My Reading Plans for April | 2021

So far, 2021 has been a very slow year for me in terms of reading. I have read a total of 9 books in these three months and really need to speed up. Therefore, I decided to inspire myself by making this TBR, which will also be my first TBR of 2021. This list is quite ambitious but whatever... here we go!

Firstly, I would like to mention three books I am currently reading -

- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (Progress : 12%)

- The Toll by Cherie Priest (Progress : 17%)

- A House at the Bottom of the Lake by Josh Malerman (Progress : 20%)

Now, all the books I want to start (& hopefully finish) in April -

The Slippery Slope ( A Series of Unfortunate Events #10) by Lemony Snicket

I have been reading this series for last 3-4 years and really want to finish it with last four books this year. All 9 books I have read so far have been great and would love to continue with this one in April.

The Sword of Kaigen by  M.L. Wang

I have been on a fantasy slump for so long, and now I really want to break that pattern and renew my love for fantasy once again! What would be better for that than this standalone! I know its a prequel to another of Wang series but can be read as a standalone. Very excited for this one, have heard nothing but positive about this book!

City of Stairs (The Divine Cities #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett

I started this one last year but did not continue after few pages due to my fantasy slump. But now I really want to read something like this so will be starting this one from the scratch.

Destroy me by Karen Cole

I got this e-arc from Netgalley few months back, but now it is released and I have still not read this one. So, really need to to pick this one in April!

Our Last Night by Taylor Adams

I really loved 'Eyeshot' and 'No Exit' by this author. So picking this one randomly, hoping to like it as much without knowing anything about it!

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

This was the winner of Goodreads choice award in 2019 for Mystery/thriller... so have high expectations from this one!

Beartown (Beartown #1) by Frederick Backman

I loved 'A Man Called Ove' by Frederick Backman, it was emotional and heartwarming. I know 'Beartown' involves some serious topics, but I expecting the same emotional and heartwarming message from this one too.

In the Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami

This one is my random pick from the month... this was on my Goodreads TBR and I don't know much about this but the reviews which claims that this one is not a very easy to digest read and I am all up for this!

Hopefully, I will be able to read most of it in April... Will keep you updated...See you next time!

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The Final Girls by Riley Sager (Trying a New to me Author) | Book Review

I wanted to pick a Riley Sager book for the first time, so went with the one which got me intrigued the most, which was 'Final Girls' AKA his debut novel. But it did not live up to my expectations, was overall an okay read.

'Final Girls' follows Quincy Carpenter, sole survivor of a tragic event happened during a vacation with college friends. She, along with two other girls, who also survived similar tragic events, were dubbed as the final girls by the tabloids. But Quincy hates everything it represents and tries to avoid any limelight and put everything behind with the support of her boyfriend and baking website. But when the first final girl, Lisa, suddenly dies in mysterious circumstances, she tries to get out of her self created prison to uncover the mystery of how Lisa's death is related to her and her past.

It started out very well, I was anticipating a very atmospheric and creepy suspense thriller. But there was only a little part of that here.it was mostly slow and boring, where Quincy is baking, walking and mostly having dialogues with herself and Sam. I wanted to root for her but had trouble connecting or liking her at any level.

The ending was unpredictable but not very believable...I did not like most of the explanations for what happened. I somewhat liked the overall character arc of Quincy but did not like the journey of getting there very much. There were few gory and chilly scenes but they did not help much in making the overall book worth remembering.

Overall an average read, hoping to pick another books by the author with more positive reviews than this one!

Overall Rating - 3.25 stars

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Best & Worst Books I Read in 2020

A Little late, but here are few of the best & worst books I read in 2020. Honestly, I mostly read Romance this year, and most of them were fine. So, I don't have that many strong opinioned books. 

BEST BOOKS I READ IN 2020

BOOK #1 :- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Engaging and classic mystery by the queen of mystery itself. I read this in one sitting!  My fourth read by Agatha Christie and so far the best by her! I just love mystery/thriller with ‘trapped in an island/house/cabin/jungle’ kind of premise and this was one of the best I have read with this trope. Definitely different from her previous books I have read where we are following a specific person investigating a murder. But none the less very engaging and fun read! Loved it!

BOOK #2 :- A Perfect Ten (Forbidden Men #5) by Linda Kage

I read this whole series last year... It's a romance series revolves around these men who have this club named 'Forbidden' in common. This series was a hit and miss for me. So, I went into this book with very low expectations because the hero is a flirting playboy. But he quickly grew on me and I loved both MC's and their chemistry. This became my favourite one in the whole series. There is just something about reformed rake I love a lot!

BOOK #3 :- Alpha Night( Psy Changeling #19, Psy Changeling Trinity #4)) by Nalini Singh

Another big series I read in 2020, and 'Alpha Night' is one of the favourite series among romance readers. This one is the latest entry in the series and definitely one of the my favourite. 

BOOK #4 :- Shards of Hope ( Psy Changeling #14) by Nalini Singh 

Another book in the Psy Changeling Series, also includes one of my favourite couples ( Aden & Zaira) apart from Max and Sophia from the series. I just loved both our main characters and how they were friends before their romance. They were great for each other and their backstories were just full fledged and emotional!

BOOK #5 :- The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

Another mystery/thriller in the list and one I was not expecting to love as much as I loved it. The writing was atmosphere and creepy and I loved all the characters. This is definitely one book which is going to stick with me for various reasons for a very long time. One great mystery thriller with ghost elements in it. Will definitely recommend this one!

BOOK #6 :- Hunted by Darcy Coates

One awesome horror thriller with mystery elements in it. I love Darcy Coates and her writing style and this one did not disappoint! This was one great thriller with the mix of survival horror and detective mystery , I loved that combination.

Overall, it was surprisingly a very good book with interesting characters. I really liked this college friends group and their friendship which was a nice change for a horror novel! Did not expect many things... terribly underrated book that you should check out!

Now time to discuss few books that either terribly disappointed me or I straight up did not like!

WORST BOOKS I READ IN 2020

BOOK #1 :- Worth it (Forbidden Men #6) by Linda Kage

This was one of the book which had great synopsis and I had high expectations for, but was a massive let down. I straight up did not like our main heroine ' Felicity' and that dual timeline theme did not gel with me. Knowing where they are now, did not make me excited to know more about their past. I wanted more of their present chapters and I did not like the justifications for most of the things. I liked Knox but could not understand or like Felicity and some of her choices. This all made me not rooting for them as a couple, which was not a good sign.

BOOK #2 :- Roadwork by Richard Bachman (aka Stephen King)

Stephen King' books has always made me conflicted about my feelings for them. I love their premises but his writing choices always are let down for me. This one is hands down the worst books I have read by him so far...it is slow, boring and depressing journey one that made me a little apprehensive to pick more of his work. 

As usual, interesting premise but so unnecessarily long execution for a King’ book. I was curious enough to continue as I wanted to know how this would end, but that was a very slow and boring journey.

BOOK #3 :- Mister Bodyguard(Morgen Brothers #4) by Lauren Rowe

Another romance series I read, but unlike other this one was a massive let down. I did not like most of the books in this series and this one was my least favourite. I absolutely hated the romance and definitely one of my least favourite bodyguard romance for sure! I am absolutely happy to forget that I even read this one

BOOK #4 & 5 :- Branded by Fire (Psy Changeling #6)& Kiss of Snow (Psy Changeling #10) by Nalini Singh

                                 

Both of these books were a massive letdown for me. In 'Branded by Fire', I did not like the chemistry and the push & pull between both MCs. It was very frustrating and, lets jus say it is not one of my favourite trope. 

Same is the case with 'Kiss of Snow', had very high expectations with Hawke's book , but I just could not deal with his possessiveness and Sienna's reckless and immature behaviour. I did not like their dynamics and was just wanted to get over with this book to get to the next one.

So, that's it for the list, just hope that 2021 is going to be better. Even if it is not, I would love to read more genres instead of romance and thriller (spoiler alert - its not going this way so far in Feb 2021)

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BOOKS I AM READING IN DEC | TBR 2020

2020 has been a chaotic year for me, I was into a huge reading slump in last few months. For this same reason, I did not put much effort in following or creating any TBR... it was a complete mess! So, December TBR is going to be my effort of getting back on the track with a little versatility in terms of genres. I decided to give myself some challenges to make this TBR, which was a load of fun!

Here is the list of books I am reading this final month of 2020:

CHALLENGE 1 - SELECT ONE BOOK FROM YOUR "CURRENTLY READING" SHELF ON GOODREADS 

CITY OF STAIRS BY ROBERT JACKSON BENNETT

I started reading this in the early months of this year but was not able to continue after 20% due to my reading slump. So, this is my final chance to finish this by 2020 and I am going to take it!

CHALLENGE 2- CHOOSE ONE BOOK FROM YOUR PHYSICAL TBR

GIRL ON THE TRAIN BY PAULA HAWKINS

This is one of the popular book that has been sitting on my physical TBR for almost a year. I am finally going to pick this one!

CHALLENGE 3- CHOOSE ONE HORROR BOOK FROM YOUR GOODREADS TBR SHELF

WILDER GIRLS BY RORY POWER

I have been told this is the female version of ' Lord of the flies' and the premise sounds interesting and creepy. So, let's conquer this TBR with some horror I really want to get my hands on!

CHALLENGE 4 - CHOOSE ONE FANTASY BOOK FROM YOUR GOODREADS TBR SHELF

THE FIFTH SEASON  BY N.K. JEMISIN

I literally know nothing about this book, but have heard nothing but good things...Depending on my mood and speed, I really want to tackle the whole' broken earth' trilogy

CHALLENGE 5 - CHOOSE ONE BOOK USING RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR FROM GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS 2016 LIST

MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM BY GRADY HENDRIX

Another book I know nothing, but I can guess a lot from the title...hope I finally read some good exorcism book.

CHALLENGE 6 - CHOOSE TWO RANDOM BOOKS FROM YOUR GOODREADS TBR SHELF

OFF SEASON BY JACK KETCHUM

Randomly picking this one, a new author for me...giving me some'hills have eyes ' and 'Texas chainsaw massacre' vibes, hoping for a gruesome scary read!

FOUR WEEKS, FIVE PEOPLE BY JENNIFER YU 

Another book picked by random generator, it's been so long I have read a YA book with mental health representation. Hoping for an emotional and informative read from this one!

So...that's it for this post, hope I will be able to get through all of these

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You Are Invited: A Ghost Story by Sarah A. Denzil | Book Review

Creepy, Atmospheric and very well written book, which doesn't shy away from depicting the realism of social media and mental illness!

Five Social Media Influencers have been invited to 'The Event' - A month long retreat to an isolated monastery surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania. These five people are going to be live streamed and will be the focus of millions of people from all over the world. But something is not right here and as Cath digs deeper into this, she and people around her starts losing their mind, and things takes the worse turn from there onwards! 

The overall concept was pretty basic, it was nothing unique or groundbreaking, but it was very well executed. I really liked what author did with that simple concept, giving a lot of background and creating the rich history of the place. The folklore stories  added more haunting touch in the overall creepiness. 

The way we gets to see the realistic dilemma in the life of an Influencer towards their work, the connection with their followers and their insecurities was very convincing and interesting. Cath's struggle with mental illness, her low self esteem and an abusive past was heartbreaking but it was inspiring to see her trying to get past all of that. 

Now, on the critical side, it was atmospheric and creepy but not very high in horror. Things were quite slow and not a lot happened in a large section of the book. So, don't expect a full on action horror going into this.

As for me, I, overall, really enjoyed 'You are Invited', it had a lot of creepy moments; I really liked Denzil's creepy and atmospheric writing which keeps you on the edge throughout the story. The ending was also good, not very predictable.The payoff was worth going through all of it.

OVERALL RATING : 4 STARS!

Received an e-arc from Netgalley for an honest review

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MAY WRAP UP & JUNE TBR | 2020 | What I Read & What I'm going to Read!

MAY WRAP UP

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***Suspense Thriller Read*** | Eyeshot by Taylor Adams | Book Review

AMAZON:INDIA | US

A very solid & intense thriller! 

This has to be the first time I am reading a thriller set in a desert and I loved the setting of this book. A deadly sniper is targeting this young couple - James and Elle Eversman, in the open grounds of Mojave desert. They are completely out in the open with nowhere to go, with only their broken-down car as a protection. Are they going to survive the bullet of this killer? For how long? Will they get the chance to start a new life in Tulsa? - With very slim chances and so many chapters left, I also wondered the same thing! 

There were so many odds against them and so much to lose, and all this made to a very tense and thrilling ride for readers. I loved the couple and their relationship; it was hard not to. Author spent so much time on their backstories, it was hard not to get attached with them. We also got the chapters from the killer’s perspective so the action was not all one sided. 

The only reason I did not give it five stars was because there were some moments where I felt the book was a little slow, as we spent a big amount of time on exploring the backstories of our characters. The scenes also felt unrealistic in few places. It was not a big issue for me, but it takes you out of the action a bit. 

I loved Taylor Adams writing, which I also liked in ‘No Exit’, so it was not a surprise. He writes such gripping action thriller scenes, worthy of being on a movie. It steals your attention and expand your imaginary senses! Definitely planning on reading my last unread book ‘Our Last Night’ by him soon! 

OVERALL RATING  - 4/5

BUY ON AMAZON : INDIA | US

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I'm Thinking of Ending Things | Iain Reid | Book Review

AMAZON: INDIA | US

Weird and kind of unexpected.... but in a good way!

This was such a unique experience for me. I went into this book knowing that the twist is quite polarizing among readers and not fully understandable. And I completely agree why.

It started out with a basic scenario - Jake and his unnamed girlfriend are heading towards a secluded farm to meet Jake’s parents. His Girlfriend is thinking of ending things with him and trying to justify and debate the reasoning with herself before confronting.

In the middle of this, there is also a strange man who is leaving missed calls and creepy messages to the girlfriend. On their way, the couple has discussions related to relationship, solitude, memory and some other random philosophical things.

"Just tell your story. Pretty much all memory is fiction and heavily edited. So just keep going."

"The more we tell ourselves that we should always be happy, that happiness is an end in itself, the worse it gets."

And for the major part of the book I seriously had no idea where we were going with this story. There were so many directions this book could have gone at that point, but then they finally reached their destination and met the parents. But after that the things got interesting as we had more creepiness and suspense in the story. And then something else happened, and the story took a bizarre turn and got more creepy. The ending was not very predictable but as the author gave us so many clues, I kind of also went through that possibility in my mind. So, I was not shocked, but still loved the ending and the way it was executed.

I really liked Iain Reid’s writing, it was introspective, atmospheric and creepy. The first 30% was a little slow for me but I loved the second half of the book. This is one book where author left a lot for its reader to make sense of. Not sure if I understood every single thing, but it was enough for me to appreciate the book. 

Will surely read more by Iain Reid in future!

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OVERALL RATING : 4/5

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AMAZON: INDIA | US

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What I Read in April | Wrap up | 2020

Taking full advantage of my quarantined life in April , I finished 20 books last month. Out of 20, I read 7 books out of 12 from my planned TBR. Overall it was a great month!

* Technically I read two classics, but I added the second one in mystery/thriller genre.

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BOOKS I READ IN APRIL

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Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn : This was from my April TBR and my Introduction to Gillian Flynn. 3 Stars read - disturbing but a little underwhelming. Read my full review here

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie: This was my favourite read from the month. I just love classic mystery/thriller with ‘trapped in an island/house/cabin/jungle’ kind of premise and this was one of the best I have read with this trope. Full 5 Stars!

Full Review here

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter : Another author I finally read from! It was completely disturbing and suspenseful. I was not a big fan of characters and there were few (racist) things that bothered me. Hence, overall gave this 4 Stars! 

The Passengers We Cannot See by The Behrg: This was a netgalley ARC I got in March and finally read in April. This was a Collection of 15 horror short stories, few were quite innovative & I liked, few were just a slog to get through. Overall did not connect with the author's writing style. Gave 3 Stars!

Full Review here

Emma by Jane Austen: A Jane Austen classic I read after a very long time. It was okay, I just did not care for majority of this book. But really liked the Emma's character development and the premise. Gave 3 Stars to this!

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng : Very Sad and emotional book. I went into this expecting more mystery but it was a contemporary book at its core with a little bit mystery. Overall 4 Stars! You can read my full review here

Maiden Lane Series (BOOK #6 - #12.5) by Elizabeth Hoyt : A Historical Romance series which started few years ago but did not continue. Decided to pick this one again and managed to binge read the whole series. I read 7 books & 3 Novellas in this series. It was an awesome experience. 

Duke of Midnight (Maiden Lane #6) - 3 Stars

Darling Beast (Maiden Lane #7) - 3.5 Stars

Dearest Rogue (Maiden Lane #8)- 4 Stars

Sweetest Scoundrel (Maiden Lane #9)- 4.5 Stars

Duke of Sin (Maiden Lane #10)- 3.75 Stars

Once Upon A Moonlit Night (Maiden Lane #10.5) - 4 Stars

Once Upon a Christmas Eve (Maiden Lane #10.7) - 3 Stars

Duke of Pleasure (Maiden Lane #11) - 4 Stars

Duke of Desire (Maiden Lane #12) - 4 Stars

Once Upon a Maiden Lane (Maiden Lane #12.5) - 4 Stars

The Morgan Brothers (Book #1 - #4) by Morgan Rowe ; Randomly picked this series after hearing good things about this. Overall a disappointing journey, but really liked the first book!

Hero (Book #1) - 4.5 Stars

Captain (Boom #2) -  3 Stars

Ball Peen Hammer (Book #3) - 3.5 Stars

Mister Bodyguard (Book #4) -  2 Stars

How was your Month? Do share books you read, Comment Below!

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May TBR | What I am Reading this Month | 2020

So, it's that time of the month when I plan my TBR and try to (unsuccessfully!) follow that for the rest of the month! Here we go....

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Books I am Excited to Read in May

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I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS BY IAIN REID

AMAZON:INDIA | US

Quite a polarizing book. 'A smart, suspenseful & intense literary thriller' according to goodreads. This is also a debut novel of Iain Reid and I have no idea what to expect, but really like the premise. Would love to be surprised by this.

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EYESHOT BY TAYLOR ADAMS

AMAZON:INDIA | US

I read 'No Exit' by Taylor Adams this year (my first book of 2020) and absolutely loved it. Wanting to read more by him, this one catches my eye with its thriller packed premise. 'Eyeshot' is about this couple stranded in a desert trying to survive from this deadly sniper, how they are going to do it? Let's find out together!

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THE SUN DOWN MOTEL BY SIMONE ST. JAMES

AMAZON:INDIA | US

Another author I started reading this year and absolutely loved! 'The Broken Girls' is one of my favourite of this year so far. And 'The Sun Down Motel' have even more positive reviews that one. Seems like this one is also about disappearance and follows two timelines like her previous book. Cannot wait to pick this one up!

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THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON

AMAZON:INDIA | US

I am reading Stephen King after a month's gap. No Idea what's this is about, but let's go with it.Maybe I will like it, let's hope so!

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THE TROOP BY NICK CUTTER

AMAZON:INDIA | US

This was in my 2018 TBR, still have not read it! But I really am intrigued by the premise and positive reviews this is getting. This is kind of body horror and about this troop of boys in an island.Honestly, little hyped for this, let's hope it does not disappoint!

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WRATH OF THE STORM (MARK OF THE THIEF #3)BY JENNIFER A. NIELSEN

AMAZON:INDIA | US

'Mark of the Thief' is one of the series I need to finish. I read first two books in this trilogy in 2018 and did not continue. I will continue with this after a quick recap of first two books. This trilogy is quite underwhelming, as compare to the 'Ascendance Trilogy' this author. But I still am going to see this trilogy to its end!

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THE FOURTH MONKEY(4MK Thriller #1) BY JD BARKER

AMAZON:INDIA | US

This is a random book I am picking from my goodreads want-to-read shelf. I know nothing about this but thriller trilogy but am really excited!

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SPELLSLINGER (SPELLSLINGER #1)BY SEBASTIAN DE CASTELL

AMAZON:INDIA | US

I am in a fantasy slump this year, have not finished a single fantasy book so far in 2020. Hence wanted to start a new YA fantasy series as well as a book by 'new to me' author. It fit both the criteria perfectly, and premise also sounds cool. Let's see how it goes!

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I am also including few of the books from my previous TBR I did not manage to read :

- THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (HARRY POTTER #5) BY JK ROWLING (REREAD)

- CITY OF STAIRS (DIVINE CITIES #1) BY ROBERT JACKSON BENNETT (10% into this)

- CARNIVOROUS CARNIVAL (A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS #9) BY LEMONY SNICKET

You see the details in my April TBR here

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All TBRs Link
All Wrap ups Link

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