Book Reviews

Megha Majumdar’s debut novel A Burning is literally setting the world ablaze with its rave reviews. The praise is so universal that I hesitated a bit before opening its pages. What if it did not live up to the hype, or worse, what if it mishandled the geopolitics that dominate today’s India? I need not have worried. Through the stories of Jivan, Lovely, and PT Sir, Majumdar weaves an intricate human drama that touches on a myriad…

The Four Graces is a pleasant, relaxing beach read for the discerning reader. Early 20th century England, life at the vicarage in a quaint parish, local gossip, eligible young bachelorettes — it’s fairly staple Georgian fare. It’s not quite up the same alley as Benson, but there is a sufficient amount of plot to keep it interesting. The war clouds hovering over the story add some depth to the somewhat two-dimensional story line. The title…

I often approach contemporary writers with some trepidation, much like Margaret Lea, the narrator of  The Thirteenth Tale. I need not have worried, because this gothic tale hooks and reels you in as you open its first pages. It was November – Diane Setterfield The book’s opening sentence is simple and yet it contains the promise of a dark, grim ghost story. For in the end, this is what The Thirteenth Tale is; a ghost…

The latest novel by Ann Patchett is an intimate character study of a brother and sister, abandoned by their parents and their fate often tested by life. One day the Conroy siblings find themselves motherless, as Elena Conroy leaves them for a higher calling without ever bothering to say goodbye. This abandonment by their mother, and her picking the needs of strangers over her own kids, leaves a permanent bruise. And it all started with…

Rebecca is Daphne Du Maurier’s most remembered and revered legacy. Melancholy yet haunting, forever immortalized in Hitchcock’s famous adaptation. The House on the Strand is not even close to her other famous works and is one of her later novels. If you ever want to read anything by Maurier, then Rebecca it must be. However, a great second novel to dive into by De Maurier would The House on the Stand especially if you are…

The Underground Railroad is not the kind of book you want to read when you are sheltering-at-home, avoiding the rest of the human race and a pandemic. But then again, is there ever a right time to read about the horrors of slavery? As a 21st century immigrant American, I feel somewhat of a personal responsibility to understand the history of the nation I have adopted, no matter how dark or uncomfortable it is. Now is…

Note: This is an honest spoiler-free review for ARC provided by Netgalley & Harper Voyager. The Empire of Gold will be released on June 30th 2020 and is available for pre-order here. The review does have spoilers for The City of Brass and The Empire of Copper, so don’t read ahead if you plan to get to those books. Instead read this to know why these books are so awesome. The Empire of Gold is…

In the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, Pamela Aidan attempts to provide insight into the thoughts and feelings of this enigmatic romantic lead of English literature. During the many rereads of Pride & Prejudice, as much as I enjoyed the goings on of the Bennet household, I often felt shortchanged in my understanding of Mr. Darcy. His reclusiveness adds both to his arrogance and enigma. We only hear of his good deeds from his friends and employees, but…