Review #693: The Nine-Chambered Heart by Janice Pariat

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“Love, it never dies. It never goes away, it never fades, so long as you hang on to it. Love can make you immortal”

----Gayle Forman

Janice Pariat, an award winning Indian writer, has penned an evocative and mesmerizing "fictional" biography through love called, The Nine-Chambered Heart that narrates the life story of a woman through nine characters, who has previously loved her or whom she has loved, either briefly or longwindedly in her life. The readers will only get to know this woman through the varied perspectives of the nine characters. And the one thing is clear from reading this book, that love never stays permanently in reality, but it lives on inside one's heart for as long as time goes on, and that is aptly captured by the author in this book.

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Review #691: Austenistan by Laaleen Sukhera

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


“A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.”

----Jane Austen

The Jane Austen Society of Pakistan started by the journalist-cum-author, Laaleen Sukhera payed a homage to our very dear and favorite 18th century author, Jane Austen, by penning some Austen-themed stories about the rich, some feminist and damsel-in-distress type, dramatic, haughty aristocrat Muslim women, who are way past their "marriageable age" of a posh society based in Pakistan, through a book called Austenistan featuring a collection of seven short stories written by the members of the Jane Austen fan club and is edited by Laaleen Sukhera.

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Review #563: The High Priestess Never Marries by Sharanya Manivannan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.”

----Robert A. Heinlein

Sharanya Manivannan, an Indian author, pens a heart touching, extremely gratifying and thoroughly thought provoking book of short stories, The High Priestess Never Marries, about love and marriage, Sharanya Manivannan where the author weaves stories, ranging from half a page length to almost 50 pages long, of independent women of today's century and also those who are not fearless to break free from the rules, all the while letting the readers to give wings to their hearts' desires over the values of the society.

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Review #539: All the Sad Young Men by Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


“He wanted to care, and he could not care. For he had gone away and he could never go back anymore. The gates were closed, the sun was down, and there was no beauty left but the gray beauty of steel that withstands all time. Even the grief he could have borne was left behind in the country of youth, of illusion, of the richness of life, where his winter dreams had flourished.”

----F. Scott Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, an American writer, published his collection of short stories, All the Sad Young Men after the fame of his most popular novel, The Great Gatsby where the author has used the same themes of flapper and Jazz age, where the rich men and women had the time of their lives without giving a care about other people around them. This collection reflects that era in American when money mixed with sweat looked like glitter and emotions ran wild among the folks.

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Review #403: Mothers, Tell Your Daughters by Bonnie Jo Campbell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“Our mothers always remain the strangest, craziest people we've ever met.”

----Marguerite Duras

Bonnie Jo Campbell, an award-wining American author, has penned a book of short stories, Mothers, Tell Your Daughters, that unfolds the stories of some hard-working middle-class some abused and some vulnerable women in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Each and every story has a female protagonist who narrates an unusually raw and shamefully honest story about their lives that questions our male dominated society.

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Review #374: The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What if an author does not give an ending to her mind-twisting and really excellent story? Does the book become bad and meaningless? C'mon y'all, we are smart and clever enough to think the possible ending as the author is trying to leave it her readers' best-possible imagination, the climax maybe bad or good, it all depends on how a reader precept it, and that's where the beauty and skillfulness of an author's work lies and that's when we, the readers, can gladly say that it is a fantastic piece of work by the author! I think if I had more than 5 stars I would give that to such an author.

Welcome to Gillian Flynn's world of horror/psychological thrilling short story called, The Grownup.

“She defines and eliminates problems. She’s practical in an evil way.”

----Gillian Flynn

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Review #326: Sinful Cinderella by Anita Valle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“We all want to feel like the most beautiful woman in the room, to be chosen and loved forever. The Cinderella story gives us hope of our impossible dreams becoming true.” 

----Beth M Jones

Anita Valle, an American author, has penned a gripping tale out of one of the famous fairy tales in the world, Cinderella in her new novella, Sinful Cinderella that unfolds Cinderella's story not only with magic, but also with darkness, evil and fear, by depicting a lonesome, clever girl who will stop at nothing to win the heart of the prince.

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Review #310: The Girl Who Collected Butterflies (Haunted Minds #3) by John Hennessy

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“I will hurt you for this. I don't know how yet, but give me time. A day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you'll know the debt is paid.”

----George R.R. Martin

John Hennessy, the British paranormal YA author, pens his third book in the Haunted Minds series, The Girl Who Collected Butterflies, and this time the ghost/witch of the house on 110 Normandy Road is back with vengeance, and she will not rest until she succeeds in punishing the evil souls.

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Birthday Blog Tour of Traveling Left of Center by Nancy Christie- Review & Interview

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad.”

----Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, an American poet

Nancy Christie, an American author, spun a remarkable collection of stories about sorrow and pain in her book, Traveling Left of Center.

Synopsis:
""Girl," my mama had said to me the minute she entered my hospital room, "on the highway of life, you're always traveling left of center." (from "Traveling Left of Center)" What happens when people face life situations for which they are emotionally or mentally unprepared? They may choose to allow fate to dictate the path they take-a decision that can lead to disastrous results. The characters in "Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories" are unable or unwilling to seize control over their lives, relying instead on coping methods that range from the passive ("The Healer") and the aggressive ("The Clock") to the humorous ("Traveling Left of Center") and hopeful ("Skating on Thin Ice"). But the outcomes may not be what they anticipated or desired. Will they have time to correct their course or will they crash? Included in this collection of short stories are the critically acclaimed Alice in Wonderland and Annabelle.

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