that it was written for those who just want a fast paced novel where you finish the book before you realise.
If you’re a hardcore mystery or thriller lover, I certainly wouldn’t recommend this book to you but if you’re a beginner and are looking to get started in this genre, then this may work for you.
I’ll leave it upto you to decide.
There are some books which holds on tight to the aspect of suspense until the very end, making you think hard to crack the truth but The Housemaid isn’t one of those books. In fact, I could guess the twist from a mile away (just twenty pages into the book). Now, there are books I’ve read and liked where even though you guess the culprit, you still appreciate the atmosphere of the story but again, The Housemaid isn’t one such book. I personally feel that this was written to be read In a day or two, and not having to use one’s brain so much. And sadly, I fall into the category of readers who crave for a good dose of mystery. This is why The Housemaid didn’t work for me.
The writing is fairly good but the very core of the story is cliched; you know where a housemaid works for a rich couple and although they seem nice on the surface, something is terribly wrong. Unfortunately, this trope has already been used a couple of times in other books so there really had to be a USP for this book but I couldn’t find any. When I finished reading it, I couldn’t believe it had garnered a good 4.36 ratings on goodreads but later probably felt that it was written for those who just want a fast paced novel where you finish the book before you realise.
If you’re a hardcore mystery or thriller lover, I certainly wouldn’t recommend this book to you but if you’re a beginner and are looking to get started in this genre, then this may work for you.
I’ll leave it upto you to decide.