Human Acts by Han Kang

Human Acts by Han Kang was not an enjoyable read for me, it has brought me back to a place of mental unrest. But it is an important read to understand how history will actually remember us.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

The most exhilarating part of reading any kind of historical fiction is to be able to feel the richness of culture filling your bones. As readers and literary enthusiasts, we can all agree that African literature is highly neglected and left unexplored. So when I received Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, I couldn't turn it down. It felt like an adventure even before the fragrance of unopened pages hit me.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

In simple words, this is a story of a man who was forced to live in an attic and boy, did he make it look like the most natural thing in the world. Just as Count Rostov's poem demanded to be written, Amor Towles' book demands to be read.

5 Ways Out of a Reading Slump

For someone who loves books, I couldn't deal with the fact that I was unable to read and it bothered me relentlessly. I did quite a bit of research on the internet and tried a lot of things and you know what, some of them really worked! So here's a list of 7 ways out of a reading slump that helped me (most them are still related to books and/or reading).

Jasmine Days – Benyamin

Once upon a time you come across a story that hits you in all the right places. Jasmine Days was one such tale. I am not sorry that I finally picked up Jasmine Days.

A Little Life – Hanya Yanagiraha

Every book has only one first read. But Hanya Yanagirhara has given a whole new definition to a cathartic reading experience. This book was such that I had to stop in between just to cry before I could read the rest of it. I feel like “A Little Life” is sadness redefined. However, the sadness is what went wrong in this story.

All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr

For those who love a good story but cannot deal with brutalities, this is the perfect read. Most World War II stories have gruesome details but this is a gentler angle without gory details which works both for and against the book. The story will haunt you even after you’re done, it piques such undone emotions that keep coming back to you like the one-day romance between Werner and Marie.

The Giver of Stars – Jojo Moyes

Historical fiction is a genre that rarely attracts the kind of following that young adult or fantasy or even crime thrillers enjoy. But once in a while our minds are treated to the loveliest of stories bound within the intricacies of history. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes is based on a group of packhorse librarians set in the Appalachian countryside of Kentucky during the Depression era. Eleanor Roosevelt has started the packhorse libraries to promote education in the countryside where women were asked to ride on horses and deliver books to families living on the mountains. This story is of the Baileyville packhorse librarians and their fight to keep their library alive.

Beyond Sherlock Holmes – Tales of Twilight and the Unseen

I picked up the book and I was about to share it with a friend, who had accompanied me there because he was knew to the world of books and I thought introducing him to Sherlock Holmes would ensure a good start for him, when I noticed that the book wasn't titled Sherlock Holmes at all. I flipped the book over twice just to be sure. It looked pretty plain, meaning no exciting cover or blurb, just the title, "Tales of Twilight and the Unseen". It was split second decision but a wise one when I bought the book because what a read it has turned out to be.