Preethi: Books

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Saturday, December 28, 2019

TOPFIVE Favorite Books Of 2019

It's come to my attention that while I do TOPFIVE Favorite Kdramas posts every year, I've never done any sort of list of books, and I've read some really good ones this year that I want to talk about. Of course, I've also read a lot of not great books this year that did not at all live up to the hype I heard about them, but that's a conversation for another day. All of the books on this list are absolutely brilliant, but I have attempted to order them from most favorite favorite to least favorite favorite, although there may be some overlap because they're all so good.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

I literally just finished reading this one — I kind of like that fact that one of the last books I read in 2019 trumps all the other ones read in the past 360-some days. That's not an easy feat. This book is both huge and gorgeous (I dished out on the Waterstones Exclusive, so sue me), and I won't lie: I was very intimidated by both its size and all the love for The Night Circus by the same author, which I still haven't read. This always seemed to me a book you had to think through; it wasn't just something you could read and enjoy. Well, I was right and wrong. You don't really have to think particularly hard - the author does a great job laying everything out; the hard part is definitely in the writing of the book rather than the reading of it - but it also does provoke thought. The story itself - a meta-story of sorts - is so large in its scale, and yet also so small, that it is something you have to wade through. But in a good way — you have to experience it. It's intimidating in the way that The Book Thief is intimidating: it's big, it's fancy, and it's beyond brilliant, but every page enchants the mind. It's hard for me to describe exactly how amazing it is, but I loved every moment of reading this, from page one to the end that's really only another beginning.

Lovely War by Julie Berry

I already mentioned this book in another post, but this was about to be my favorite book of the year if The Starless Sea hadn't shown up and stolen its thunder. It's a book about war and segregation and love, and as expected of Julie Berry, it's beautifully written. This aching, lovely story is further encased within the narrative of a trial going on between the gods: Aphrodite and her husband Hephaestus, as well as a few other key mythological players. This is another book that's enchanting from the first page on, and I highly recommend it if you're in the mood for a gorgeous historical fiction or romance.

I hadn't even known that Julie Berry had a book out this year, so I'm extremely glad the cover got my attention.

Between the Water and the Woods by Simone Snaith

I also wrote a post about this book — check it out if you want to see the kinds of beautiful illustrations you can find in it plus general flailing. I randomly picked this one up in the bookstore earlier in the year, and what a great decision that turned out to be! It's so rare that I pick up a book without finding it on Goodreads first, plus I just loved it so much and it successfully drew me out of the book slump I was in at the time. It's a cute little YA fantasy novel that combines magic with science, and the romance between the characters was so soft and probably hate-to-love (it's been a while since I read it) considering how much I adore this book. And of course one of the best parts plus one of the reasons I bought it is became there are some really pretty illustrations in it that I just had to own.

Stormy: A Story About Finding a Forever Home by Guojing

This is the only picture book on the list, but it's one of my favorite finds of the year. I kid you not, I cried almost the whole way through. The reason I added the book to my TBR (to-be-read list) is because of the gorgeous art on the cover, but then I saw that the author/illustrator was a POC and I knew it was a must-read. When I finally picked up the book at the library - it was pleasantly large in shape - I was beyond in love (and in tears, of course). The art is gorgeous, and it's amazing that such a compelling story can be told without words. It was a very quick read, but it's not one you're going to forget quickly. Also the puppy is so adorable and I love soft, happy endings.

I literally could not say no to this cover. I mean, look how cute!

Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab

I wasn't the biggest fan of the first book in the series, City of Ghosts, so I'm very surprised that I not only read, but loved this book. I'm a fan of the author, although not everything she writes ends up becoming a favorite, or even something I enjoy (apparently I read The Near Witch sometime before I purposefully read V.E. Schwab books and I saw on Goodreads that I only gave it two stars — ouch). I hadn't even planned on reading this book, but I picked it up in the middle of my last uni semester and raced through it. I just ended up loving the Parisian setting, the female friendship, and the ghost friend, and even the plot was entertaining, although things weren't as surprising as they would have been if this wasn't written for a Middle Grade audience. I can't wait for the third book!

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

The Loveliest Little Fantasy Novel

Preethi May 29, 2019 Books , Young Adult 0 Comments

On my latest trip to Barnes & Noble, I happened upon this super cute looking book called Between the Water and the Woods by Simone Snaith. I picked it up because of the cover, and I bought it because of the synopsis and the claim that there were illustrations in this - and what lovely illustrations they turned out to be.

People are always raving about hardcore fantasy novels like The Poppy War and Game of Thrones (literally the only two examples coming to mind right now), but I have such a soft spot for these cute fantasy stories about magic and kings and knights. As soon as I began reading this, I knew I was going to love it. The heroine Emeline is adorable and yet fierce in her own way, and her family and friends are the cutest - I grew to love all of them. And honestly, the summary doesn't do justice to the wonderful love interest that is the "whip-wielding Lash Knight". The characters are on the road for a good portion of the story, and they spend the rest in a castle; I greatly enjoyed both portions. The chemistry between Emeline and Reese aka the Lash Knight is super soft and the story is a perfect blend of fantasy and science. There aren't enough standalone fantasy novels in this world, but at least this one exists, and it is a delight.

Reese and Emeline. Just one of several illustrations in the book that make me swoon.

And don't even get me started on the illustrations: they're gorgeous. It makes me glad I have a copy for myself so I can look at them whenever I want (I haven't done this, but it's possible in theory). As I've mentioned before, many times, I haven't been reading as much as I'd like, but on the bright side, not being obsessed with reading over-hyped books means I get to discover little gems like these - I highly recommend Between the Water and the Woods if you're looking for a lovely, standalone fantasy novel that will leave you feeling all cute and warm inside.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Lovely War Reminds Me Of Swing Kids

Preethi May 28, 2019 Books , Movies 0 Comments

I watched the Korean movie Swing Kids the other day and I was rightly impressed. It's very different from other Korean films I've watched - the style feels more similar to Hollywood movies that most other Korean films tend to - and everything about it was spectacular: it takes place during war and deals with tough issues like racism and discrimination, but it's done in a musical format where you get tap dancing instead of lyrics. It was a joy to watch, and probably one of the best films I've seen this year. I usually complain about two hour movies but this one was brilliant all the way through. And shortly after, I stumbled upon a new book by one of my favorite authors - Lovely War by Julie Berry. Imagine my pleasantly surprised expression when I began reading and the book turned out to be in a similar vein! It took place during a war (hence the title), it dealt with racism and discrimination, and it had similarly beautiful and heartbreaking relationships between characters: exactly my cup of tea.

I've read quite a few Julie Berry books in my day, and I have never been disappointed by anything she has written - Lovely War is no exception. Berry's books are always brilliant and emotionally draining in the best way possible, and there's always some super unique perspective to them that I always enjoy. Lovely War is a multi-year story of human love during wartime, except the twist is that it's narrated by Greek gods Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, Hades, and Hephaestus. This beautiful, beautiful book gives us not one, not two, but three amazing love stories that are so much more than just sappy romance (not that I have anything against sappy romance - I adore the genre). But Berry clearly did a crazy amount of research to bring this book to life, and it shows.

Another thing Berry is kind of known for, at least with me, is her heartbreaking endings. I won't say anything to spoil this one, but allow me to say that the reader will be immensely satisfied but at the same time still shed a bucket of - equally satisfying - tears. It's been a couple of weeks since I read the book but I still can't stop thinking of both Swing Kids and Lovely War. If you've watched one, read the other; if you've read one, watch the other. I can't recommend these two titles enough, so if you're in the mood for amazing, deep relationships, brilliant stories, and more than a tinge of sadness, do yourself a favor and pick one of (or both of) these up.

Friday, May 17, 2019

The Poppy War Is Not For Me

Preethi May 17, 2019 Adult , Books 0 Comments

I'm not one to read books on war, but I'd heard nothing but ridiculously positive things about this book plus I learned afterwards that it's actually based on a real war! And so I checked it out from the library, started reading, switched to audiobook (the older I get, the more intimidated I am by huge books), and finally finished reading/listening over the course of several commutes to uni and forty-five minutes spent reading the last forty physical pages because I have no patience. Was it a great book? Most assuredly. Did I enjoy it? Only the first half.

This book is written and plotted brilliantly - something made more amazing by the fact that the author was a mere 22 years old at the time of publishing. The first half takes place in an academy and depicts a story akin to something like Nevernight or Harry Potter, except it's Chinese-inspired and definitely much bloodier than HP. Needless to say, I loved that part. The main character Rin is a badass who thinks twice about nothing - not necessarily a good thing - and will go to any lengths to get what she wants. She's also surrounded by several interesting masters and students and yes, I did identify some HP counterparts (one of the masters had a twinkle in his eye at one point and I was like "why hello there, Dumbledore!"). During this half, I enjoyed my commutes to school because I was really into the story and whatever crazy thing Rin decided to do next. But as soon as it came time for her to leave the Academy, I grew bored.

Characters are dying? Okay. Rin is being stupid? Okay. She keeps saying she loves Altan and she probably means it platonically because there is literally zero chemistry between them? I mean, I don't like Altan, but fine. People have said that in the last portion of the book, the plot outshines the characters, but honestly, I was disinterested in both. And it's not because this is a bad book - no, definitely not. Objectively, it's brilliant. But I was right when I held off on reading this because it didn't sound like my kind of book. Also, I didn't really feel super connected to any of the characters: Rin is cool, but I don't love her, and I never really became invested in her. As such, I won't be reading the second book in this series, but I don't for a moment regret having read this; it was a story of such breadth, and I'm in awe regardless of the fact that I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as I'd hoped to.

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Fight or Flight Is Almost As Bad As Destination Wedding

Preethi December 25, 2018 Adult , Books 0 Comments

I'd stayed away from Fight or Flight by Samantha Young when it first came out because I'd heard some pretty negative things about it from fellow readers. I'd been told that there wasn't so much chemistry between the lead characters Ava and Caleb as there was inane arguing and insults being traded back and forth. I'd also heard that Caleb isn't such a great guy and really shouldn't be featured in a romance novel. And to an extent, all of these things are true, especially when you crack open the first chapter of the book and find two stupid characters being terrible to each other for no good reason. But thankfully, the further on you get into the book, the better it gets - although I never end up falling in love with the characters or their story.

The main issues I have with this novel are the meet cute, Caleb, and Caleb's backstory. The so-called meet cute in this novel is that Caleb cuts Ava in line and takes the last first class seat available on their flight, which Ava was patiently waiting in line for. When apprised of the situation, he isn't apologetic in the slightest and goes on to call her pet names like "babe" and blows her off despite the fact that he is entirely in the wrong. He continues to do rude things to her throughout the course of the day, and somehow readers are expected to fall for him while he's being a complete ass. That's not quite what I would call a meet cute, and indeed, I'd be more likely to toss him from the plane at that point than smooch with him. And yet despite all of this, Ava does find herself intrigued by him, which made both of them super annoying to me quite quickly.

But Caleb isn't like that because he's in an airport and exhausted - no, he's just terrible to strangers in general. He never says please or thank you to waitresses or flight attendants on purpose because, according to him, why should he thank a person who is just doing their job? And he never fixes this either - Ava just comes to accept it. Now that I think about it, I don't think Caleb even has a character arc in this novel other than his coming to accept love again. But I was never fully on board with Caleb's character because there was always something off about him. He did have his typical romantic hero moments later on in the novel, but a lot of his scenes - especially toward the beginning - made him seem like a possibly unhealthy romantic interest. But then by the end, he was completely normal, as if he was a different character entirely, and we don't get to see the changes that brought him there.

Caleb's traumatic backstory is a whole different mess. I can't say much about it without spoiling it, but it does seem to be a tad problematic. There seems to be an aspect to it in which a woman is villainized for a certain decision and Caleb apparently cares more for that decision than the woman herself, who apparently did it for her physical and emotional well-being. The woman is called a selfish, conceited jerk because of this decision, and the reader knows nothing else about this woman to be able to agree with or refute this claim. Of course, this woman probably should have confided in Caleb regarding her decision - I don't know enough about the backstory or Caleb to say this confidently - but either way, this is definitely not a black and white topic, and the author only dedicates a couple paragraphs at most to it.

The strongest part of this book is without a doubt the friendship between Harper and Ava: they're always there for each other, and this friendship is much more appealing than any romance offered in the novel. Their relationship is the only thing that I found genuinely appealing in the book, and indeed, Harper's scenes were more compelling than whatever happened with Ava, which is odd considering that this is Ava's book. Ultimately though, if I could make the choice again, no, I would not choose to read Fight or Flight. I also definitely wouldn't re-make the choice to watch Destination Wedding - I may still be traumatized.

Saturday, December 22, 2018

The Clockwork Scarab Abounds With Fake Chemistry

Preethi December 22, 2018 Books , Young Adult 0 Comments

I picked up The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason - along with the next two books in the series - from the local library as soon as I was finished with final exams. It's rare that I pick up a book without having heard about it first on Goodreads or some other blog, but every now and then I do take a chance on things I know nothing about. While I don't have anything much against the plot, the fake chemistry slathered all over the pages of this book was quite a bother while I was reading it.

The book is about the niece of Sherlock Holmes, Mina, and the sister of Bram Stoker, Evaline, being propositioned by Irene Adler to solve a mystery, more or less, on behalf of royalty. Both are trying to prove to themselves that they can live up to their respective heritage, and also, they're not really fans of each other considering each one has what the other doesn't. And to be honest, I think I'd prefer that Mina and Evaline get together and completely forgo the terrible flirting and awkward encounters with the male characters.

I realize that I've become more perceptive about romance in novels lately, but the setups in this are truly quite awful. I'm fairly certain that every single twenty-something male character in this book is introduced with the adjective "handsome", and that gets annoying fast. Trust me, author: if you introduce a young male character to me, I'm just going to assume that he's handsome and begin shipping characters together without your use of the adjective. Also, I felt that the romantic scenarios the author created between Mina and Evaline and other male characters were really contrived, and as such, made me cringe and only dislike the romances that much more. Do we really need a guy with a Cockney accent pressing Evaline up against a wall as soon as they meet? Does Holmes have to blush any time a guy looks at her? I think not. Additionally, I'm just not fond of the idea that Mina and Holmes both need a male counterpart - Holmes with two, actually.

Surprisingly, despite this fake chemistry, by the end of this book, I had a vague interest in a male character called Inspector Grayling. He's the usual stoic dude who cannot express his feelings and ends up simply annoying Holmes, but even despite his cliché role and moments in the novel, I still kind of like him. The most annoying character is probably Dylan, who is from the future, but I'll be fine as long as Mina doesn't end up with him in the end of it all.

Normally, I would have no intention of continuing on with the series, but the mystery isn't terrible in this one. And even though I'm not aching to find out who the antagonist in this installment really is, and although I couldn't care less about the characters and their potential arcs, I might find myself trying out the second book sometime just to see what goes on with Mina and Inspector Grayling.

Not As Impressed With Anne of Avonlea

Preethi December 22, 2018 Books , 0 Comments

I'd read the first Anne book a couple months ago thanks to my friends who kept pestering me about how brilliant Gilbert Blythe is. And yes, he is brilliant, but I'm beginning to fear that the version of him that I love is the one from Anne With An E. However, I'll probably get one book further into the series before making any definitive decisions regarding which Blythe I hold more closely in my heart.

I began reading Anne of Avonlea at the start of the fall semester this year, but I didn't finish it until a couple days ago. Terrible, I know. I could blame it on how busy the semester was with my eclectic mix of film and computer science classes - I wouldn't be lying - but the real reason the book took me so long to read was because honestly, I found myself a bit bored with it all. The author L.M. Montgomery remains brilliant at creating lovable characters who feel like they're real; she brings the town, its folks, and its stories to life. But there isn't much dramatic tension in the novel as most things are spectacularly happy all the time, and so I found myself less enamored of the world and its characters than I had been when reading Anne of Green Gables. I hate to say it, but my main fear at the moment is that when I finish the series, it'll be because I've forced myself to rather than because I crave each book the moment I finish the one before it.

Despite its issues, I did end up enjoying my slow, meandering return to Prince Edward Island. At first I had been reluctant to accept the new cast of characters, but the addition of persons like the old neighbor with the parrot and Miss Lavender were actually quite sweet. There definitely isn't nearly enough Gilbert in this book - and gah, he's all soft and no angst - but all in all, this wasn't a horrible book by any means. I do believe I might've enjoyed the series more if I had read the books when I was younger, but I'm still determined to finish them all someday. And besides: maybe a slow meander isn't the worst way to experience such a vast and endearing story world like Anne's.

Monday, August 6, 2018

People Who Hate Anne With An E

Preethi August 06, 2018 Books , Shows 0 Comments

I happen to be one of those unfortunate souls who has gone through childhood in a miserable state. By which I mean to say that not a single friend of mine forced me to sit down and read a little book called Anne of Green Gables. Yes, there was this one younger friend of mine who mentioned it in a sentence - my goodness it's an amazing book, it's everything, if I were to paraphrase - but since that single sentence failed to get me to actually pick up the book, I would not call it a proper recommendation. I appreciate it and do not blame her, but I do blame everyone else. Thankfully, two of my best friends who unfortunately live all the way over in Sri Lanka and London properly hyped the series to me, and here I am a couple weeks later, having binged the Netflix show Anne With An E and currently reading the first book.

While I was reading, I came upon a comment where someone expressed their distaste for the show because of how it totally changed the book and doesn't capture the essence, the goodness of Anne. And frankly, I'm quite offended. I'm sure that I have no right to be offended as it's an arguably valid opinion, but offended I am. I mean, how can someone not adore the tv show? And how the show introduced Gilbert? Comparing what I've seen so far of the show and the book, I definitely prefer how the former did it. Mostly because book Gilbert annoys all the girls in the class while tv Gilbert is perfectly mild-mannered until that day with Anne, which personally I thought was so so adorable.

Back to the comment, however, I'm not sure if they simply didn't like the darkness of the first two episodes and didn't continue watching, or if they actually watched the first and/or second seasons and still hated it. If it's the latter, I cannot comprehend. How could you not enjoy a show that takes the book, perfectly captures Anne's voice as well as that of many of the other characters, and in addition to that modernizes it by bringing in relevant topics such as racism, LGBTQ rights, and of course sexism? How can you say no to that?

And as to taking away the "goodness" of the books, personally, I feel that giving Anne larger hurdles not only brings new life into the story, but also into her character. There are trials for both Anne and Gilbert, as well as all the other characters, really, and I'm constantly amazed at how much they did with the show given this one book. I haven't finished reading it completely yet, but there are things from both seasons in this single book, and while I'm loving this version, the show did so much more with everyone in terms of emotions and stakes - I adored every moment just as I'm adoring every moment of this book.

If anyone wants to argue that any show that doesn't stick to exactly how things are in the book is a terrible show, I disagree and let's keep it at that. Personally I find shows and movies that are completely the same as the book extremely boring to suffer through, at least in the case that you've already read the book, for example, Me Before You and Everything, Everything. I'm not here to go through the same thing twice, so if that's what you're into, we simply shall not agree on the matter.

As it is, I highly highly recommend both the book and the show to anyone who hasn't experienced Anne before (although with the show, definitely watch at least two episodes before deciding whether you want to continue watching or not). The best part is you can watch and read or read and watch back to back, because hurrah, they're both two different things that nevertheless manage to keep the same essence. I've been missing the show these past few weeks, and reading the books right now is the best feeling.

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Save The Date Is Not A Romance

Preethi July 25, 2018 Books , Young Adult 0 Comments

I'm telling you guys right off the bat because I wish I had known this when going into the book: Save The Date by Morgan Matson is not a romance book. I definitely thought it was a YA contemporary romance, and I thought that this was a nice, romantic summer read that I could enjoy along the lines of how I lived for Listen To Your Heart by Kasie West when I was reading that. But this is not like that. I started off hating it because the characters were annoying and the romance was not even there, but by the end, I grew to really love this story about a great, big family that loves each other so much that, well, things inevitably end up going wrong. I'm not huge on stories about family relationships, or even the chaos that happens before a wedding, but even I ended up enjoying this, despite how hard I unconsciously tried not to.

You can watch the rest of my thoughts on the book below.

Friday, July 6, 2018

YA Romances Have No Authentic Chemistry Anymore?

Preethi July 06, 2018 Books , Young Adult 0 Comments

I think I first started noticing it with Warcross by Marie Lu. The relationship between the two main characters felt so cliché and by-the-book, and I felt pretty much nothing for the two as a couple. Same thing happened to me with Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo, From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon, and again with my latest read, Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody. When I'm more or less invested in the plot but couldn't care less about the romance - which is usually a high selling point for me - it's obvious that there's a problem.

Now I don't have an issue with the predictability of which two characters will get together. That has always been obvious, and I love how powerful I feel when I'm like I saw that relationship coming from a mile away. No, the issue is when what happens between two characters romantically feels mechanical. Dictated. Expected. Boring. Sometimes I wonder if it's my age that has me bored to Hell and back with these bland romances, but nope, I just read Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West the other day and I can assure you I seriously swooned over that relationship. I know that romance in YA has always been something that is almost a must for the genre, but I guess the chemistry part of attraction isn't a necessity anymore. I'm seen characters eye each other with interest as soon as they meet, awkwardly shiver away from the other's touch, but it's hard for the reader to feel much when the characters themselves feel like they're not on board with this relationship the authors are telling them to take part in. Long story short: these romances aren't doing it for me. I mean, authors, characters, WHERE IS THE ANGST?

Take Ace of Shades as an example. Levi is pretty much interested in Enne as soon as he sees her, for no apparent reason. He's the leader of the Irons and doesn't trust anyone, but for no reason at all, he immediately trusts Enne and promises to help her no matter what. Because she's the first pretty girl he's seen? Similarly, as soon as they meet, Enne has an inner commentary on how handsome Levi is, but of course she doesn't want to admit that to herself. Naturally, Levi's eye's flit to and away from Enne, trying not to reveal his interest in her. Come on. Stop with the annoying, non-romantic antics, please.

There's a bunch more fake, stale romance throughout the rest of the book - though possibly not a single kiss, if I'm remembering correctly - but then there's a prophetic (read: it's all in the head) sex scene between the two toward the end of the novel that I laughed my way through because, again, what chemistry? It was funny how all the characters were remarking on how they liked each other and I was just siting there smirking at the falseness of it all. Just like in From Twinkle, With Love, however, Levi and Enne's relationship got more believable and had more substance towards the end of the book. But like I said in my review of Menon's book as well, it's hard to care much about a couple who had an unrealistic and boring start to their relationship. It certainly doesn't make me eager to pick up the next book.

Saturday, June 30, 2018

The Perfect Summer Read 2018

Preethi June 30, 2018 Books , Young Adult 0 Comments

There are two things that are always true about Kasie West books: 1) they're so cute they're guaranteed to make your toes curl up and your mouth tilt up in a grin, and 2) they're perfect whether you're in a reading mood or even if it's way too hot to muster up the energy necessary to pick up a book. I happen to fall into the latter category - even though I'm vacationing in India right now and where I am, it's actually less warm than it is in the US - and so I downloaded the audiobook and listened my heart away. This book features a romance kind of but not completely based around podcasting, and even though I knew where things where headed the entire time I was reading, boy was it a fluffy ride.

The main character Kate is obsessed with the lake, and she knows that when she grows up she wants to work there like her parents. So when her friend Alana convinces her to take a podcasting elective with her, she's not exactly happy. She knows what she wants to do with her life, so why must she go through the fresh hell that is doing something you're not comfortable with? Additionally, Alana has made Kate her wing girl to help her gain Diego's affections - also not fun when Kate might actually be starting to like him. This is your classic romantic tale of sisters before misters - kidding, it's nothing like that. But seriously, the main couple is absolutely adorable, and Kate and Alana's friendship is, well, friendship goals.

If you're looking for a beach read or just happen to find yourself at the library this summer, make sure you pick up a copy of Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West because it beats even ice cream on a sweltering day.

Thursday, June 28, 2018

I Expected To Hate From Twinkle, With Love

Preethi June 28, 2018 Books , Young Adult 0 Comments

So hate is a bit of a strong word. I didn't think I'd hate the book, but I didn't think I'd enjoy it very much either. I knew I loved Sandhya Menon because I admire the fact that she writes books about non-stereotypical Indian kids - I love that she's paving the way for other Indian authors to also write books about their own culture. That she's shown us that books about Indian kids can make it onto the NYT Bestsellers list. However, I wasn't the most in love with When Dimple Met Rishi, and I fully expected to feel the same feelings when reading this book as well. It may have started out that way, but my heart grew fonder of it as I went on reading.

At the beginning, I encountered the same problems with this book as I did with Dimple. I found the main character, Twinkle Mehra, slightly annoying, and her problems unrelatable (at least to me). I'm sure her passive aggressive, clingy obsession with her best friend ignoring her in favor of the rich, popular kids is realistic - I promise I'm not being sarcastic - but personally, I couldn't identify. Again, that's just me though. Twinkle also had issues with her mother and her economic status. These are completely valid complaints, completely valid reasons to rebel against the world, but I found them a bit repetitive as Dimple dealt with the same issues in her novel. I eventually got over it, but it led to a lot of unfilmed booktube-worthy, mumbled commentary during my commutes while I was listening to the audiobook.

I think one of the big things Menon does in her book is keep her characters flawed and beautiful. The reader can tell pretty early on that Twinkle isn't quite the moral compass, and further into the novel, she kind of goes full on monster. I know Menon's books get a lot of flack for the flaws, especially since her main characters aren't only flawed, but also non-white; even so, the character flaws make the book. It can be a bit unnerving since the YA market is so filled with "perfect" characters, but I hope Menon continues to challenge readers by unflinchingly writing characters who make bad decisions.

The love interest, Sahil, was cute. Perhaps too cute for me, but I'm glad Twinkle liked him. That being said, I didn't really feel the romance between them. I felt like I was being spoon-fed the relationship, and there was a lot of showing rather than telling. I didn't feel the chemistry between the two - it was stated in the book and I took it at its word. The two were awkward and perfect for each other, but how it came out was Twinkle declaring out of nowhere that she suddenly found Sahil attractive for no reason, when nothing really even happened between them. Okay, Twinkle. I thought the dynamic between Sahil and Twinkle improved very much towards the end of the book, but the base of the relationship wasn't there, so I wasn't exactly swooning over the couple, although I was definitely invested.

Even though I started out muttering about how much this book annoyed me, I ended up really loving the story - the ending was a beautiful thing, and I definitely cried at the end of it all. Whereas the only thing I liked about Dimple was the culture, I really enjoyed reading From Twinkle, With Love. And thank you film classes for educating me well enough for me to actually recognize and love some of the female filmmakers Twinkle wrote letters to!

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Stop Complaining About The Informality of Bygone Badass Broads

Preethi May 03, 2018 Books , Young Adult 3 Comments

My mom asked me why I'm spending so much money on books lately. I responded, aghast, asking her if she really wanted to rob me from my education on POWERFUL WOMEN, then came up to her throughout the day with said book in hand, telling her I'm reading about powerful women. I love being an honest nuisance.

So I just happened to look at the few Amazon reviews for this book before buying it, and there was this one review - probably written by a man - that implored people not to buy this book because the grammar was awful and it was written terribly. The review then went on to rudely state that Mackenzi Lee should've just stuck to writing about kickass women (my adjective, not the reviewer's) on twitter. I then went on to buy the book, read the first powerful woman chapter, and then promptly thumbs-ed down that review.

Based on what the review said, I would expect atrocious sentences and wording, but everything about this book was rather amazing? It's written so wonderfully and passionately, and Lee's enthusiasm really comes through, as well as her beautifully feminist and sexual orientation-inclusive worldview. Yes, I spotted about two tiny errors in total that the copyeditor didn't get, but why that's a good reason to hate on this book, I shall never know. Lee even goes out of her way to clarify historical aspects that she may have brushed over, and she does the same when she's saying something that is a possibility but not a fact about the history she is weaving. Honestly, I wouldn't choose any other author to tell me about these woman. Also, is it just me or is every chapter of this book something that could and should be adapted into a movie or a novel??

I'm so glad I decided to purchase this book instead of simply borrowing it from the library because the anthology format and beautiful design and illustrations make it something I'm bound to treasure forever; if I ever have kids, you can bet I'm going to read this to them, a badass woman per night. It's kind of ridiculous how literally every woman in this book is more interesting than any historical man I've learned about in history classes over the years.

Friday, February 23, 2018

Surprise Me: A Warning Against Marriage?

Preethi February 23, 2018 Adult , Books 2 Comments

Me describing this book to people: It's about a married couple that finds out that they're both super healthy and have a good sixty-eight years ahead of them. Instead of being happy about their long life expectancies, they begin freaking out about how they're going to make their marriage work for that long, because apparently when people make marriage vows and claim they'll love each other forever, they don't actually mean forever.

I was pretty hesitant going into this book, both when adding it to my tbr as well as when I actually picked it up and began reading. I've read a couple Sophie Kinsella novels before, and loved quite a few of them, but this would be the first one I've read that features a married couple, and I wasn't sure I'd be into that. And taking that further, a married couple story always leaves a window open for affairs and whatnot, and I'm certainly not here for something as depressing as that. Nevertheless, I figured I'd give the book a chance, because the only Sophie Kinsella I've read that bored me to tears was The Undomestic Goddess, and what are the chances of that happening again? (And you'll be happy to note that thankfully, this is not a married couple story that revolves around that open window.)

As I continued reading Surprise Me, I grew convinced that an alternate title for the book could be "Marriage: You Should Know What You're Getting Into". Things went so horribly wrong - sometimes hilariously - with the two partners, Sylvie and Dan, and at times, the stress of their marriage made we want to forswear marriage completely in favor of a happy and healthy mental state. Which begs the question the title of this post poses.

Luckily, I kept reading, because oh, this book so has that Kinsella British romance thing that her other books have. Also, apparently I was really in need of some British love and humor because this book totally did it for me despite my hesitancy in picking it up. The characters grow on the reader fairly quickly, and you really see the effort both Sylvie and Dan make to make each other happy, and wow, that's the kind of love you want, y'all. There's also an interesting bit about Sylvie's family that adds an extra oomph to the story; you don't exactly see it coming, but at the same time, you knew there was something off. I don't know how Kinsella writes such likable, well-rounded stories - that sounds so boring but I swear it's perfect - but there it is.

Additionally, I just adore the idea of poking your marriage with a stick. It's exactly as scary as it sounds.

Friday, January 5, 2018

Each Leigh Bardugo Book Is More Glorious Than The Last

Preethi January 05, 2018 Books , Young Adult 0 Comments

The only Leigh Bardugo book I haven't gotten around to yet is the second installment to Six Of Crows, i.e. Crooked Kingdom. I hear it's great, and yet I'm pretty positive that I'm not going to love it as much as The Language of Thorns because TLOT is so so beautiful. As in better than the original Grimm fairytales, beautiful.

Going into this collection of short stories, I never doubted that I would love it - even despite not being unquestionably in love with the author as I know many readers are. However, what I didn't anticipate is how much I would love it. If there weren't so many mature themes in this novel, you bet I'd be reading this to any little children that happened to come my way.

This is one of those books that I'm glad I own, because not only is the cover as well as the naked book absolutely gorgeous, but I can already see myself re-reading these Grisha fairytales time and time again. All six of the fairytales included are unique, one of a kind, and oh so memorable. They also have powerful morals that Grimms' fairytales certainly don't bother to explore. Honestly, I'd be so on board with some of these stories being full-length novels, especially the final story, "When Water Sang Fire".

I love this collection of stories in a way that I don't love either of Bardugo's other series (don't get me wrong though, all of her books are really good). Luckily for those of you who have yet to have the pleasure of reading a Bardugo novel, you don't have to have read her other books to read this one - TLOT is a collection of fairytales that characters in her stories aka the Grisha universe grew up on. I kind of wish I grew up on these stories as well.

My favorite thing about these tales: unhealthy love and stupid princes are knocked down at least fifty thousand rungs on the fairytale ladder.

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Genie Lo is a Diverse, Demon-Slaying Badass

Preethi January 02, 2018 Books , Young Adult 4 Comments

After all the racist comments I've read concerning Sandhya Menon's books, I've come to enjoy diverse books especially when 1) they don't do through the trouble of explaining in detail every aspect of their culture, and 2) the main character isn't a demure girl but no, has quite a bit of fire in her. The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee does all that, plus also has non-stereotypical Asian characters, so yeah, you could say that this book is pretty darn good.

Although it may at first seem like the book is a bit unfair in its portrayal of Genie's mother as a stereotypical Asian woman who doesn't want Genie to hang out with boys but also wants her to find "the boy", it's quickly obvious that the portrayal of the main character's parents is actually anything but stereotypical. For one, Genie's mom and dad are separated, and while this is common in books about white people, I don't feel that it's shown very much with many Asian characters. Additionally, I feel that some things that are thought of as stereotypical - such as constantly studying Asians and importance placed on marriage, college, etc. - aren't always stereotypical. Sure, not every Asian is this way, but for many people, it's a part of their culture, and so it's a part of their lives. I can't speak to East Asians, but I certainly feel this way as an Indian. These things may be stereotypical, but sometimes they're also true.

This book did a great job of making Genie Lo a realistic character. She studies a ton and pays to have her college essays looked over, but again, a stereotype is not a falsity. Genie also has such a unique, fiery personality, and the fact that her family isn't rich or living in a well-to do area brings up a demographic that's not often brought up in books or movies, in my opinion.

I knew I was in for something new with this book when early on, a boy named Quentin rips open his shirt and pulls out a monkey tail. I really enjoyed learning about Chinese mythology and folklore, and I adored what Yee did with it in this novel. She brought it into the present in an exciting way - not at all reminiscent of Percy Jackson, but something completely original. It's fast paced, easy to get into, and I am very much rooting for Genie Lo to slay all the demons whilst defying the pessimists and getting into Harvard.

I'm not sure if there's a second book and if this is a series, but I really hope it is, especially after that ending. I could see this story as a television show while I was reading it, and I am so ready for a second season of saving California from Hell beasts with a side of rubbing it in the faces of unhelpful deities.

Monday, January 1, 2018

High Expectations for Warcross II

Preethi January 01, 2018 Books , Young Adult 0 Comments

I'm pretty late to the party in terms of reading Warcross, but I'm so glad I finally got to it because the hype is well deserved. The diverse cast and setting and the originality of the plot have got me head over heels for this book, and although there were a few things here and there that could have been been done differently, this was such a success of a novel. I had a great time reading it.

One of those things that could have been done a smidge differently is the romance between two of the main characters, Emika and Hideo. I feel that their romance didn't have much depth to it, and that the feelings between the two were there only because they're expected to be there by readers of the YA genre. I myself expected and looked forward to the romance - I squealed about it in the beginning, but as I continued reading, I stopped swooning since their love story felt so "by the book".

The world-building and the characters were a blast to read through, and I saw one part of the plot twist coming, but by no means thought that it would happen the way it did. I loved the twist so much that I was tempted to unconditionally love this book, but compromised with myself and figured that I could do that with book two if it lived up to its promise. The funny part is that by the end of this book, my heart began to stray, and I only expect that it's going to get worse once I finally get the second installment in my hands. I can't wait.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

I Have a Bone to Pick with Twinkle Commenters Too

Preethi December 21, 2017 Books , Young Adult 4 Comments

I hate to call out comments twice in a row, but while I haven't been reading much lately, apparently I've been making up for it by scrolling through goodreads. Not a pastime I would recommend, by the way. Anyways, Sandhya Menon does this amazing thing where she gives out early copies of her book to South Asian bloggers, and her latest book - coming out summer 2018 - is called From Twinkle, with Love. I've been a huge fan of the author since her debut, When Dimple Met Rishi, because desi lit reads are far and between, and I rarely get the chance to connect so much with book characters. I thought I'd check out some goodreads comments just because, and boy was that a mistake.

Several of the comments dealt with the "obscure", "funny", "hippy-dippy" names of the main characters in Menon's books, i.e. Dimple and Twinkle. They complained about the names and asked if the author was starting a new trend. That's about when my bull horns came out and steam started emitting from my nostrils. Believe it or not, people, Dimple and Twinkle are actually both very common names in India. Menon herself has discussed this on twitter at least once. I personally had no idea that these were common names, and I am Indian, but you don't see me complaining and making a big deal out of it. And even if you are going to make something out of it, then please do your research and find out whether or not they're actual names or not. Literally all you have to do is type either Dimple or Twinkle and "name" into google and voilà, research.

There was one comment where a reader was ecstatic over the fact that the main character would have the same name as her, and oh, my heart. This is why we need diversity in books, people.

Second - and this was also mentioned by Menon over on twitter - is the sheer amount of people whining about how her books are terrible because the author doesn't bother to take the time to explain Indian culture in her books. Why are kids named the way they are, huh? Am I supposed to educate myself now? Yes, white people, yes you are. The very idea that diverse books are a vehicle through which white people can learn about other cultures is preposterous, and seriously so offensive. This mindset is not okay in the least. How entitled must one be to believe that the author is obligated to explain their culture to them?

The person who commented the thing above and made some racist comments also discussed how Dimple pushing/throwing coffee on Rishi because he was a complete stranger who called her his wife in the last book is violence and abuse. Similarly, she went on to say that the relationship "starting on a foundation of lies" in this book is problematic because Menon is empowering things that shouldn't be empowered. Umm...what? Did you have the same problem with How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, also built on a foundation of lies? Have you never heard of a meet-cute? Are we supposed to cuddle with strangers who declare their intent to marry us, now?

The final comment I'm about to mention probably isn't even offensive, but I can't even differentiate okay from not okay after the things I read before it. I quote: "Sahil is this weird guy in my class. This is gonna be fun." (The capital letters and punctation are my additions.) First of all, this is a very mean thing to say about anyone, so there's one point off. This same person also started her review with "STOP WITH THESE HORRENDOUS NAMES", so that's like another three points off.

People have so many irrelevant complaints, and they haven't even read the book yet. Remind me not to go through any more reviews after Twinkle comes out.

Responding to Comments on A Scot in the Dark

Preethi December 21, 2017 Adult , Books 0 Comments

A Scot in the Dark by Sarah MacLean is the first book I've finished in a while, and it's one of the better historical romances I've read lately. So there I was, basking in the fact that I'd finished a book for the first time since, say, summer break, when I decided to check out some reviews on goodreads. Clearly, that was an awful decision, as I went to bed quite angry, and yes, ranting.

I won't name names - partly because I can't remember the reviewer's name - but she wrote that she hated the novel because she absolutely couldn't stand the main character, Lily. She said that she lost all respect for Lily when she was "stupid enough" to pose nude for a guy, and also she hated how "whiny" the main character was. Lily was sad about being lonely, she was beautiful and yet had no self confidence, and she was preoccupied with the idea that she could never be loved; oh, how unrealistic - I may be paraphrasing a bit, but I am so offended on behalf of Lily.

First of all, I fail to understand how you can hate a girl because she chose to pose in the nude for an artist that she was in love with and fully expected to marry? And not only that, but the reviewer is basically judging her the same way English society would and does in the book, and in fact, I don't believe that the reviewer said anything at all about the scum of an artist. I shudder at the double standards. So yes, sexism was one hundred percent a part of why the first part of that review riled me up. The second part of the review, however, is just as unconceivable to me, and I'm still shocked that there wasn't a single comment that disagreed with the review: just lots of thumbs ups and "wow, you said that so solidly, I totally agree"'s.

My problem with the other part of the review is, again, a lack of empathy, except not just with the main character, but mankind. This might just be me, but personally, I feel like it's quite normal for a person to feel like he or she doesn't belong. In fact, a lot of people probably feel this almost every day. Furthermore, you can't possibly tell me that the majority of people in this world haven't at least once worried about not being lovable or being desired and keep a straight face - it doesn't even have to be in a romantic context. Not everyone is fully confident in the fact that they'll find someone they want to marry some day in the future, and that that person will feel the same way. I believe this worry about the future is a perfectly plausible thing. And it's not like Lily was actually complaining about it - no, she was content to live alone and unloved, no matter how lonely it would be.

The essential part of all this is that I'm not exaggerating when I say that Lily is unloved. Her relatives are all dead, literally nobody loves her or acknowledges her until the annoyed and also mostly unloved Scot comes into town, and now this new scandal will most certainly further her isolation. So the fact that this reviewer and all the people who commented on the review are in agreement that Lily is unrealistic or weak or boring, it just frustrates me.