July 25

*This review was initially published at The Readdicts Book Blog. For more book related content, go here .

A collection of queer dark fiction sounded right up my alley and super intriguing. To top it all of, Unburied is a collection of short stories *This review was initially published at The Readdicts Book Blog. For more book related content, go here .

A collection of queer dark fiction sounded right up my alley and super intriguing. To top it all of, Unburied is a collection of short stories that are just the perfect length and still manage to pack in heaps of action, which works perfectly. From supernatural, psychological, science fiction and paranormal horror to dark fantasy to ghost stories to psychological thrillers, this collection has something for all taste buds and each story is unique, spooky and shudder in its own way.

While it took me a while to really get into the collection as a whole, there are many stories that I know are going to stay with me for a long time to come. I did consider mentioning them, only to realise it’s more than half of them, so I will let the titles pass. The reason I picked up this book is because it has a not so surprisingly astonishing short story by my all time favourite writer, Azzurra Nox.

Overall, this collection is packed with engrossing and spine-chilling stories that are so well written and narrated that you will definitely want more. If you’re into horror and psychological thrillers, this is the perfect book for you. To come up with a horror stories collection that is queer only is a brilliant idea and in this case, it was executed astoundingly.

Another point worth mentioning is that this collection is really an eye-opener in a way in that it takes up serious issues like domestic violence in same sex relationships and mental illnesses in manner that’s implicit but still makes one ponder and in turn, probably serving its purpose in the first place.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Rebecca Rowland in exchange for an honest review. We thank them. ...more

Actual rating- 3.5

*This review was initially published at The Readdicts Book Blog. For more book related content, go here .

When I first got to know that my student for a while Raunak has written a collection of poetry, I was quite looking forward Actual rating- 3.5

*This review was initially published at The Readdicts Book Blog. For more book related content, go here .

When I first got to know that my student for a while Raunak has written a collection of poetry, I was quite looking forward to it, and the writer was kind to send me a copy of the book. As someone who is slowly getting into poetry, I was genuinely curious to know what this collection would hold and I must say that I was quite impressed.

A collection of poetry, this book is systematically divided into four parts: Beautiful general poems, Love and related thoughts, Engaging and hard hitting poems and Cosmos and stories beyond. While each part is unique in its own way, I found the second and third parts to be extremely well thought of and expressed. Raunak’s writing, even with its simpleness or perhaps exactly because of that, manages to touch the right chord.

Seeds to Stars is straight from the heart with poems that are simple and relatable. These are the kind of poems that make you feel comfortable and connected with others, solving the purpose of sharing words. Definitely a poet to look out for, Raunak has heaps of potential and there’s quite a bunch to look forward to from him.

To pack in so much emotion in one collection itself is quite a feat which Raunak has nailed quite well. If you are also trying to get into poetry, this one is surely a great read to start with.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Raunak Mhetre in exchange for an honest review. We thank them. ...more

*This review was initially published at The Readdicts Book Blog. For more book related content, go here .

Not a fan of romances, I had been seeing but not really wanting to read author Sundari Venkatraman’s books through Rubina Ramesh’s work for ye *This review was initially published at The Readdicts Book Blog. For more book related content, go here .

Not a fan of romances, I had been seeing but not really wanting to read author Sundari Venkatraman’s books through Rubina Ramesh’s work for years now. When I started following and interacting with the author on Instagram and got to know how wonderful she is, I was curious to give her romances a go. Sundari ma’am was kind to offer me a copy of Her Prince Charming, which turned out to be a really good read that I devoured in two days.

A classical romance set in Delhi and Bombay of 1970s, Her Prince Charming is the story of Tanuja, a beautiful girl who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters. She then meets Raj Malhotra, the two fall in love and the rest, as they say, is history. A Cinderella like romance, I really enjoyed going back in time with this one. It was amazing to sit back and read about love the way I grew up knowing about it. There was something truly endearing about this story that made a non romance lover like me smile.

Although there are quite a few instances in the book that would be considered problematic in today’s day and age, for the time it is set in, Her Prince Charming, above anything else, is a really good story and does its job wonderfully of helping the reader escape reality for a while. A sweet story with characters that make it both relatable and fun, I loved going back in time the most with this book.

The small details like food, places in the two cities and clothes did not go unnoticed and added so much charm and beauty to this story. Author Sundari Venkatraman’s writing is simple and beautiful, just like her. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading- surprise surprise- more romances from her.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Sundari Venkataraman in exchange for an honest review. We thank them. ...more

Actual rating- 3.5

*This review was initially published at The Readdicts Book Blog. For more book related content, go here .

When I first got to know that my student for a while Raunak has written a collection of poetry, I was quite looking forward Actual rating- 3.5

*This review was initially published at The Readdicts Book Blog. For more book related content, go here .

When I first got to know that my student for a while Raunak has written a collection of poetry, I was quite looking forward to it, and the writer was kind to send me a copy of the book. As someone who is slowly getting into poetry, I was genuinely curious to know what this collection would hold and I must say that I was quite impressed.

A collection of poetry, this book is systematically divided into four parts: Beautiful general poems, Love and related thoughts, Engaging and hard hitting poems and Cosmos and stories beyond. While each part is unique in its own way, I found the second and third parts to be extremely well thought of and expressed. Raunak’s writing, even with its simpleness or perhaps exactly because of that, manages to touch the right chord.

Seeds to Stars is straight from the heart with poems that are simple and relatable. These are the kind of poems that make you feel comfortable and connected with others, solving the purpose of sharing words. Definitely a poet to look out for, Raunak has heaps of potential and there’s quite a bunch to look forward to from him.

To pack in so much emotion in one collection itself is quite a feat which Raunak has nailed quite well. If you are also trying to get into poetry, this one is surely a great read to start with.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Raunak Mhetre in exchange for an honest review. We thank them. ...more