Book Review: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

Author: Gail Honeyman
Genre: Contemporary
Type: Fiction

This book is something I am glad I picked up for the Popsugar prompt 25 – A debut novel. It is not usually a genre or premise I would usually read. But I chose it through recommendations.

Eleanor Oliphant is an adult who is generally considered a social misfit. She lives alone, has a job and there is a routine for everything in her life. She doesn’t socialise. Her mother is the only person in her life she speaks to regularly. One day, she sees a musician at his band performance whom she decides is her soul mate and plans to meet him, fall in love and get married to him. Also she is introduced to a colleague, Raymond who is friendly and doesn’t see the flaws in Eleanor. The remaining story tells why Eleanor is the way she is and did her plan to covet the musician work.

The entire book is single character centric and we see a character arc in Eleanor that happens by the people she meets. You don’t see a sudden twist and turn until you know her back story. I did feel a hint of mockery on all the questions on the norms, decorum and code we follow on social behaviour. Sometimes we don’t ask questions where we need to and hide behind etiquette.

The character does grow on you as you read. Eleanor is sometimes aware of her shortcomings but she doesn’t let that bother her.

The read is a smooth ride with the ebbs and flows of laughs and grief. It can be heart-warming and heartbreaking at the same time.

This one definitely goes into my list of good reads for the year.

Verdict: Highly recommended in contemporary fiction with odd characters are odd and a warm story.

Book Review: Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Author: Maria Semple
Genre: Humour
Type: Fiction

I had selected this book for my Popsugar reading prompt 16- A book with a question in the title. I am still not sure how I feel about this book. I will try my best to put it into words.

The whole title is a little misleading. I was expecting some search expedition for a missing person from the start. But it comes almost at the end.

Bernadette is an opinionated mother of a 15 year old, Bee. She hates her neighbourhood and does most of her work through an outsourced personal assistant. Her husband is a Microsoft employee and is almost absent physically and emotionally. Bernadette has gone through so many issues like a big hit on her career as an architect, issues with her pregnancy and Bee’s health problems. When her daily life gives her grief, Bernadette disappears. Bee, who is very close to her mom, decides to find her. The remaining story says if she finds her mom or not.

The storytelling is done through a series of letters, notes and emails and a few narrations from Bee. So it makes the reading quick and easy. It is hilarious at a few scenes. But I wouldn’t say it is a laugh out loud humour. There is a whole lot of satire and sarcasm on the suburban culture of private schools, mommy clubs and Microsoft culture. But the world and characters in which the satire is played on is too shallow. I did feel sorry for Bernadette once all the reasons for her anguishes are explained.I couldn’t care any less about her neighbours. I couldn’t pine for anyone here. That is one downside about this book.

Verdict: At the end of the book, all I felt was uncertainty. I am still a bit confused if this is satire or humour.

Book Review: Behind Closed Doors

Author: B. A. Paris
Genre: Thriller
Type: Fiction

I picked this book for their reviews and rating from different sources. The author is new to me so I started with an open mind.

The story is a about a couple Jack and Grace Angel who seem to be the perfect couple to their friends. Jack is a domestic violence lawyer and has an amazing track record. Grace who used to be a fruit supply buyer for a big department store, quit her job after marrying Jack. Grace’s sister Millie has Down’s syndrome and is attending special needs school. The couple have great looks, a cute story about their courting, amazing holidays and a gorgeous home. The cherry on the top is Grace’s cooking which their friends applaud at the dinner parties. But with all the happy couple show going on, there are some deep secrets turning their life to a sham.

The story goes back and forth between Grace’s past and present. The author does not beat around the bush and there is no suspense about the dark secrets. You are immediately introduced to 2 different worlds.  Though there was potential for dark content I am grateful that there were no rambling psycho thoughts on display. There are no vivid and graphic descriptions of the cruelty, but you do fear for the person. Sometimes you feel so helpless that it makes you want to find a way to end the horror. The story keeps flowing uninterrupted and you come to the end without realising it.

In terms of character design, I think all major characters were well defined. I see the flaws on the decisions Grace makes but you can only know how your mind works if you are in that situation . Millie is observant and clever and my favourite in the novel. If it wasn't for her I don't know how the story would have proceeded.

Once I finished I thought it fit the Popsugar prompt 4: A book you think should be turned into a movie. If not a movie I think this could make a pretty good mini web series. I also think this book has a potential for a sequel.

Verdict: An engaging and exciting psychological thriller. Must read and highly recommended of the genre.

Book Review: Master of the Game

Author: Sidney Sheldon
Genre: Thriller
Type: Fiction

This book was chosen as part of Popsugar prompt 35: A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter. Sidney Sheldon is one of the primary authors that I had read when I moved on to thrillers from Enid Blyton’s works and Nancy Drew and I was never disappointed with any of his novels.

The novel starts with Kate Blackwell where on her ninetieth birthday she recollects the past events of her life and history of the conglomerate she owns Kruger-Brent Ltd. The story mostly happens in South Africa when diamond mining was a booming industry , describes how her father started the company from the scratch and showcases the hunger for power, riches, revenge, passion, betrayal, manipulation spanning across four generations.

You might find yourself pining for a character and the next second hating the same person making the character more humane. In most of Sheldon’s novels we can find strong-willed female characters. One such person is Kate though I am not going to debate on if she is good or evil. Every generation has 1 or 2 central characters and the writing does not make us feel the length of the book.

The novel never slows at any point. It is entertaining, ruthless and unputdownable.

Book Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Author: Jenny Han
Genre: YA, Romance
Type: Fiction

This is the first book of a trilogy and I liked the lighthearted read. I chose this book for Popsugar prompt 29 - A book with 'love' in the title.

The story revolves around a 16 year old Lara Jean. In order to let go of her crushes and move on, she has a habit of writing letters to her crushes expressing all her thoughts. But these letters are for her eyes only and are not intended to be posted ever. One of her crush is her sister’s ex-boyfriend Josh who is also a childhood friend and neighbour. Lara Jean’s world turned upside down when her elder sister leaves for college and Lara has to be the mother of the house. To make things matter worse, all of her letters get mysteriously posted. How does Lara Jean confronts the mayhem after that is the crux of the story.

Lara Jean is a shy girl and shares most of her private time with her family only. She has a deep relationship with her elder sister Margot who seems to be the most efficient and responsible person of the family. And it makes sense why Lara Jean looks upto Margot for approval. It is also nice to have an understanding dad like Dr. Covey. I am simply amused by Kitty’s character. She is a kid but as the story goes, I feel she is sensible enough to be Lara Jean’s elder.

The drama between Lara Jean and Peter is cute and as the story moves along we get the sense of where this goes.

The writing and the plot is simple and quick to read. Both the book and movie are equally good. I hope the other two books are as engaging as this one.

Verdict: This is a sweet, lighthearted, contemporary fluff but adorable nonetheless. Recommended for YA romance fans.

Book Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Author: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
Genre: Historical Fiction
Type: Fiction

It has been so long that I have read books that made me feel so grateful for the life we have.I am always hesitant to pick historical fiction as most of them deal with the war and its consequences. It had raving reviews and was highly recommended in a book forum. I was happy to read this book for the Popsugar prompt 21–A book by two female authors.

Set in the post-war period of WW II, this is an epistolary historical novel. Juliet Ashton, a writer comes to know about a queer little book society called the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in Guernsey. Yes, the name is a mouthful. She is dating Mark who covets her for her hand in marriage. After learning how this society came into being during the German occupation, Juliet falls in love with the land and the people. She discovers more about them and understands how little she knew about the Channel Islands. She goes to Guernsey to collect material for her next book based on this society. How Juliet brings change in the life of the people of Guernsey and vice versa forms the remaining story.

It took me time to know who is who in the book. But once I was set, there was no stopping. With every letter curiosity keeps building up. Not many books probe into the minds of book lovers and their obsessions. I am not a person who picks on the quotes I liked. But with this book I was marking down quotes that resonated with me. It is always nice to read about people’s experiences about how books have touched their lives and turned it around.

The book recollects the gruesome and depressive period of the war but the author has managed to lace it with humour. I found it was easy this way to comprehend the incidents of the war.

The book is divided into 2 sections: Part 1 was fast-moving. I felt part 2 was a bit stagnant at places. I loved the array of characters, their back stories and peculiar connections to books. I loved Juliet and Elizabeth the best.

I also watched the movie but I liked the book better. What else can you expect from a book worm? The modifications on the story-line and the characters did not sit well with me.

Verdict: I am quite happy with myself that I decided to read this book and this definitely goes into my list of forever favourites. I think most fiction book lovers would love this historical fiction.

Book Review: A Cry in the Night

Author: Mary Higgins Clark
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Type:  Fiction

I find Mary Higgins Clark’s works quite engaging and I need not say this is a suspense thriller and set in the 1980’s.

The plot starts with Jenny, a divorcee and a mother of 2 kids, who works in an art gallery. Her ex-husband Kevin is a struggling actor and often leeches off on Jenny for money. She meets Erich the painting artist during his art exhibition and he sweeps her off her feet with his charm and warmth. Within a month they get married and she moves from New York to his mansion in Minnesota. He is rich and has people working for him to cater to his every whim. Jenny slowly realizes that Erich is a perfectionist and very possessive. Slowly her life turns into a nightmare when weird incidents begins happening. At one point, Jenny feels she is entrapped in the mansion. Does she escape her nightmare and the answers to why strange events keep happening.

The author takes her time to set the premise before the creepy events unfold. At one point the book feels like a horror story. The pace is quick and there are so many unsolved questions which are answered at the end. There are several other characters attributing to suspicious circumstances and make us shift our doubts to every other person. The final reveal is a good one.

The primary point by which Erich is besotted by Jenny is that she is almost a replica of his dead mother Caroline. Jenny realizes that she and Caroline have more than physical similarities. But one question that bothers me is how does any woman, let alone a mother of two, decide to marry a person she knows only for a month and knows basically nothing of his life. I even thought that Jenny has some psychological issues. Also, she invariably tolerates Erich’s annoying acts and felt maybe she should not be this naïve.

Verdict: Overall the book an engaging easy read and is a mix of romance, thriller and horror. It keeps you hooked till the end.

Book Review: A Stranger in the House

Author: Shari Lapena

Genre: Mystery, Crime, Thriller

Type: Fiction

I picked this book as I liked the previous book 'The couple next door' by the same author. 

The plot is about a murder that drags a couple Tom and Karen into it. The wife Karen gets in an accident in a troublesome neighbourhood right around the same time when a murder takes place very close to accident spot. As a result of the injury, Karen doesn't remember anything from the day of the accident. Evidence makes the detectives suspect that Karen was at the murder scene. Adding fuel to the fire is the over-indulgent neighbour Brigid who has nothing but to watch the couple from across the street but seems to be the close friend of Karen. The couple become paranoid when the detectives start drilling with questions.The whole story revolves around who, what and how. Any further details would be a spoiler. So I am curtailing myself there.

The characters are very few. Karen is secretive, smart and is guarded in her thoughts and actions whereas Brigid is manipulative and nosy. I was a bit disappointed with Tom's character. For a person who's wife is in a grave circumstance of being charged for a murder, he is so indecisive and meek. I felt most of the time he was rolling in self-pity and was immature. The plot started off interestingly but after a few chapters the story fell flat. There was too much of redundant question of 'what happened that night' passing though everyone's mind. I felt a few pages could have been reduced to avoid the redundancy. The author maintains the 'whodunnit' suspense throughout which makes us keep going. 

I did not expect the double twist at the end. The hint of a subtle cliffhanger is good and maybe there could be a sequel. I The premise was promising but writing was not as good as I expected. In fact, a few places were predictable which is a bummer for mystery genre.

Verdict: I would recommend it as a one-time read if you don't want a serious or intelligent mystery story.

Book Review: The Fragile Thread of Hope

Author: Pankaj Giri
Type: Fiction

Thanks to Pankaj, the author of the book for sending me a free copy of the ebook in exchange for honest review.

The story is of two individuals Fiona and Soham who are scarred with tragedy right from their childhood. Life keeps throwing them curveballs and they get hurt everytime. What happens when they two meet and does life becomes any better forms the remaining plot.

Fiona is a rebellious girl who hides her scar in her anger and Soham is guy who has lost all meaningful relationships in life and looking for a soul to get rid of his loneliness. Both their mind-chatters paints a glum mood to the story. There are several others characters who have played vital roles in the flow of the story. Every character and scene blended well with the story and did not break the natural flow. I would even go further and say the sorrow was an overflow every now and then. 

About two-thirds of the book is filled with almost all sorts of sorrows you can think of. After every incident there would be a tiny ray of hope but soon you will feel cheated. The major part of the story travels in an emotional tunnel of sorrow, anger, hatred, loneliness etc. Although I do love novels which brings us to tears, this was a bit exhausting for me. But I liked the way the author has concluded the novel in a positive note. 

The author has a very beautiful way of describing the city of Gangtok portraying its entire panorama. I also observed there had been many brand names like Nescafe, Woodlands, Wagon R and so on. Except in a few scenes, they did not add much value to the plot. 

This book is all about never giving up when we face some really big problems in life and keep holding onto life with hope. It is ofcourse, a fragile thread as the name suggests but it is what also makes us move on in life. 

Verdict: I would suggest this book to readers who like slow and steady paced story with some motivations and inspirations at the end.

Book Review: The Handmaid's Tale

Author: Margaret Atwood
Genre: Dystopian
Type: Fiction

I have been reading so many dystopian novels recently that I have started to fear the future with so many what ifs. I could not dismiss this novel as unrealistic because the story begins similar to the present world if you sequence them in chronological order. 

Overthrowing the previous government by force, a military rule is established in the Republic of Gilead. Women are stripped of basic rights such as choice of clothes, reading, writing, working to earn money and so on. They are divided into different groups based on their purpose. The fertile women (those who could bear children) are made into Handmaids; the Wives take care of the household of the higher ranking men like Commanders; Marthas are domestic servants of the household; Aunts train the handmaids at the Red Centre; Econowives who are wives of lower ranking men like the Guardians and also perform the activities of a Martha and if fertile, a handmaid too; Jezebels are rebellious women who chose to work as prostitutes in secrets sex clubs rather become an Unwoman to work at fields or clean radioactive wastes in the Colonies.

The handmaids are assigned to a Commander with infertile Wives for 3 years to bear a child for them( similar to surrogate mother). They are named after the Commander for the period. The plot revolves around the handmaid Offred who is assigned to Commander Fred. The Wife Serena Joy despises Offred while the Marthas Rita and Cora are not very friendly. Offred lives through the period reliving the 'before' time where she had a family with husband Luke and a daughter. The daughter is taken away from her and her husband is killed when she tried escaping to Canada. She hopes to find her daughter and escape again. In the meantime the Commander starts an illegal and inconclusive relationship with her while she starts liking Nick, the driver of the Commander.  Did she escape from here? Did she find her daughter? Did she get together with Nick? Was she caught having relationship with the Commander? - The answers form the remaining story.

When I came to know this book was from way back in 1980's I couldn't be more surprised. Even today you can relate yourself with the oppression of women. With more awareness created everyday, women are enjoying their basic rights learning, choice of what to wear, reading writing, what to choose as a career. It made me think what if we are taking everything for granted. The handmaids are not given the choice if she should have a child with a man she barely knows and furthermore, she can't own a baby she gives birth to. The commander says 'Better never means better for everyone. It always means worse, for some' The society formed here screams that the women are protected by the laws yet they are made do things which do not respect their wishes or their feelings. The hypocrisy of the laws are similar to laws of the present. I am in a secular country but I can see huge intolerance towards other religions, the liberty of expression is at jeopardy and if we are not careful we could end up being another Republic of Gilead. 

The book deeply affected me that I sometimes I felt like taking a jab at Aunt Lydia during her training sessions. I couldn't overcome the angst I felt and that is how I was affected. If you are a person who are looking for a fantasy dystopian story, this is not for you. The story shuttles between 3 different period of time and it takes several chapters to understand the schema. The vocabulary is simple and natural. The pace is slow and makes you hover over the story for a while.

Verdict: Suits readers who appreciate dystopian story with overwhelming treatment, especially hypocrisy at its best.

Book Review: Original Sin

Author: PD James
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Crime
Type: Fiction

This was my first ever book of PD James. When I started this book, I thought I was going to witness some quick, intelligent, crime solving. Sadly, the author took her time to plough the field for murder and spin the motive for the string of suspects. The story was set in an era where telephones were the quickest means of communications and everything moves at a snail pace. The author also elaborates on every character, their life, thoughts etc. I think the author was besotted with architectures. She gives quite an elaborate note on every other building in the story which I think could have been brief and I had to skip a few descriptions. The style of writing was similar to some of the abridged versions of classics I have come across. The vocabulary was way out of my league and wanted me looking for synonyms of certain words. The long sentences took time to comprehend and makes this story no light reading.

Some novels make us linger on it even after we have completed it but this one does not make my list. I liked how the characters were portrayed and the intelligently the murder was committed. The revelations in the end were also neat. All the loose ends of the plot and tied together in the end, except, I was not convinced by the climax. I wanted it to be more dramatic and I could not conclude if the murderer was right or wrong. 

Verdict: Do not read this if you need a thriller with goosebumps moments.

Book Review: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult, Adventure
Type: Fiction

No-nonsense book after a very long time. The story has all the right elements to make it a page-turner. Katniss, the kickass female protagonist has no emotional outbursts despite standing on a knife-edge situation. Being a dystopian novel, I was expecting a very depressing story line. Of-course, there are no joyful incidents, but they do not bring down the emotional state of the readers, rather, it focuses more on how any tribute is going to win the hunger games. The tragic killings of the fellow tributes were shown in a less gruesome manner than I anticipated. So that's a relief. This book is also a first-person account from Katniss and gives us insight of a young girl hardened by life. She is compassionate, selfish at times, dexterous, not emotionless but is not weak. 

I am still thinking why I never attempted to read this book before. I am looking forward to continue the trilogy. The author demands an applause for the designing the characters and the dystopian world in such a way.

My Verdict: This book is a tease for those who cannot handle anticipation

Book Review: The Year I Met You

Author: Cecelia Ahern
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Chick-lit
Type: Fiction

The book keeps me wondering how some unconventional friendships can change the perspective towards life.The plot explores the love-hate friendship between two neighbors - Jasmine and Matt and gives the first-person account of Jasmine all the way.

The novel is partitioned into 4 seasons - Winter, Spring Summer, Autumn which I think represents the different moods of the story. Starts with the gloomy mood and the Jasmine's coldness towards Matt, moving towards new revelations, realizations, acquaintances and warming up to Matt during the spring, colorful blooming of relationships happens in the summer and towards autumn, ends with the beautiful satisfaction. 

I like how Jasmine compares her life to different plants when she forays into gardening. I was under the impression that this is going to be a boy-meets-girl kinda story but certainly liked the way it broke my assumption. 

The flow is medium-paced and would suit readers who want to read a few chapters and brood over the thoughts. I grew fond of Heather, Jasmine's sister who has Down's syndrome but is confident, finds happiness in every aspect of life, has only short term goal and truly satisfied with life. 

Unlike any other chick-lit I have read, this plot has very little scope for humor. There are places where you can find yourself smiling but cannot laugh aloud. 

This book has a philosophical stand towards life and you will certainly need some time to think. Do not expect a hearty laugh just because it is a chick-lit.

Book Review: The God of Small Things

Author: Arundhati Roy
Genre: Family Drama
Type: Fiction

This is my first book review on my blog and so I start with an Indian author who won the Man Booker Prize for this piece of work.

I was skeptical and felt it was a drag when I started but it was a good read in the end.

The story is not chronologically aligned and shuttles between different times. The pace is slow and sometimes too slow or I would say I wasn't able to concentrate on certain details. The depth of the characters and how they were revealed at appropriate intervals needs applause. Especially, Rahel and Estha reminds me how a child can know things but at the same time cannot understand the intensity of the knowledge. Almost all the characters have been given a backstory. The language is not very easy to comprehend and the style is complicated. Few places 'Stopitted' and the reading backwards amused me. The reasoning of the characters brings out the caste discrimination during that period. It also gives us sneak-peek on the Communist riot and Syrian Christian lifestyle. 

A special mention the moments between the twins - the twins have their verbal fights and different character and attitude but they stay connected all the time ('We' and 'Us'). 

It makes me imagine of a dark blue and gloomy shade while reading. 

The ups of the novel - Story, Characters and Intense emotions

Setbacks - Complicated and slow paced narration

I would recommend this for one time reading but I doubt if I'll re-read it.