Meera Nair's Blog, page 4

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes

When Maya stumbles across a YouTube video of a woman dying under mysterious circumstances, she is reminded of her best friend’s death from years ago. The eerie similarity of both incidents sets Maya on an alarming path, where it soon becomes difficult to distinguish reality from nightmare.

Read if you like: puzzling mystery novels, ambiguous endings, non-linear storytelling, an unreliable narrator, protagonist battling drug addiction

It’s been a few days since I finished reading The House ...

All The Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham

One horrific morning a year ago, Isabel Drake finds her baby boy missing from his crib. When the police are unable to find any clues, the case quickly grows cold, and everyone around her seems too quick to move on.

With troublesome events of her past lurking in her subconscious, Isabel refuses to give up and take the blame for being an irresponsible mother.

Read if you like: mystery novels about a disappearance, non-linear storytelling, main character becoming a sleuth, themes of family e...

The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal

Employed at a doll factory, Iris spends her days yearning for a better life. While her twin sister Rose appears satisfied with the drudgery that marks their days, Iris secretly harbours a desire to become a painter.

One day, she gets invited to model for an artist of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a society of unconventional painters. Given the chance to increase her earning potential and hone her talents, Iris sets forth on a path that is unfamiliar and possibly dangerous.

Read if you l...

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

When the Orient Express is stranded due to a snowdrift and a passenger is found murdered in one of the cabins, the Director of the company tasks Hercule Poirot with solving the mystery before they arrive at their destination.

Read if you like: mystery novels, stories set on train, large cast of characters, isolation trope

I’ve read a few Agatha Christie books so far, and this has to be my second favourite of them all (with And Then There Were None being the best!).

What I liked the mos...

The Tiger Throne by Preetha Rajah Kannan

The Chola dynasty is said to be one of the longest dynasties in the world. This Tamilian empire saw a great many victories under the reign of several kings. To retell the story of one such warrior is a feat like no other.

Preetha Rajah Kannan achieves this with the utmost dedication to narrating the legacy of Arulmozhi Varman. The Tiger Throne is a historical fiction that will hold you in its sway from start to finish.

I absolutely love reading Indian historical books. Something about get...

What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher

Retired soldier, Alex Easton is horrified to find their friends Roderick and Madeline Usher in a state of grave ill health.

The Usher house is surrounded by even stranger sights – spooked-looking hares, glowing substances in the lake, and toxic mushrooms. Determined to save their friends, Alex dives headfirst into the danger that lurks nearby.

Image Courtesy – Goodreads

What Moves The Dead is a gothic retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. I don’t know how it com...

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

A broken marriage, recovering health, and writer’s block. Emily has known better days. When her best friend of decades, Chess, coaxes her to take a vacation to Italy with her, Emily gives in.

Image Courtesy – Goodreads

Villa Aestas has a dark history and is also the inspiration for one of the best horror novels written. As Emily’s interest grows in the incidents of the past, she discovers just why Chess seems to be hiding something from her.

The Villa is hands down the best book I’ve re...

Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuck

In Crush It, Gary Vaynerchuck evangelises the opportunities that the digital age brings, allowing people to turn their passion into a source of income.

This nonfiction book closely assesses various social media platforms and captures the myriad ways in which the career landscape has changed with the turn of the century.

Image Courtesy – Goodreads

Anyone who has ever wanted to learn more about business thinking and digital presence has most definitely heard of Gary Vaynerchuck. At least...

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

Freelance editor, Mouse agrees to clean out her grandmother’s house at her father’s request. Located in an isolated town in North Carolina, the house is a hoarder’s heaven full of boxes of trinkets, shelves of creepy dolls, and old newspapers.

When Mouse finds her stepgrandfather’s journal entries hinting at strange beings holed up in the forest behind the house, Mouse gets a little too close to the mystery.

I got introduced to T. Kingfisher’s works just a few months ago. And I’m surprise...

Networking for People Who Hate Networking by Devora Zack

A personal development book that explores how introverts can make the most of their innate characteristics to navigate their networks, Networking for People Who Hate Networking features situational examples and theories that unpack the key strengths introverts can channel for a better professional life.

Image Courtesy – Goodreads

This was a quick read. The author’s writing style is encouraging and conversational, which definitely helped make the content palatable.

I went into the book e...