6 Months Reading Update – #BlogChatterBlogHop

This year, I set my Goodreads Challenge to 24 books. I had inhibitions about whether I’d be able to achieve it. Now that half the year has passed, I’m sure I can breeze through it. I have read 12 books and hope to pop in another 12 before the year ends. So, here’s a quick recap of all the books I read and the ones I loved the most.

1. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

To the uninitiated, I’m a sucker for time travel and time loop stories. I love the concept so much that the novel I’m writing is a time travel mystery drama (I have also written time travel short stories and two KDP novelettes). So, I bought this book at the book fair in 2020. To be honest, Life After Life is a novel attempt. But it stops with that. What started as a brilliant tale of a woman caught in a time loop of dying and being born again ended up as an underwhelming, overlong narrative making me skim through the last 160+ pages. Not recommended for light readers!

2. Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella’s books are my guilty pleasures. I just love leaving my nose inside one of her books and forgetting the world around me. Mini Shopaholic was a laughter riot. Though I haven’t read the series from the first book, I read the previous instalment Shopaholic & Baby when I was pregnant in 2018. I bought Mini Shopaholic at a book fair in June 2018 (I was 9 months pregnant by then and made my way through the crowded hall with my huge belly, haha). But I could read the book only this year. I seriously needed the laughs amidst work stress. One of my top reads of this year!

3. What You’re Looking For is In The Library by Michiko Aoyama

I read the epub version of this book. And God, I was floored! Everything about this book is so beautiful. I loved it so much that I immediately texted one of my friends recommending it and he ordered it right away saying that I give my book recommendations are good. I felt like the librarian in this book when he said that. Now I have become a fan of books translated from Japanese. If you have any recommendations, please share them as comments in this post. I highly recommend you read this one!

4. The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas

For someone obsessed with time travel & murder mystery, this was a terrific read. I also loved the all-women leads factor of this book. To be honest, I have had enough of male time travellers. So, this book was a refreshing change. The non-linear narrative might get confusing at times, but overall it was an engrossing read. The intrigue was maintained till the end, though the identity of the murder victim was a bit predictable for me. Recommending this to time travel lovers!

5. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

This was a book club read. And what a thrilling ride it was! The freak accident I met with gave me ample time to finish this engaging domestic thriller. This book was also my quickest read since I finished it within two days on my Kindle. I have read a few domestic thrillers and this book too falls under the same category. If you are a Gone Girl and The Girl On The Train fan, you can go for this.

6. A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver

Poems must, of course, be written in emotional freedom.

I wanted/want to cultivate my poetry by reading more and more. So, I’m on this path of choosing poetry guidebooks to read. Hence, I started with Mary Oliver’s amazing guide. She is someone I look up to on my poetic journey. My friends have also said that my poetic voice sometimes reflects hers. Well, in this book, she explains the requirements of writing a good poem in her signature tone and style. Not at any point it was preachy. Recommended for poets!

7. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

I’m a Sylvia Plath devotee. Her poems and a few chapters from her journal saved me in 2020 and 2021. I read The Bell Jar first in 2016 and forgot most of it. I wasn’t a Sylvia fan back then. But then I became her superfan in 2020 after I got introduced to her poetry. Since then I had been wanting to reread this masterpiece of a novel. I would recommend this left and right to anyone just for the sheer brilliance of Sylvia’s writing. Please read it!

8. The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Volume 1 by Anaïs Nin

I have this weird obsession with reading diaries written by women in the early 1900s. I could relate to most of what Anaïs wrote in this deeply personal record. A few might find her lifestyle objectionable, but she lived this bold, intense life, which according to me, is something to be cherished. Her words actually empower me a lot. If you are a woman, struggling to carve your identity in this world, you must read Anaïs’ diaries.

9. The Daughters of Madurai by Rajasree Variyar

This was also another book club read. The premise was captivating, but I had lots of problems with the book. The plot was quite intense, but it was bogged down by a draggy narration. Though I didn’t skip any paragraphs, I still had to painfully read through the slow narration. There were also repetitive scenes which could have been avoided. Above all, the out-of-place names of the characters irked me a lot. It wasn’t period-specific too. A girl born in the late 80s in a small village in Tamil Nadu is not going to be named Lavanika! The author could have done some research on the names.

10. In The Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith

One of the reasons I live is to read Alexander McCall Smith’s The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Enough said, I think. The man is releasing the 25th instalment of this book this year and I’m pretty frustrated that I have just finished the 6th book. I have made a pact to myself that I’d read at least 3-4 books in this series per year. So, I’m eagerly waiting for my next read. Go for this series if you’re looking for something cosy, beautiful, and warm to read!

11. My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

I picked this up to read because it was one of the oldest books on my shelf. But also, as I mentioned already, I love Kinsella’s books. There might be issues, but her narration keeps me invested in her characters and their lives. I thought I wouldn’t be picking up her books at the fairs anymore, but I’m gonna continue buying. If you are a fan of chick-lit and lighthearted reads, go for this!

12. Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Yes, it is that popular book that everyone is reading these days. Another Japanese novel translated into English. To be frank, I didn’t love it as much as I loved What You’re Looking For is In The Library, but it was still a beautiful read. It might have been the textbook kinda narration that put me off a bit. And yes, it’s got my favourite concept (time travel) in it. I have all the books in this series and I’m looking forward to reading them.

So, there goes the half-year list of books I read. I’ll meet you all again in this space on December 31st, 2024. This post is a part of Blogchatter Blog Hop.

Love,
Kavya Janani. U