Wanderlust in Books: A Book Review

Bloody Scotland has 12 short stories written by Scotland's finest crime writers - what really intrigued me (since I'm not one for crime fiction) is that every story uses one of Scotland's *real* iconic/historic sites to tell a thrilling fictional tale. There are pictures of the said sites, making the reading experience more visual & fun. Also, there's detailed description of the sites (along with visiting times) given towards the end of the book. SO COOL, RIGHT?

About the stories, it has a lukewarm start where classic crime/horror plots are used and since we've read so many of such plots, the book failed to keep me intrigued. Other stories however made up for the underwhelming start.
Some worth mentioning are;

Come Friendly Bombs by Louise Welsh, which touches upon how war changes people & how misery brings out the darkness in even the best of the people. This was a particularly dark & grim tale that I very much enjoyed.

Sanctuary by Sara Sheridan is about a woman who returns to the city she grew up in, to work as a caretaker of Kinneil House. We discover how from not belonging elsewhere, not being able to call a place home she finds her sanctuary in this old monumental house, which may or may not be haunted.                                                                                                                                                                     


All in all, it's a really good mix of stories ranging from psychological thrillers to stories of revenge, murder, what not. Apart from the stories, what I really enjoyed about the book was googling all the sites around which the stories were based, reading up on their history, looking up 27839393 of their images. So virtual trip to Scotland done, and my bucket list for the real trip is set! ;)
If you love visiting other countries via books or are someone who loves dark tales, this can be your next quick read! Thank You, Bee Books for sending a review copy of this book.

Bloody Scotland by Lin Anderson   

View all my reviews 

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September Wrap Up

Turns out juggling final year of medicine and book challenges is harder than you'd imagine. Wait, I'm sure you know it's hard, that was just me trying to be all naive and freakishly optimistic.

Ahh well, although the number of books I've been able to read this year is getting meagre by the day, I'm still proud of the fact that I'm squeezing enough time to read. Yes, I've reached a place where reading for at least 15mins a day has become a luxury, so let's not talk about numbers, shall we?

FYI, that's not a building, it's a pile of books

If you must know, I've read 25 books so far, 5 in September. That's a good enough number for now. And because I find 5 an exceedingly above average number, a wrap-up post seemed like a sane thing to do. Here are my Hum Panch of September:

1) Harry Potter and The Cursed Child by J.K.Rowling: Yes, I joined the party pretty late, at least I arrived (despite the mixed reviews and spoilers), that must count for something. 10 points to Hufflepuff, please (for being the loyal ones). I can sum up my Cursed Child experience in one word, and mind you, I've chosen the word as carefully as Voldy chose jewellery for his horcruxes, and that word is underwhelming. As I've already established, I'm a hardcore Hufflepuff, so my loyalties to Hogwarts, to JKR, to all the characters is preventing me from openly expressing my umm..disappointment? But my lovely Slytherin mate Varsha has reviewed this book over at Fictional Fortress (a book club-blog we run) and I found myself nodding to all of her views and commas and full stops. You can check it out here if you're interested. A 3/5 from me.

A photo posted by Shonazee (@ofinkandpages) on Sep 5, 2016 at 9:53pm PDT

The next three reads were for #MissMarpleReadathon, an exclusive Agatha Christie-MissMarple readathon, started by fellow Hyderabadi Bookstagrammers in an attempt to make me fall in love with the Queen Of Mystery. It has no deadlines, whatsoever. Whenever you're feeling low, in need for some fast paced action, just pick a Miss Marple mystery and join us!

2) The Murder At The Vicarage by Agatha Christie: I was sold after reading this book. It was so different from all the thrillers and murder mysteries I've read. I heart the climax, I would give it the best climax award if I could. The murder of the not-at-all-loved-unanimously-hated/tolerated Colonel Protheroe occurs in an otherwise dull village of St.Mary Mead. Many people seem to have a motive, but there isn't enough evidence. A series of false arrests. Who killed Protheroe? A 4/5 read.

A photo posted by Shonazee (@ofinkandpages) on Sep 12, 2016 at 11:20am PDT

3) The 13 Problems by Agatha Christie: One Tuesday, a mix of experienced, young, influential people gather at Miss Marple residence to discuss murder mysteries. One person narrates what has happened and others are to guess the answer. Miss Marple shocks them all by making back to back right guesses. Some of these are such mind-boggling mysteries, they will leave you numb. It basically is a collection of 13 short stories. another 4/5 read.

4)The Body In The Library by Agatha Christie: I couldn't guess the culprit. I just couldn't. But some how the end seemed way too far fetched. But hey, it makes good mystery so no complaints. 3/5.

A photo posted by Shonazee (@ofinkandpages) on Sep 20, 2016 at 8:48am PDT 

Yes, I get most of my reading done while travelling 

5) Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur:A collection of poems compiled under four headers, loving, hurting, breaking, and healing. These poems are raw with emotion. They are accompanied by rough sketches drawn by Rupi Kaur herself. I just love it. I love all the poems and the sketches, the raw emotions, and the crisp words. I've bookmarked several pages and highlighted what's remaining. I've read them so many times, I can eloquently quote the book. They are written in a very simple language but carry such force within them. If you're looking to indulge in poetry, this makes a fine start. A must read. Definitely my FAV read of this month. 5/5.

A photo posted by Shonazee (@ofinkandpages) on Oct 4, 2016 at 1:32pm PDT

.
 That's that. Overall, a good reading month, I daresay.

For lengthy reviews or a peek at my tbr, friend me on Goodreads or Instagram. We could talk about murder mysteries or the pain of losing a loved one or the disappointment of a long-awaited book in your beloved series. I'm always up for a good talk!

What books made to your favourite pile this September? Which book/movie would you give best climax award to? 

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Book Review: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Title: A Monster Calls

Author: Patrick Ness

Publisher: Walker Books

Publication date: September 27, 2011

Genre: Fantasy, Children's Lit

Book Blurb: (via Goodreads)

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth. 

“There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between.” 

Review:

Connor is a thirteen-year-old boy.

His mother is fighting a losing battle to cancer.
And then there are monsters haunting him at nights.
There are days when you don't know if real life is terrifying or your nightmares. Connor's days were like these. I could feel everything he felt. How he didn't want to be pitied. His stored in anger. His helplessness. 

I could completely understand Connor's grandma's reaction. And his mother's.

The portrayal of emotions is so raw and real. And in such simple language. I was left amazed and in awe. Sometimes, you don't need fancy words. Sometimes heartfelt writing is all it takes to move readers.
Definitely, a must-read.

“Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?” 

Review Musings:

Sometimes you know how the book is going to end.
Sometimes you know what's the point of it all.
But then when the end does come, even though you knew, even though you were prepared, you tear up.
Your heart hurts and life seems unfair and all the feels hit home.
Some stories are worth feeling for, crying for and this is one of those. 

Because some storytellers know how it's done.
Patrick Ness, I need more of you!

Book OTP: Tissues. This book's one true pair are tissues.

Pro-tip: If you're planning to buy this book, look for the illustrated edition. It's all sorts of gorgeous and has been illustrated by the celebrated "Jim Kay" (Yes, the guy who illustrated the Harry Potter book!)

“Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary. And your mind will punish you for believing both.”