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_askthebookbug's Reviews (1.34k)
Melody of a tear.
~
Thank you for sending this book @niyogi_books :)
~
There are few books that you're sure you'll re-read it till the pages are brown and torn and then there are few that leaves you too confused and overwhelmed the first time you read. This book falls under the latter category and I'll tell you why.
~
The protagonist is a young woman Zara who has been fostering suicidal thoughts over the years and struggles with defining her sexuality. Her father grooms her like a son which leaves her troubled about figuring out her feminine side and often ends up being a man in a woman's body. One fine day after spotting her college mate in a library, she decides to know more about him. Zaid, an average looking man seems to be carrying world's burden on his shoulders as he sheds tears for the poor. He fights for their rights and sacrifices his needs for their happiness. Zara finds this quality in him extremely attractive and hence slowly gets obsessed with his whereabouts.
~
In order to get close to Zaid, she gets acquainted with his neighbour who turns out to be a writer. Waris is prone to sickness and knows he's running out of time and decides to write one last book before it all ends. Zara pretending to be his fan slowly forms a friendship with Waris which she realises only after he's gone. Before he dies, Waris leaves behind his manuscript and asks her to finish the story for him. Afterall, it's her story. What follows next is Zara's attempts at making Zaid hers and her extreme ideas.
~
This being the debut book by the author, he has done a splendid job in nailing the characters. They are all at their extremes and their description lasts for a page or more. Though the plot is unique, it might not appeal to all the readers because it has the ability of leaving them confused. It's a complex book which stimulates your thoughts and I had trouble sticking to it more often than I can count. As I finished the book, I'm still left with many answers.
~
Rating - 3/5.
~
Thank you for sending this book @niyogi_books :)
~
There are few books that you're sure you'll re-read it till the pages are brown and torn and then there are few that leaves you too confused and overwhelmed the first time you read. This book falls under the latter category and I'll tell you why.
~
The protagonist is a young woman Zara who has been fostering suicidal thoughts over the years and struggles with defining her sexuality. Her father grooms her like a son which leaves her troubled about figuring out her feminine side and often ends up being a man in a woman's body. One fine day after spotting her college mate in a library, she decides to know more about him. Zaid, an average looking man seems to be carrying world's burden on his shoulders as he sheds tears for the poor. He fights for their rights and sacrifices his needs for their happiness. Zara finds this quality in him extremely attractive and hence slowly gets obsessed with his whereabouts.
~
In order to get close to Zaid, she gets acquainted with his neighbour who turns out to be a writer. Waris is prone to sickness and knows he's running out of time and decides to write one last book before it all ends. Zara pretending to be his fan slowly forms a friendship with Waris which she realises only after he's gone. Before he dies, Waris leaves behind his manuscript and asks her to finish the story for him. Afterall, it's her story. What follows next is Zara's attempts at making Zaid hers and her extreme ideas.
~
This being the debut book by the author, he has done a splendid job in nailing the characters. They are all at their extremes and their description lasts for a page or more. Though the plot is unique, it might not appeal to all the readers because it has the ability of leaving them confused. It's a complex book which stimulates your thoughts and I had trouble sticking to it more often than I can count. As I finished the book, I'm still left with many answers.
~
Rating - 3/5.
An American Marriage.
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Marriage is no joke. It requires effort, compromise and years of commitment. A single disaster or an event has the power to turn it upside down. An American marriage talks about the lives of Roy and Celestial who are newlyweds, just a year and a half into their wedding when something terrible occurs.
~
When Roy is wrongfully convicted of raping a woman, he is sentenced to serve 12 years in prison. Everybody knows he's innocent because Roy isn't the kind of man who'd hurt even a fly but we have all read about how the black community are often falsely acquitted. Celestial promises to fight for his release and wait for him to be set free. But life isn't a piece of cake for the couple and hence years pass by and Roy is still in prison while Celestial runs a booming doll business.
~
There's a part of the book where Roy and Celestial exchange letters while he's confined to his cell and this might be my favourite few chapters. Five years later, when Roy is set free, thanks to his lawyer, he knows that his relationship with Celestial might already be over. Stepping outside into a new world after losing his mother, wife and a job, Roy decides to confront Celestial about their marriage. But five years is a long time and Celestial has already moved on with her childhood friend Andre.
~
This book is written beautifully. @tayari is a master in penning down real emotions and I don't think anybody else could have done it better than her. She paints a picture of how fragile marriages are, their sensitivity to be protected at all times. When Obama and Oprah suggested this book to all the readers, I knew I had to give it a try. The complex relationship of Roy, Celestial and Andre as they struggle to protect what they have fiercely, taught me a thing or two. Forgiveness and acceptance of pain. But there were few places where I felt the book depressing, predictable and also a bit lengthy. Of course, the book is about a rocky marriage but it could have been crisper.
~
Rating - 3.8 / 5.
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Marriage is no joke. It requires effort, compromise and years of commitment. A single disaster or an event has the power to turn it upside down. An American marriage talks about the lives of Roy and Celestial who are newlyweds, just a year and a half into their wedding when something terrible occurs.
~
When Roy is wrongfully convicted of raping a woman, he is sentenced to serve 12 years in prison. Everybody knows he's innocent because Roy isn't the kind of man who'd hurt even a fly but we have all read about how the black community are often falsely acquitted. Celestial promises to fight for his release and wait for him to be set free. But life isn't a piece of cake for the couple and hence years pass by and Roy is still in prison while Celestial runs a booming doll business.
~
There's a part of the book where Roy and Celestial exchange letters while he's confined to his cell and this might be my favourite few chapters. Five years later, when Roy is set free, thanks to his lawyer, he knows that his relationship with Celestial might already be over. Stepping outside into a new world after losing his mother, wife and a job, Roy decides to confront Celestial about their marriage. But five years is a long time and Celestial has already moved on with her childhood friend Andre.
~
This book is written beautifully. @tayari is a master in penning down real emotions and I don't think anybody else could have done it better than her. She paints a picture of how fragile marriages are, their sensitivity to be protected at all times. When Obama and Oprah suggested this book to all the readers, I knew I had to give it a try. The complex relationship of Roy, Celestial and Andre as they struggle to protect what they have fiercely, taught me a thing or two. Forgiveness and acceptance of pain. But there were few places where I felt the book depressing, predictable and also a bit lengthy. Of course, the book is about a rocky marriage but it could have been crisper.
~
Rating - 3.8 / 5.
The silent patient.
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God, I love this book! Perfect murder mysteries are hard to find and this one outdid all the recent books that I read this year. I usually try to figure out the ending of a book and I was so utterly wrong when it came down to this one.
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Alicia, a beautiful young artist is married to an equally talented photographer, Gabriel. Things are going perfectly well for the couple when an unexpected tragedy occurs. Alicia murders Gabriel in cold blood and is found with enough evidence for her to be labeled a criminal. From the minute of Gabriel's murder, Alicia refuses to talk. She simply remains mute as the jury decides she's a murderer and is then admitted to a psychiatric hospital for medical attention.
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Irrespective of how many doctors approach her, she doesn't say a word. That is until she meets her new psychotherapist, Theo Faber. Theo is a man who has only one mission, to take care of Alicia. Inspite of being a psychotherapist, he struggles with his own issues everyday. Alicia opens up to him surprising all the staff of the hospital. It is then the secret of the murder is revealed. This was the point where my mind whirred so fast that I couldn't comprehend what happened next.
~
This book is something else. It has been written carefully, pointing out every little detail yet when you read the last couple of chapters, it knocks the wind out of you. It's powerful and extremely gripping. @alex.michaelides is pure genius because writing a crime fiction isn't an easy task. Easily the best gripping book I've read this year.
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5 stars all the way :)
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God, I love this book! Perfect murder mysteries are hard to find and this one outdid all the recent books that I read this year. I usually try to figure out the ending of a book and I was so utterly wrong when it came down to this one.
~
Alicia, a beautiful young artist is married to an equally talented photographer, Gabriel. Things are going perfectly well for the couple when an unexpected tragedy occurs. Alicia murders Gabriel in cold blood and is found with enough evidence for her to be labeled a criminal. From the minute of Gabriel's murder, Alicia refuses to talk. She simply remains mute as the jury decides she's a murderer and is then admitted to a psychiatric hospital for medical attention.
~
Irrespective of how many doctors approach her, she doesn't say a word. That is until she meets her new psychotherapist, Theo Faber. Theo is a man who has only one mission, to take care of Alicia. Inspite of being a psychotherapist, he struggles with his own issues everyday. Alicia opens up to him surprising all the staff of the hospital. It is then the secret of the murder is revealed. This was the point where my mind whirred so fast that I couldn't comprehend what happened next.
~
This book is something else. It has been written carefully, pointing out every little detail yet when you read the last couple of chapters, it knocks the wind out of you. It's powerful and extremely gripping. @alex.michaelides is pure genius because writing a crime fiction isn't an easy task. Easily the best gripping book I've read this year.
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5 stars all the way :)
The Anonymous.
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Thank you for the review copy @authornidhikukreja :)
~
The Anonymous is the story of a rape victim Natasha as she sets out on the road to recovery. She is haunted by her past every day as she lives her life in fear. The threatening letters that she receives doesn't help her. Natasha knows she has to get over her nightmares and face her present but she has only one person to help her out of it.
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She reaches out the man who saved her from her previous incident. Sidharth is a changed man after meeting Natasha and takes it upon himself to protect her. As their love blossoms, he tries to help her become fearless. The morbid letters torture her mentally and she decides to find out who the culprit is. What follows next is Natasha's difficult journey as she learns to stand on her feet with Sidharth's support. When they find out the man behind the letters, they are stunned into silence.
~
This book helps in painting a picture of how tough life is for a rape victim survivor. How they have to rebuild their lives and put back pieces together to be normal again. It's commendable that the author chose such a sensitive subject to put infront of the readers. Yet as I read along, I found myself losing interest. The story did not have that stronghold to keep me engaged. The characters needed a lot of development and I often felt that it was rushed. If the story had been executed a bit more uniformly, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
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Rating - 2 / 5.
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Thank you for the review copy @authornidhikukreja :)
~
The Anonymous is the story of a rape victim Natasha as she sets out on the road to recovery. She is haunted by her past every day as she lives her life in fear. The threatening letters that she receives doesn't help her. Natasha knows she has to get over her nightmares and face her present but she has only one person to help her out of it.
~
She reaches out the man who saved her from her previous incident. Sidharth is a changed man after meeting Natasha and takes it upon himself to protect her. As their love blossoms, he tries to help her become fearless. The morbid letters torture her mentally and she decides to find out who the culprit is. What follows next is Natasha's difficult journey as she learns to stand on her feet with Sidharth's support. When they find out the man behind the letters, they are stunned into silence.
~
This book helps in painting a picture of how tough life is for a rape victim survivor. How they have to rebuild their lives and put back pieces together to be normal again. It's commendable that the author chose such a sensitive subject to put infront of the readers. Yet as I read along, I found myself losing interest. The story did not have that stronghold to keep me engaged. The characters needed a lot of development and I often felt that it was rushed. If the story had been executed a bit more uniformly, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
~
Rating - 2 / 5.
Volcanic moments.
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Thank you for the review copy @half_baked_beans :)
~
A collection of 25 short stories, this book packs a punch. It's only recently that I started enjoying short stories as I started off with Ruskin Bond and slowly realised that it's kind of liberating to read them. Short yet impactful. Volcanic moments is a perfect beginner's read considering how simple language has been used to convey messages to the readers.
~
Since there are 25 stories, I can't actually write in detail about all of them. But it's fascinating how the author has conceptualized the entire book with vivid imagination. There are stories about supernatural deaths, acid attacks, revenge, madness and also love. Few did appeal to me but few missed in doing so. A very quick read which I did finish in just one sitting. I enjoyed this book as few stories took a different turn than I had expected it to.
~
Though the stories were quite unique, I somehow felt that not all were that interesting. The title didn't seem so apt to me considering how the book talks about certain feelings distinctly. The cover again failed to impress me. I could figure out how few stories would end while I was halfway through it. Having said that, Mona has done a good job in articulating the feeling of jealousy, anger and other raw emotions onto the paper. All in all, a decent read.
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Rating - 3.2 / 5.
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Thank you for the review copy @half_baked_beans :)
~
A collection of 25 short stories, this book packs a punch. It's only recently that I started enjoying short stories as I started off with Ruskin Bond and slowly realised that it's kind of liberating to read them. Short yet impactful. Volcanic moments is a perfect beginner's read considering how simple language has been used to convey messages to the readers.
~
Since there are 25 stories, I can't actually write in detail about all of them. But it's fascinating how the author has conceptualized the entire book with vivid imagination. There are stories about supernatural deaths, acid attacks, revenge, madness and also love. Few did appeal to me but few missed in doing so. A very quick read which I did finish in just one sitting. I enjoyed this book as few stories took a different turn than I had expected it to.
~
Though the stories were quite unique, I somehow felt that not all were that interesting. The title didn't seem so apt to me considering how the book talks about certain feelings distinctly. The cover again failed to impress me. I could figure out how few stories would end while I was halfway through it. Having said that, Mona has done a good job in articulating the feeling of jealousy, anger and other raw emotions onto the paper. All in all, a decent read.
~
Rating - 3.2 / 5.
{ Book Recommendation }
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All we ever wanted is a book about self-worth and self-love. I'm writing about this book solely for the reason that over the years humans have lost the tendency to appreciate themselves. To know what they deserve and not settling for something less is a much needed topic to be discussed about. This book is all about that and much more.
~
The story talks about how a sexual and immoral picture of a college girl, Lyla is spread among the community by her crush and classmate, Finch. Lyla is from a middle class family raised by a single father Tom who stresses about the importance of knowing one's worth. He believes in doing the right thing no matter the consequences. Finch, on the other hand comes from an affluent family who takes after his father. Nina, his mother having had a simple life before she married Kirk, knows how shallow her husband has turned out in the last few years. She knows her son is guilty of circulating the pictures and she knows she has to set it right.
~
The story is simple. Finch is wrong but there are multiple stories surrounding the case. While Nina decides to do the right thing, she has to face her husband and consider her next step. This book is beautifully written. Nina's character is such a lovely and fierce one at the same time. Her decision to be honest and fight for justice even if she has to go against her son, is something that I truly appreciate. She teaches Lyla never to be afraid if she hasn't done wrong. This book is full of morality and goodness.
~
In this era, where people are often too shallow and are worried about their bank balances, this story teaches that nothing is more important than the truth. It speaks volumes about love, forgiveness and consequences. There were few flaws as well. The story took an unexpected turn at the very end which I did not enjoy. But that did not change the impact it had on me as a whole. I'd urge you to read this and think about what's worth fighting for in your life.
~
I won't rate this book because it'd be unfair to sum up all this into a single digit.
~
All we ever wanted is a book about self-worth and self-love. I'm writing about this book solely for the reason that over the years humans have lost the tendency to appreciate themselves. To know what they deserve and not settling for something less is a much needed topic to be discussed about. This book is all about that and much more.
~
The story talks about how a sexual and immoral picture of a college girl, Lyla is spread among the community by her crush and classmate, Finch. Lyla is from a middle class family raised by a single father Tom who stresses about the importance of knowing one's worth. He believes in doing the right thing no matter the consequences. Finch, on the other hand comes from an affluent family who takes after his father. Nina, his mother having had a simple life before she married Kirk, knows how shallow her husband has turned out in the last few years. She knows her son is guilty of circulating the pictures and she knows she has to set it right.
~
The story is simple. Finch is wrong but there are multiple stories surrounding the case. While Nina decides to do the right thing, she has to face her husband and consider her next step. This book is beautifully written. Nina's character is such a lovely and fierce one at the same time. Her decision to be honest and fight for justice even if she has to go against her son, is something that I truly appreciate. She teaches Lyla never to be afraid if she hasn't done wrong. This book is full of morality and goodness.
~
In this era, where people are often too shallow and are worried about their bank balances, this story teaches that nothing is more important than the truth. It speaks volumes about love, forgiveness and consequences. There were few flaws as well. The story took an unexpected turn at the very end which I did not enjoy. But that did not change the impact it had on me as a whole. I'd urge you to read this and think about what's worth fighting for in your life.
~
I won't rate this book because it'd be unfair to sum up all this into a single digit.
Sometimes it happens.
~
Thank you for sending the review copy @thekaran_sharma.
~
Age has always been a touchy topic when it comes to relationships and marriages. We see a younger girl dating an older man or the other way around and society starts whispering about their choices. Sometimes it happens is about one such love story that blossoms between a 25 year old guy and a 37 year old woman.
~
When Gautam starts dating Roshni, who is her senior at work, little did he know that he'd end up falling in love with her. Roshni, an independent and fierce woman who never married for being too focused on career, finally finds her dream guy in Gautam. The first few months of their relationship is blissful as they soak in all the love and spend hours over calls. Four months into the relationship, Gautam decides to take the plunge and ask Roshni to marry him. But when he breaks the news to his best friend and also to his sister, their opinions leave him astounded.
~
What follows next is Gautam and then Roshni's skeptical thinking about their future. As they ponder upon whether their marriage will work considering the huge age gap, they finally decide to tie the knot. Love trumps over everything but will Roshni be able to keep up with Gautam's youthfulness? Or will her age creep in and mess up their compatibility? Read the book to know if they'll actually make it to the end of the race.
~
I'd have to say that the concept did intrigue me quite a bit. But there were serious flaws in the story. Firstly, I wasn't too fond of couple of characters, one of them being Rohit, who was Gautam's friend. He was too cocky and arrogant to say the least. The plot was very simple and I already knew how the story would end by just reading few chapters. There wasn't any solid factor that seemed to bring the story together. I was hoping to see some plot twist but couldn't find any till the very end. All this turned the story into a very plain and simple read. Nevertheless, it will make a good beginner's read who are into romance genre. I'd like to applaud the author for his flair in writing.
~
Rating - 2 / 5.
~
Thank you for sending the review copy @thekaran_sharma.
~
Age has always been a touchy topic when it comes to relationships and marriages. We see a younger girl dating an older man or the other way around and society starts whispering about their choices. Sometimes it happens is about one such love story that blossoms between a 25 year old guy and a 37 year old woman.
~
When Gautam starts dating Roshni, who is her senior at work, little did he know that he'd end up falling in love with her. Roshni, an independent and fierce woman who never married for being too focused on career, finally finds her dream guy in Gautam. The first few months of their relationship is blissful as they soak in all the love and spend hours over calls. Four months into the relationship, Gautam decides to take the plunge and ask Roshni to marry him. But when he breaks the news to his best friend and also to his sister, their opinions leave him astounded.
~
What follows next is Gautam and then Roshni's skeptical thinking about their future. As they ponder upon whether their marriage will work considering the huge age gap, they finally decide to tie the knot. Love trumps over everything but will Roshni be able to keep up with Gautam's youthfulness? Or will her age creep in and mess up their compatibility? Read the book to know if they'll actually make it to the end of the race.
~
I'd have to say that the concept did intrigue me quite a bit. But there were serious flaws in the story. Firstly, I wasn't too fond of couple of characters, one of them being Rohit, who was Gautam's friend. He was too cocky and arrogant to say the least. The plot was very simple and I already knew how the story would end by just reading few chapters. There wasn't any solid factor that seemed to bring the story together. I was hoping to see some plot twist but couldn't find any till the very end. All this turned the story into a very plain and simple read. Nevertheless, it will make a good beginner's read who are into romance genre. I'd like to applaud the author for his flair in writing.
~
Rating - 2 / 5.
Vicious.
~
There is nothing Extraordinary about this book. There, I said it. I know I am in the minority here but I can't just get over the feeling of how superbly boring and slow this book was. Vicious is Schwab's well praised work and I was extremely excited to read this but all my expectations fell flat. It's like the book fizzled into nothing. This book about Extraordinary humans simply failed to entice me.
~
Eli and Victor are two pre-med students who come up with a plan to make their thesis unique and when Eli chooses the topic of researching about Extraordinary humans, Victor knows he has to get the upper hand in their quest. They come up with a plan to test the research and come out as EOs after coming back from death. They have their own powers and it is then that their friendship turns into something menacing. They turn against each other and Eli makes it his mission to kill all the EOs as he considers them to be an abomination excluding himself.
~
The book is split between THEN and NOW, where Victor does most of the narrating. After Eli tries to kill him, Victor finds himself in prison and decides to kill Eli and seek revenge. There are couple of other characters that take some of the attention like the teenager Sydney who teams up with Victor and the big man Mitch who swears loyalty to Victor. And then there's Serena who sides with Eli. This book builds up slowly, gathering all the characters and describing them in detail. What follows is the hunt between Eli and Victor as they slowly circle each other.
~
There are couple of things that I did not like about this book. Firstly, it was incredibly slow. It just drags along for half of the book while still describing Eli's character. Secondly, all the built up mystery was just for nothing. It's a simple story being wound up intensely for keeping the readers hooked while few chapters were stretched unnecessarily long. There were couple of interesting points about the book as well. The plot and the details, being one of the positive points. The entire concept of EO was truly impressive. But apart from that, it just didn't impress me much.
~
Rating 2.5 / 5.
~
There is nothing Extraordinary about this book. There, I said it. I know I am in the minority here but I can't just get over the feeling of how superbly boring and slow this book was. Vicious is Schwab's well praised work and I was extremely excited to read this but all my expectations fell flat. It's like the book fizzled into nothing. This book about Extraordinary humans simply failed to entice me.
~
Eli and Victor are two pre-med students who come up with a plan to make their thesis unique and when Eli chooses the topic of researching about Extraordinary humans, Victor knows he has to get the upper hand in their quest. They come up with a plan to test the research and come out as EOs after coming back from death. They have their own powers and it is then that their friendship turns into something menacing. They turn against each other and Eli makes it his mission to kill all the EOs as he considers them to be an abomination excluding himself.
~
The book is split between THEN and NOW, where Victor does most of the narrating. After Eli tries to kill him, Victor finds himself in prison and decides to kill Eli and seek revenge. There are couple of other characters that take some of the attention like the teenager Sydney who teams up with Victor and the big man Mitch who swears loyalty to Victor. And then there's Serena who sides with Eli. This book builds up slowly, gathering all the characters and describing them in detail. What follows is the hunt between Eli and Victor as they slowly circle each other.
~
There are couple of things that I did not like about this book. Firstly, it was incredibly slow. It just drags along for half of the book while still describing Eli's character. Secondly, all the built up mystery was just for nothing. It's a simple story being wound up intensely for keeping the readers hooked while few chapters were stretched unnecessarily long. There were couple of interesting points about the book as well. The plot and the details, being one of the positive points. The entire concept of EO was truly impressive. But apart from that, it just didn't impress me much.
~
Rating 2.5 / 5.
Things fall apart - { Book Recommendation }
~
I have always truly admired African literature and lately I've been treating myself to such intense reads that often leaves me emotionally drained. I decided to read this book after @barackobama mentioned it in the list of best books of 2018. Things fall apart was Chinua Achebe's first novel and he has done a brilliant job in reaching out to the readers on an emotional level.
~
The protagonist of this book is Okonkwo, an arrogant, rude, male chauvinist and extremely sexist who is considered as an important clan member. Growing up under the shadow of a failed father, Okonkwo takes up responsibility of handling the house from a very young age. He has three wives and many children like the fellow community members. To be honest, I detested Okonkwo's character for the fact that he was ignorant and considered himself superior than anyone else. All that changes with colonisation.
~
The African culture is so richly highlighted in this book starting from the minute details like the weather, the clothes that they wear, the food that they eat and also various rituals and beliefs that they uphold. This is probably one of the significant reason that I enjoy African literature. Okonkwo's character is strong but not strong enough to face colonisation when British build churches and slowly capture their lands. When Okonkwo witnesses humiliation and sees his culture being uprooted, he loses his mind. This book is a classic narration of how it all started.
~
'The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart' - Chinua Achebe.
~
I can't ever get enough of such intense books. This book falls under my 'Favourite African Literature' list. A solid five star rating :)
~
I have always truly admired African literature and lately I've been treating myself to such intense reads that often leaves me emotionally drained. I decided to read this book after @barackobama mentioned it in the list of best books of 2018. Things fall apart was Chinua Achebe's first novel and he has done a brilliant job in reaching out to the readers on an emotional level.
~
The protagonist of this book is Okonkwo, an arrogant, rude, male chauvinist and extremely sexist who is considered as an important clan member. Growing up under the shadow of a failed father, Okonkwo takes up responsibility of handling the house from a very young age. He has three wives and many children like the fellow community members. To be honest, I detested Okonkwo's character for the fact that he was ignorant and considered himself superior than anyone else. All that changes with colonisation.
~
The African culture is so richly highlighted in this book starting from the minute details like the weather, the clothes that they wear, the food that they eat and also various rituals and beliefs that they uphold. This is probably one of the significant reason that I enjoy African literature. Okonkwo's character is strong but not strong enough to face colonisation when British build churches and slowly capture their lands. When Okonkwo witnesses humiliation and sees his culture being uprooted, he loses his mind. This book is a classic narration of how it all started.
~
'The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart' - Chinua Achebe.
~
I can't ever get enough of such intense books. This book falls under my 'Favourite African Literature' list. A solid five star rating :)
Scrapbook of an unfound songstress.
~
Thank you for sending this review copy @unfoundsongstress :)
~
Music industry may look all glamourous and shiny but only those who work in it know the darkest secrets. This book is more of an autobiography of the author as she narrates her journey in becoming a singer. The concept intruiged me because it's not often we stumbled upon books that revolve around music and memoirs take it up a notch.
~
Vicky starts off with references of her entering the industry. The journey of her growth from a normal teenager to that of a singer by being recognised by music companies is truly captivating. It's fascinating to see how it all works behind closed walls as she breaks it down for the readers to get a better idea about her life. I enjoyed few parts of the book including the part where the trial and legal system comes into picture. It's written in the form of a scrapbook, hence the title. It's written in simple language making it perfect for beginners.
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I, however felt something was amiss and I think it mostly had to do with questions of why she left her previous manager and what really happened. I also expected the trial session to be more in-depth considering how I enjoy a detailed narrative. The book could have done with a bit more of organising to bind it perfectly but considering it's her debut book, she has done a commendable job. It's a very light and sweet memoir which I'm sure would truly impress the younger ones. I liked the ending when Vicky starts to get to know herself better and finds some clarity.
~
Rating - 3 / 5.
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Thank you for sending this review copy @unfoundsongstress :)
~
Music industry may look all glamourous and shiny but only those who work in it know the darkest secrets. This book is more of an autobiography of the author as she narrates her journey in becoming a singer. The concept intruiged me because it's not often we stumbled upon books that revolve around music and memoirs take it up a notch.
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Vicky starts off with references of her entering the industry. The journey of her growth from a normal teenager to that of a singer by being recognised by music companies is truly captivating. It's fascinating to see how it all works behind closed walls as she breaks it down for the readers to get a better idea about her life. I enjoyed few parts of the book including the part where the trial and legal system comes into picture. It's written in the form of a scrapbook, hence the title. It's written in simple language making it perfect for beginners.
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I, however felt something was amiss and I think it mostly had to do with questions of why she left her previous manager and what really happened. I also expected the trial session to be more in-depth considering how I enjoy a detailed narrative. The book could have done with a bit more of organising to bind it perfectly but considering it's her debut book, she has done a commendable job. It's a very light and sweet memoir which I'm sure would truly impress the younger ones. I liked the ending when Vicky starts to get to know herself better and finds some clarity.
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Rating - 3 / 5.