I was absolutely mesmerized by Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles, and it was with great expectation that I picked up Circe, a book that has been wowing most readers since its release. The story follows the rise of Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun god, from a mere nymph to being a powerful sorceress....
The first book I read from Kent Haruf was his last. “Our Souls at Night” swept me away with its quietude and I expected nothing less from the next book I was recommended, which was “The Tie That Binds.” This novel is similar in its quietude but there is a certain bleak beauty to it....
Pushkin Press is one of my favourite publishers, as regular readers of my reviews know. Thanks to them I have read such gems like The Letter for the King by Tongke Dragt, and The Beggar and Other Stories by Gaito Gazdanov. So, I was delighted when they kindly sent me the children’s classic Maddy Alone...
It had been a while since I read a graphic novel, and I was really looking forward to reading a good one when I saw Michigan: On the Trail of a War Bride by Julien Frey on NetGalley. Thanks to Europe Comics and NetGalley for sending me the ARC! The book recounts two stories at...
Unsettling. I can wrap up the review for Sayaka Murata’s “The Convenience Store Woman” in that one word. But first, a big thank you to NetGalley and publisher Grove Atlantic for this ARC. The convenience store woman of the title is Keiko Furukura, a slightly eccentric woman in her mid-30s, who has been working at...
I have always loved reading Russian authors for their ability to delve deep into the psyche of life. I had never heard of Gaito Gazdanov before I got “The Beggar and Other Stories” from NetGalley and Pushkin Press (one of my favourite publishers now). Thank you for sending me the ARC for a review. “The...
“The Tyre” by C.J. Dubois caught my attention with its brilliantly hued cover. But what made me decide to read it was the fact that it’s a book set in India but written by a Frenchman. Surely, that combination is bound to be very interesting. And it didn’t disappoint. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher...
I have read a few Europe Comics in recent times and I have loved most of them. “Turntable” by Zidrou and Raphael Beuchot is no exception. Based on the true story of Belgian violinist and composer Eugene Ysaye’s trip to Africa, Turntable is a breezy read. The book begins with Ysaye saying goodbye to his...
When my friend and book blogger, Vishy, posted this glowing review of Tonke Dragt’s “The Letter for the King” last year, I was intrigued because it appeared to be all about knights and chivalry and adventure. Who doesn’t like the sound of that? A month or so ago, I found this book waiting to be...
I chanced upon M Mukundan’s “On the Banks of the Mayyazhi” in a second-hand bookshop. When I read the summary on the book jacket I was sceptical if I would like it because it had two themes that I haven’t been able to take to very much in the past – politics and magical realism. Boy was...
