Bookmarks and Popcorns

Genre:  Chick-lit Author:  Lauren Weisberger Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ “Oh, don't be silly - EVERYONE wants this. Everyone wants to be us ” I don’t know about you, but I feel this book created and pushed a lot of standards (not necessarily all good). The Devil Wears Prada is a book about Andrea Sachs and the witty way by which she navigated herself through a highly dangerous career in an explosively dynamic field. Andrea Sachs is a quiet, no-drama English Graduate who is looking for an editorial job in the magazine industry in New York City. But the odds are not in her favor as she gets a job as a junior assistant for the Editor-in-chief, Miranda Priestly, in one of the fashion magazines – Runway. For someone who wears minimal make-up and has a low fashion sense, Andrea struggles in her new job, only initially. She learns things soon enough. Inspite of solid competition and an unappreciative boss, she learns to rise into recognition. But what after that? She also has a troublemaker for a ...

Genre:  Mystery, drama, thriller Author:  Sidney Sheldon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ “ Business is a game, played for fantastic stakes, and you’re in competition with experts. If you want to win, you have to learn to be a master of the game ” I always knew how big an author Sidney Sheldon was. But as a teen, I was not supposed to read his books. You know… Because of the adult content. So like any other good teenager, I read his books in secrecy. And this book was my first act of reading-stealth (I know that’s not a real term. But you know what I’m saying, right?). In short, if I were Ginny Weasley, this book would be Tom Riddle’s Diary that opened a Chamber of Secrets into Sidney Sheldon’s World. Master of the Game is a book about passion, business and family drama of the highest esteem. A story that talks of four generations of the McGregor/Blackwell family that dealt with diamond trading. Jamie McGregor, a diamond prospector, goes to South Africa on a quest for diamonds and rises to powe...

  Genre:  Mystery, Drama Author:  Shivani Malhotra Before I proceed with the book review, I would like to apologise to the author, Shivani Malhotra, for the late submission. The delay was due to some personal reasons. I am terribly sorry. Content Warning: The book contains sensitive content. If you are someone who’s going through emotional or mental trauma, read the book after you feel like you are ready to pick it up. Acquainting with someone is no big deal. An acquaintance with trust is what makes a bond. Trust seals belief, safety and comfort. But when that trust in someone significant breaks down, will one break along? Letters from a Dead Girl is a story about the mystery behind the death of Simran, a smart and bold college student. To puzzle things out more, after her death, Simran’s friends and family receive letters from her. Determined to solve the mystery, Simran’s brother takes every step to uncovering the truth. The answer to the question: Was it really a suici...

Genre: Children’s book Author: Ruskin Bond Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was first introduced to Ruskin Bond in the Reading Comprehension section of my English exam. The passage spoke about how he launched his book and distributed signed copies after. I thought the whole thing was made up. A British descent named Ruskin “Bond” who writes stories based in India! Everything about it seemed made-up for the kid in me. Had I read a different passage about him, would I have picked up his books sooner? The Blue Umbrella is the story of Binya, a little girl who exchanges her lucky leopard’s claw pendant for a pretty blue umbrella that is more of a prized possession than a useful one. She, a little girl, takes it along with her everywhere she goes and everyone who sees the umbrella envies her. There is a person ( Ram Bharosa)  in the village who does more than just envy her. What happens to the umbrella? Will Binya lose it or have it forever? What is so special about this umbrella that it deserves ...

Genre: Romance Author: Rohit Sharma Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The truth is, everyone, no matter how rich or poor he is, is skirmishing with this battle called life. Whether we win it or lose it, depends upon if we surrender, or we stay strong and positive.” Love is something that means different things to different people. But no, it is not an illusion. Love, to me, is magic. It has the power and force that science cannot explain. Power and force to create, destroy, survive, and thrive. It could be your dream or your nightmare or mere sight. What is it to you, is up to you to decide. Moving on from that serious intro, tell me, have you ever wished for the beads of your dupatta to get caught in some guy’s watch or bracelet? Have you wondered why you have never bumped into a guy and let your books fall so that you both could pick them up in slow motion? Yeah, I know da. Me too! Well, here’s a story that made me wonder why I hadn’t tried the Titanic Suicide scene yet. (Jk. I did not wonder t...

  Genre: Coming of age, Romance Author: Debashrita Manik Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ I know I have given a rating of 3 stars. But it’s more 2.5ish. “Accept the things to which fate binds you and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.” - Marcus Aurelius This is a quote I came across on Pinterest while I was searching for a quote on Fate. And I really liked this one, and it seemed the perfect fit for the book The Fate I Cherished. The Fate I cherished is the debut book of author  Debashrita Manik.  The book tells the story of Pihu – a girl from Cuttack, Odisha, who has the perfect husband and a settled life. Pihu has recently launched her debut book. She feels delighted and blessed for everything she has, except for one thing. She constantly misses her best friend who had left her. Who is this best friend? Why did she leave Pihu? Was Pihu’s life always this perfect? Pihu had a lot of plans for her life along with her best friend. But ...

Genre:  Romance, Classic, Victorian Literature Author:  Charlotte Brontë Rating:  Read the disclaimer Disclaimer: I don’t usually rate classics. But if I did, I would be rating Jane Eyre 10/5 stars. Does that make sense? Why would I rate it like that? But then, this is not a review, it is more of a book discussion. And this discussion is going to reveal why I would rate Jane Eyre so. Read on. Jane Eyre, O, you girl! How could I explain how much you gravitate my adorations and respect! I don't know why the school did not encourage us to read this as much as they did Sherlock Holmes. I don't know why parents or elders did not talk about this as much as they did Pride and Prejudice. Jane Eyre should be a must-read to every girl out there. A plain-looking, simple girl who is one of the best characters ever. But firstly, let me tell you why. Jane Eyre, orphaned at a very young age, was taken into her maternal uncle's house and mistreated by her aunt and her son. But ...

  Genre: Crime fiction Author: Chetan Bhagat Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ “Love seemed elusive to us, but we had something else. We had friendship, which in many ways is even more beautiful than love.” I know I have given a rating of 3 stars. But it’s more 2.5ish. Okay. I have this book because my friend gifted it to me. And he gifted it to me because I asked him to. You have to understand that I was a huge fan of Chetan Bhagat as a teenager. I had developed a habit of reading his books ASAP. Song: Dharala Prabhu Title Track (by Anirudh Ravichander) Now I am finding it hard to get rid of this habit. You know it’s unfair how an author starts disappointing you more and more  after you have fully become his fan. It’s not fair because when you become someone’s fan, there is this inbuilt loyalty in your adorations for that person’s work. And loyalties are hard to ditch just like that. Okay, enough with my whining. Let’s jump to the business. One Arranged Murder is a story of 2 detecti...

  Genre: Fiction, Romantic comedy Author: Siddarth Raj Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” – Helena, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Almost everyone who goes to college for the first time will have a mind prepared for crushes and proposals, for love and heartbreaks. Not everyone will find love but the ones who do will assume it to be everything. After all, this could be the one, right?! Never Date a Senior Girl is a book I won in a Giveaway. I was very excited to read it, for the concept was unique and it was the first giveaway that I had won. When at last I started to read the book, 10 pages later, I was no more an adult. Instead, I was the 14-year-old girl who had run to the library after discovering Chetan Bhagat and Durjoy Dutta, and picked every Indian Author’s romantic comedy books one by one because of the mere surprise that Indian authors could write so well and loving the way the stories and people...

  Genre: Gothic fiction, romance, tragedy Author: Emily Brontë Rating:  Read the disclaimer Disclaimer: This is not a review. Rather consider this a discussion. Yet, it might contain the storyline because I feel not many have read Wuthering Heights, merely because it’s not being spoken about much. I always wanted to read Wuthering Heights because of the contrast in people’s opinions about this. This mainly tingled my curiosity when I noticed some people who normally liked romance novels hated this book, in spite of it majorly being a romantic novel. Initial part of the book, left me wanting more because this is the first Gothic Classic I read. But after finishing the book, I closed it and stared at it for a while, saying nothing, thinking nothing. Lockwood is a new tenant at Thrushcross Grange. He visits his landlord, Heathcliff, at Wuthering Heights where he meets some unwelcome, incongruous people. He stays there that night only to be frightened by a ghostly presence...

Genre: Historical fiction Author: Uday Singh Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I don’t want to be one of the majority that don’t seem to care about others. I don’t want to be adding to the problem; I want to be a part of a solution.” India, being the most populous democracy with the coexistence of various cultures, faces many questions and problems that arise day by day in large numbers. This book takes aim at a problem and answers many questions. Pokhran is the story of Chaintanya who was born a few months after the Smiling Buddha nuclear test held in the underground of a remote village in Rajasthan named Pokhran. The test was a success, but at a cost paid by the people of Pokhran is left unattended. Chaitanya is born disabled. Taken care by a loving sister and a stern father, Chaitanya goes through a lot at a very young age. Lost innocence and blood-bound passion are things hard to change. When his father is killed for trying to uncover the nuclear fallout to the world, Chaitanya is forced to ...