Apoorva's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 08 Apr 2025 13:39:47 -0700 60 Apoorva's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Little Mermaid 452717 48 Hans Christian Andersen 0679887571 Apoorva 5 childrens 4.11 1836 The Little Mermaid
author: Hans Christian Andersen
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1836
rating: 5
read at: 2016/07/17
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: childrens
review:

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<![CDATA[Games people play: The psychology of human relationships]]> 13245420 Do you realise you, and all the people you know, play games? All the time? Sexual games, marital games, complex games that you're not even aware of as you go about your usual life? You might play games like 'Alcoholic'; or 'The Frigid Woman' at weekends, or perhaps 'Ain't it awful' or 'Kick me' while you're at work.

First published in the 1960s and recognized as a classic work of its kind by professionals, the bestselling 'Games People Play' is also an accessible and fascinating read. It is a wise, original, witty and very sensible analysis of the games we play in order to live with one another and with ourselves.

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176 Eric Berne 0141938366 Apoorva 0 currently-reading 3.54 1964 Games people play: The psychology of human relationships
author: Eric Berne
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.54
book published: 1964
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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The Myth of Sisyphus 39947376 The Myth of Sisyphus—featured here in a stand-alone edition—is a crucial exposition of existentialist thought. Influenced by works such as Don Juan and the novels of Kafka, these essays begin with a meditation on suicide--the question of living or not living in a universe devoid of order or meaning. With lyric eloquence, Albert Camus brilliantly posits a way out of despair, reaffirming the value of personal existence, and the possibility of life lived with dignity and authenticity.]]> 160 Albert Camus 0525564454 Apoorva 0 currently-reading 4.09 1942 The Myth of Sisyphus
author: Albert Camus
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1942
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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<![CDATA[The Courage To Be Disliked: How to free yourself, change your life and achieve real happiness]]> 38598410 The Japanese phenomenon that teaches us the simple yet profound lessons required to liberate our real selves and find lasting happiness.

The Courage to be Disliked shows you how to unlock the power within yourself to become your best and truest self, change your future and find lasting happiness. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of 19th century psychology alongside Freud and Jung, the authors explain how we are all free to determine our own future free of the shackles of past experiences, doubts and the expectations of others. It's a philosophy that's profoundly liberating, allowing us to develop the courage to change, and to ignore the limitations that we and those around us can place on ourselves.

The result is a book that is both highly accessible and profound in its importance. Millions have already read and benefited from its wisdom. Now that The Courage to be Disliked has been published for the first time in English, so can you.

Three million copies sold worldwide.

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288 Ichiro Kishimi 1760630721 Apoorva 5 4.16 2013 The Courage To Be Disliked: How to free yourself, change your life and achieve real happiness
author: Ichiro Kishimi
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: favorites, life-changing, non-fiction, owned, personal-development, psychology, philosophy-religion
review:

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<![CDATA[The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living: Featuring new translations of Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius]]> 32327872
Why have history's greatest minds—from George Washington to Frederick the Great to Ralph Waldo Emerson, along with today's top performers from Super Bowl-winning football coaches to CEOs and celebrities—embraced the wisdom of the ancient Stoics? Because they realize that the most valuable wisdom is timeless and that philosophy is for living a better life, not a classroom exercise.

The Daily Stoic offers 366 days of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations from the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca, or slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus, as well as lesser-known luminaries like Zeno, Cleanthes, and Musonius Rufus. Every day of the year you'll find one of their pithy, powerful quotations, as well as historical anecdotes, provocative commentary, and a helpful glossary of Greek terms.

By following these teachings over the course of a year (and, indeed, for years to come) you'll find the serenity, self-knowledge, and resilience you need to live well.]]>
413 Ryan Holiday 178283317X Apoorva 0 on-hold 4.51 2016 The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living: Featuring new translations of Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius
author: Ryan Holiday
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: on-hold
review:

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Pride & Prejudice 41456268 520 Jane Austen 938777967X Apoorva 5 4.49 1813 Pride & Prejudice
author: Jane Austen
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.49
book published: 1813
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: classics, favorites, romance, books-to-read-before-you-die, on-hold
review:

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The Count of Monte Cristo 38636751 ]]> 1096 Alexandre Dumas 8175993677 Apoorva 0 owned, on-hold 4.81 1846 The Count of Monte Cristo
author: Alexandre Dumas
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.81
book published: 1846
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: owned, on-hold
review:

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Bunny (Bunny, #1) 43882078 The Vegetarian meets Heathers in this darkly funny, seductively strange novel about a lonely graduate student drawn into a clique of rich girls.

'We were just these innocent girls in the night trying to make something beautiful. We nearly died. We very nearly did, didn't we?'

Samantha Heather Mackey couldn't be more of an outsider in her small, highly selective MFA program at New England's Warren University. A scholarship student who prefers the company of her dark imagination to that of most people, she is utterly repelled by the rest of her fiction writing cohort � a clique of unbearably twee rich girls who call each other 'Bunny', and are often found entangled in a group hug so tight they become one.

But everything changes when Samantha receives an invitation to the Bunnies' fabled 'Smut Salon', and finds herself inexplicably drawn to their front door � ditching her only friend, Ava, in the process. As Samantha plunges deeper and deeper into the sinister yet saccharine world of the Bunnies, the edges of reality begin to blur, and her friendships with Ava and the Bunnies are brought into deadly collision.

A spellbinding, down-the-rabbit-hole tale of loneliness and belonging, creativity and agency, and friendship and desire, Bunny is the dazzlingly original second book from the author of 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl.]]>
289 Mona Awad Apoorva 0 did-not-finish 3.36 2019 Bunny (Bunny, #1)
author: Mona Awad
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: did-not-finish
review:

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<![CDATA[Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1)]]> 53430903 Alternate covers for B0031RSBPU can be found
here, here, and here

Contains a sneak preview of Inferno, Dan Brown’s astonishing new Robert Langdon thriller.

CERN Institute, Switzerland: a world-renowned scientist is found brutally murdered with a mysterious symbol seared onto his chest.

The Vatican, Rome: the College of Cardinals assembles to elect a new pope. Somewhere beneath them, an unstoppable bomb of terrifying power relentlessly counts down to oblivion.

In a breathtaking race against time, Harvard professor Robert Langdon must decipher a labyrinthine trail of ancient symbols if he is to defeat those responsible - the Illuminati, a secret brotherhood presumed extinct for nearly four hundred years, reborn to continue their deadly vendetta against their most hated enemy, the Catholic Church.]]>
498 Dan Brown Apoorva 5 Review to come... 4.32 2000 Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1)
author: Dan Brown
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at: 2021/10/02
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves: mystery-thriller-horror, adult
review:
Review to come...
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Faust 406373 Faust reworks the late medieval myth of a brilliant scholar so disillusioned he resolves to make a contract with Mephistopheles. The devil will do all he asks on Earth and seeks to grant him a moment in life so glorious that he will wish it to last forever. But if Faust does bid the moment stay, he falls to Mephistopheles and must serve him after death. In this first part of Goethe’s great work, the embittered thinker and Mephistopheles enter into their agreement, and soon Faust is living a rejuvenated life and winning the love of the beautiful Gretchen. But in this compelling tragedy of arrogance, unfulfilled desire, and self-delusion, Faust heads inexorably toward an infernal destruction.]]> 503 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 0385031149 Apoorva 0 tbr-pile 3.90 1808 Faust
author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1808
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves: tbr-pile
review:

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<![CDATA[The Metamorphosis and Other Stories]]> 7723 The Metamorphosis,� a story that is both harrowing and amusing, and a landmark of modern literature.

Bringing together some of Kafka’s finest work, this collection demonstrates the richness and variety of the author’s artistry. �The Judgment,� which Kafka considered to be his decisive breakthrough, and �The Stoker,� which became the first chapter of his novel Amerika, are here included. These two, along with �The Metamorphosis,� form a suite of stories Kafka referred to as “The Sons,� and they collectively present a devastating portrait of the modern family.

Also included are �In the Penal Colony,� a story of a torture machine and its operators and victims, and �A Hunger Artist,� about the absurdity of an artist trying to communicate with a misunderstanding public. Kafka’s lucid, succinct writing chronicles the labyrinthine complexities, the futility-laden horror, and the stifling oppressiveness that permeate his vision of modern life.]]>
224 Franz Kafka 1593080298 Apoorva 0 tbr-pile 4.08 1915 The Metamorphosis and Other Stories
author: Franz Kafka
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1915
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves: tbr-pile
review:

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Rumpelstiltskin 280251 32 Jacob Grimm 1558586172 Apoorva 3 childrens 3.75 Rumpelstiltskin
author: Jacob Grimm
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/16
date added: 2024/10/28
shelves: childrens
review:

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<![CDATA[A Million Suns (Across the Universe, #2)]]> 12237315 Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.]]>
400 Beth Revis 1101552247 Apoorva 4 4.00 2012 A Million Suns (Across the Universe, #2)
author: Beth Revis
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/19
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: sci-fi-futuristic, dystopia-postapocalypse-utopia, young-adult, beautiful-covers
review:

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<![CDATA[Bronze Gods (Apparatus Infernum, #1)]]> 12970155 Danger stalks the city of steam and shadows.

Janus Mikani and Celeste Ritsuko work all hours in the Criminal Investigation Division, keeping citizens safe. He’s a charming rogue with an uncanny sixth sense; she’s all logic—and the division’s first female inspector. Between his instincts and her brains, they collar more criminals than any other partnership in the CID.

Then they’re assigned a potentially volatile case in which one misstep could end their careers. At first, the search for a missing heiress seems straightforward, but when the girl is found murdered—her body charred to cinders—Mikani and Ritsuko’s modus operandi is challenged as never before. It soon becomes clear the bogeyman has stepped out of nightmares to stalk gaslit streets, and it’s up to them to hunt him down. There’s a madman on the loose, weaving blood and magic in an intricate, lethal ritual that could mean the end of everything…]]>
336 A.A. Aguirre 1101622385 Apoorva 0 to-read 3.69 2013 Bronze Gods (Apparatus Infernum, #1)
author: A.A. Aguirre
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: to-read
review:

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Beauty Queens 11299983
What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program--or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan--or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.]]>
405 Libba Bray 0545388716 Apoorva 0 tbr-pile 3.66 2011 Beauty Queens
author: Libba Bray
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: tbr-pile
review:

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More Than This 18160626 From two-time Carnegie Medal winner Patrick Ness comes an enthralling and provocative new novel chronicling the life � or perhaps afterlife � of a teen trapped in a crumbling, abandoned world.

A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he here? And where is this place? It looks like the suburban English town where he lived as a child, before an unthinkable tragedy happened and his family moved to America. But the neighborhood around his old house is overgrown, covered in dust, and completely abandoned. What’s going on? And why is it that whenever he closes his eyes, he falls prey to vivid, agonizing memories that seem more real than the world around him? Seth begins a search for answers, hoping that he might not be alone, that this might not be the hell he fears it to be, that there might be more than just this. . .]]>
480 Patrick Ness 0763667676 Apoorva 0 tbr-pile 3.77 2013 More Than This
author: Patrick Ness
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: tbr-pile
review:

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Opal (Lux, #3) 16225653 No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well� There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different� And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger� and they know it.]]>
382 Jennifer L. Armentrout 1620610108 Apoorva 5 paranormal, aliens 4.25 2012 Opal (Lux, #3)
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: paranormal, aliens
review:

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<![CDATA[We'll Always Have Summer (Summer, #3)]]> 72606751 320 Jenny Han 1416995609 Apoorva 1 3.82 2011 We'll Always Have Summer (Summer, #3)
author: Jenny Han
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2011
rating: 1
read at: 2017/05/10
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: contemporary, young-adult, romance, finished-series
review:

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<![CDATA[Bridget Jones's Diary (Bridget Jones, #1)]]> 6342773 The #1 bestselling book that defined the 20th century—now updated for the 25th Anniversary!

Meet Bridget Jones—a 30-something Singleton who is certain she would have all the answers if she

a. lose 7 pounds
b. stop smoking
c. develop Inner Poise

Bridget Jones’s Diary is the devastatingly self-aware, laugh-out-loud daily chronicle of Bridget’s permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement—a year in which she resolves visit the gym three times a week, not just to buy a sandwich, form a relationship with a functional adult, and learn to work the television remote.

Over the course of the year, Bridget loses a total of 72 pounds but gains a total of 74. She remains, however, optimistic. Through it all, Bridget will have you helpless with laughter, and—like millions of readers the world round—you’ll find yourself shouting, “Bridget Jones is me!”]]>
324 Helen Fielding 1101199547 Apoorva 0 to-read 3.80 1996 Bridget Jones's Diary (Bridget Jones, #1)
author: Helen Fielding
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.80
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: to-read
review:

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Burial Rites 18244056
Agnes is sent to wait out the time leading to her execution on the farm of District Officer Jon Jonsson, his wife and their two daughters. Horrified to have a convicted murderess in their midst, the family avoids speaking with Agnes. Only Toti, the young assistant reverend appointed as Agnes' spiritual guardian, is compelled to try to understand her, as he attempts to salvage her soul. As the summer months fall away to winter and the hardships of rural life force the household to work side by side, Agnes' ill-fated tale of longing and betrayal begins to emerge. And as the days to her execution draw closer, the question did she or didn't she?

Based on a true story, Burial Rites is a deeply moving novel about personal who we are seen to be versus who we believe ourselves to be, and the ways in which we will risk everything for love. In beautiful, cut-glass prose, Hannah Kent portrays Iceland's formidable landscape, where every day is a battle for survival, and asks, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?]]>
352 Hannah Kent 1743287917 Apoorva 4
Until her execution, she is sent to live with a family who isn't very thrilled to have a 'murderess', as they call her living under their roof. Her only comfort

is Toti, a priest whom she chooses to be her spiritual guardian for unknown reason.
The priest is sent to guide the 'condemned' woman towards salvation and he tries to understand her. Little by little, she unravels the story of her life

leading to the events upto the murder. The family soon learns that there is another side to the story.
The book is beautifully written. The writer's description of the Icelandic weather will give you the feels of the long and cold winters, the short summer, the

haymaking, the planting seasons. Everyday is a battle for survival. The story has switching point of views so we get more perspective and insight on other

character's thoughts and feelings. But, Agnes' description of her life is dark, melancholic and so beautiful that it draws you in and makes you symphathise

her. The poverty, desperation, lonliness, betrayal, grief of Agnes is captured with simple clarity. She finds herself confiding in Toti who does his best to

understand her. The family learns that she is kind, hard working, efficient and intellectual woman. Agnes works hard and find herself falling back in a

routine which gives her a little peace but each passing day brings her closer to her death which unsettles her. The family grows closer and starts caring for

her but her fate is sealed. Eventually we learn her part in the murder but even when she chose to tell the truth, it was spun and twisted and now she

struggles for her freedom. There is great difference between who you are and who people think you are. This is very thought provoking and touching

novel about endurance, hope, struggles and freedom.]]>
4.16 2013 Burial Rites
author: Hannah Kent
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2016/03/31
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: historical-fiction, beautiful-covers, adult, favorites-2, tear-jerking, beautiful-writing
review:
The book set in Iceland in the year 1829 tells the story of Agnes who, along with two other people is charged with the murder of her former employer.

Until her execution, she is sent to live with a family who isn't very thrilled to have a 'murderess', as they call her living under their roof. Her only comfort

is Toti, a priest whom she chooses to be her spiritual guardian for unknown reason.
The priest is sent to guide the 'condemned' woman towards salvation and he tries to understand her. Little by little, she unravels the story of her life

leading to the events upto the murder. The family soon learns that there is another side to the story.
The book is beautifully written. The writer's description of the Icelandic weather will give you the feels of the long and cold winters, the short summer, the

haymaking, the planting seasons. Everyday is a battle for survival. The story has switching point of views so we get more perspective and insight on other

character's thoughts and feelings. But, Agnes' description of her life is dark, melancholic and so beautiful that it draws you in and makes you symphathise

her. The poverty, desperation, lonliness, betrayal, grief of Agnes is captured with simple clarity. She finds herself confiding in Toti who does his best to

understand her. The family learns that she is kind, hard working, efficient and intellectual woman. Agnes works hard and find herself falling back in a

routine which gives her a little peace but each passing day brings her closer to her death which unsettles her. The family grows closer and starts caring for

her but her fate is sealed. Eventually we learn her part in the murder but even when she chose to tell the truth, it was spun and twisted and now she

struggles for her freedom. There is great difference between who you are and who people think you are. This is very thought provoking and touching

novel about endurance, hope, struggles and freedom.
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<![CDATA[The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle, #2)]]> 18039177 453 Maggie Stiefvater 0545577179 Apoorva 3 young-adult, urban-fantasy 4.21 2013 The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle, #2)
author: Maggie Stiefvater
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2016/04/25
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: young-adult, urban-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Creekwood, #1)]]> 22754644
Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.

Incredibly funny and poignant, this twenty-first-century coming-of-age, coming out story—wrapped in a geek romance—is a knockout of a debut novel by Becky Albertalli.]]>
325 Becky Albertalli 0062348698 Apoorva 4 4.33 2015 Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Creekwood, #1)
author: Becky Albertalli
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2016/11/28
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: feminism-lgbtq-social-issues, young-adult, contemporary, romance, feel-good-books
review:

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The Comfort Book 57124302 A manual of reflections for an increasingly stressful world

Nothing is strongerthan a small hope thatdoesn’t give up.

A collection of little islands of hope, The Comfort Book gathers consolations and stories that give us new ways of seeing ourselves and the world.

Matt Haig’s mix of philosophy, memoir and self-reflection builds on the wisdom of philosophers and survivors through the ages, from Marcus Aurelius to Nellie Bly, from Emily Dickinson to James Baldwin.

This is the book to pick up when you need the wisdom of a friend or the comfort of a hug, or just want to celebrate the messy miracle of being alive.]]>
268 Matt Haig 0525508163 Apoorva 4 4.09 2021 The Comfort Book
author: Matt Haig
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/04/15
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry]]> 20768214 Special Free Preview!

In the spirit of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Gabrielle Zevin’s enchanting novel is a love letter to the world of books--and booksellers--that changes our lives by giving us the stories that open our hearts and enlighten our minds.

On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto "No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World." A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island--from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.’s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.

And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, but large in weight. It’s that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.’s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.

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250 Gabrielle Zevin 1616204419 Apoorva 0 tbr-pile 3.98 2014 The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
author: Gabrielle Zevin
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: tbr-pile
review:

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A Happy Death 19216303 A Happy Death, written when he was in his early twenties and retrieved from his private papers following his death in 1960, Albert Camus laid the foundation for The Stranger, focusing in both works on an Algerian clerk who kills a man in cold blood. But he also revealed himself to an extent that he never would in his later fiction. For if A Happy Death is the study of a rule-bound being shattering the fetters of his existence, it is also a remarkably candid portrait of its author as a young man.
As the novel follows the protagonist, Patrice Mersault, to his victim's house—and then, fleeing, in a journey that takes him through stages of exile, hedonism, privation, and death—it gives us a glimpse into the imagination of one of the great writers of the twentieth century. For here is the young Camus himself, in love with the sea and sun, enraptured by women yet disdainful of romantic love, and already formulating the philosophy of action and moral responsibility that would make him central to the thought of our time.

Translated from the French by Richard Howard]]>
210 Albert Camus 0307827844 Apoorva 0 tbr-pile 3.83 1971 A Happy Death
author: Albert Camus
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1971
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: tbr-pile
review:

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The Scarlet Letter 8126200 This tragic novel of sin and redemption is Hawthorne's masterpiece of American fiction.An ardent young woman, her cowardly lover, and her aging vengeful husband—these are the central characters in this stark drama of the conflict between passion and convention in the harsh world of seventeenth-century Boston. Tremendously moving and rich in psychological insight, this dramatic depiction of the struggle between mind and heart illuminates Hawthorne's concern with our Puritan past and its influence on American life.With an Introduction by Brenda Wineappleand an Afterword by Regina BarrecaThis edition includes an early Hawthorne story that contains the germ of The Scarlet Letter.]]> 164 Nathaniel Hawthorne 1101105348 Apoorva 0 to-read 3.57 1850 The Scarlet Letter
author: Nathaniel Hawthorne
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.57
book published: 1850
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: to-read
review:

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Stolen 11180068
Stolen is her gripping story of survival, of how she has to come to terms with her living nightmare - or die trying to fight it.]]>
306 Lucy Christopher 0545361117 Apoorva 3 First off, the description of landscapes in the book is very vivid and beautiful. I felt the plot was very interesting- a girl stalked and later kidnapped by this twisted young man who is in love with her. But, the letter was more of an account of the events that took place after she was taken so it didn't feel like a letter at all. It was very slow paced & for more than half part of the book, Gemma is trying to escape from Ty & it's only after the snakebite that she starts feeling something which kinda abrupt & after which she parts from him. There is no exploration of her conflicting feelings and her attachment to him. We only learn bits and pieces about their lives before so it's difficult to connect with them. And, as to why Ty really kidnaps her is very unspecific. I didn't get the true motive and intention behind Ty's behavior. I didn't really care about the characters and I felt Ty was just another troubled man who needed help. Only, I loved the portrayal of desolate Australia with it's warm days and starry nights and charming scenarios.]]> 3.82 2009 Stolen
author: Lucy Christopher
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2016/03/26
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: young-adult, contemporary, romance, beautiful-writing
review:
'Stolen' is a book written in the form of a letter by Gemma who is captured and taken to Australian outback by her captor Ty. She later learns that Ty, young and handsome guy has been stalking her since she was ten and he has been planning to kidnap her for a very long time.
First off, the description of landscapes in the book is very vivid and beautiful. I felt the plot was very interesting- a girl stalked and later kidnapped by this twisted young man who is in love with her. But, the letter was more of an account of the events that took place after she was taken so it didn't feel like a letter at all. It was very slow paced & for more than half part of the book, Gemma is trying to escape from Ty & it's only after the snakebite that she starts feeling something which kinda abrupt & after which she parts from him. There is no exploration of her conflicting feelings and her attachment to him. We only learn bits and pieces about their lives before so it's difficult to connect with them. And, as to why Ty really kidnaps her is very unspecific. I didn't get the true motive and intention behind Ty's behavior. I didn't really care about the characters and I felt Ty was just another troubled man who needed help. Only, I loved the portrayal of desolate Australia with it's warm days and starry nights and charming scenarios.
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<![CDATA[The Edge of Never (The Edge of Never, #1)]]> 17622843 --The New York Times, USA Today, and Wallstreet Journal bestselling blockbuster--

This new paperback edition includes exclusive bonus material - an all-new full chapter from Andrew's point of view during a crucial scene!

Sometimes life takes you off course . . .

THE EDGE OF NEVER

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett thought she knew exactly where her life was going. But after a wild night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she shocks everyone-including herself-when she decides to leave the only life she's ever known and set out on her own. Grabbing her purse and her cell phone, Camryn boards a Greyhound bus ready to find herself. Instead, she finds Andrew Parrish.

Sexy and exciting, Andrew lives life like there is no tomorrow. He persuades Camryn to do things she never thought she would and shows her how to give in to her deepest, most forbidden desires. Soon he becomes the center of her daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But there is more to Andrew than Camryn realizes. Will his secret push them inseparably together-or destroy them forever?]]>
452 J.A. Redmerski 1455548995 Apoorva 2 4.07 2012 The Edge of Never (The Edge of Never, #1)
author: J.A. Redmerski
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2012
rating: 2
read at: 2015/12/01
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: new-adult, illness-insanity-death
review:

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This Song Will Save Your Life 18115294 Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, Leila Sales' THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.]]> 288 Leila Sales 0374351392 Apoorva 0 tbr-pile 3.94 2013 This Song Will Save Your Life
author: Leila Sales
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: tbr-pile
review:

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<![CDATA[The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy, #3)]]> 28587801
At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?]]>
496 Marie Rutkoski 1408858754 Apoorva 4 4.16 2016 The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy, #3)
author: Marie Rutkoski
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/11
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: young-adult, fantasy, favorites-2, beautiful-writing, finished-series
review:

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Bloodlines (Bloodlines, #1) 11201920 397 Richelle Mead 1101535547 Apoorva 3 4.22 2011 Bloodlines (Bloodlines, #1)
author: Richelle Mead
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2019/04/14
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: urban-fantasy, young-adult, romance
review:

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<![CDATA[Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss, #3)]]> 16153521
Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.]]>
352 Stephanie Perkins 0142426261 Apoorva 4 4.04 2014 Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss, #3)
author: Stephanie Perkins
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2016/08/11
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: contemporary, romance, young-adult, feel-good-books, finished-series
review:

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<![CDATA[Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles, #1)]]> 8757361
Evanjalin is determined to return home and she is the only one who can lead them to the heir. As they journey together, Finnikin is affected by her arrogance . . . and her hope. He begins to believe he will see his childhood friend, Prince Balthazar, again. And that their cursed people will be able to enter Lumatere and be reunited with those trapped inside. He even believes he will find his imprisoned father.

But Evanjalin is not what she seems. And the truth will test not only Finnikin's faith in her . . . but in himself.]]>
417 Melina Marchetta 0763651753 Apoorva 0 on-hold 3.92 2008 Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles, #1)
author: Melina Marchetta
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: on-hold
review:

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I Am the Messenger 6563006
Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary), until only one question remains: Who’s behind Ed’s mission?]]>
357 Markus Zusak 030743348X Apoorva 0 tbr-pile 4.02 2002 I Am the Messenger
author: Markus Zusak
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: tbr-pile
review:

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<![CDATA[Tattoo Murder Case (Soho crime)]]> 20526250
The Tattoo Murder Case was originally published in 1948; this is the first English translation.]]>
352 Akimitsu Takagi 1569479321 Apoorva 3 3.87 1948 Tattoo Murder Case (Soho crime)
author: Akimitsu Takagi
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1948
rating: 3
read at: 2019/10/20
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: mystery-thriller-horror, japan
review:

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Bloodfever (Fever, #2) 6283277 255 Karen Marie Moning 0440337224 Apoorva 5 4.17 2007 Bloodfever (Fever, #2)
author: Karen Marie Moning
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2016/08/24
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: beautiful-covers, urban-fantasy, adult, favorites
review:

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Paper Towns 11428134 From the bestselling author of The Fault in our Stars and Looking for Alaska, now a major TV seriesQuentin Jacobsen has always loved Margo Roth Spiegelman, for Margo (and her adventures) are the stuff of legend at their high school. So when she one day climbs through his window and summons him on an all-night road trip of revenge he cannot help but follow. But the next day Margo doesn't come to school and a week later she is still missing. Q soon learns that there are clues in her disappearance . . . and they are for him. But as he gets deeper into the mystery � culminating in another awesome road trip across America � he becomes less sure of who and what he is looking for.Masterfully written by John Green, this is a thoughtful, insightful and hilarious coming-of-age story.]]> 320 John Green 1408811626 Apoorva 4 3.81 2008 Paper Towns
author: John Green
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2016/01/06
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: contemporary, mystery-thriller-horror, beautiful-covers, young-adult, favorites-2, beautiful-writing
review:

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<![CDATA[Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, #1)]]> 19095293 273 Stephanie Perkins 1742531814 Apoorva 4 4.12 2010 Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, #1)
author: Stephanie Perkins
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: contemporary, romance, young-adult, favorites-2, feel-good-books
review:

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The Elite (The Selection #2) 17230002 The Elite is a must-read for fans of dystopian fiction, fairy tales, and reality TV. This sequel to The Selection will enchant teens who love Divergent and The Bachelor.

In America Singer’s world, a bride is chosen for the prince through an elaborate televised competition. In the second book of the Selection series, America is one of only six girls left in the running. But is it Prince Maxon—and life as the queen—she wants? Or is it Aspen, her first love?

The Elite delivers the adventure, glamour, political intrigue, and romance readers of The Selection expect, and continues the love triangle that captivated them.]]>
337 Kiera Cass 006205998X Apoorva 2 4.07 2013 The Elite (The Selection #2)
author: Kiera Cass
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2015/12/19
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: dystopia-postapocalypse-utopia, sci-fi-futuristic, young-adult
review:

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<![CDATA[The Demon King (Seven Realms, #1)]]> 8161186 524 Cinda Williams Chima 1423136144 Apoorva 5 4.19 2009 The Demon King (Seven Realms, #1)
author: Cinda Williams Chima
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2016/05/02
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: fantasy, favorites, beautiful-covers, young-adult
review:

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<![CDATA[Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles, #1)]]> 18817772 410 Gena Showalter 1460318153 Apoorva 1 paranormal, young-adult 4.02 2012 Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles, #1)
author: Gena Showalter
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2012
rating: 1
read at: 2015/12/11
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: paranormal, young-adult
review:

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The Kite Runner 8848837 336 Khaled Hosseini 1408803720 Apoorva 5 4.57 2003 The Kite Runner
author: Khaled Hosseini
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: historical-fiction, favorites, adult, tear-jerking, life-changing, books-to-read-before-you-die
review:

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<![CDATA[Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World]]> 34801982 BASED ON THE INCREDIBLE GRADUATION SPEECH WITH OVER 10 MILLION VIEWS ON YOUTUBE

If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.


On May 17, 2014, Admiral William H. McRaven addressed the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin on their Commencement day. Taking inspiration from the university's slogan, "What starts here changes the world," he shared the ten principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his training and long Naval career, but also throughout his life; and he explained how anyone can use these basic lessons to change themselves-and the world-for the better.

Admiral McRaven's original speech went viral with over 10 million views. Building on the core tenets laid out in his speech, McRaven now recounts tales from his own life and from those of people he encountered during his military service who dealt with hardship and made tough decisions with determination, compassion, honor, and courage. Told with great humility and optimism, this timeless book provides simple wisdom, practical advice, and words of encouragement that will inspire readers to achieve more, even in life's darkest moments.]]>
89 William H. McRaven 1455570230 Apoorva 3 4.18 2017 Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World
author: William H. McRaven
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2022/04/06
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography]]> 10566242 Fermat's Enigma, Simon Singh offers the first sweeping history of encryption, tracing its evolution and revealing the dramatic effects codes have had on wars, nations, and individual lives. From Mary, Queen of Scots, trapped by her own code, to the Navajo Code Talkers who helped the Allies win World War II, to the incredible (and incredibly simple) logisitical breakthrough that made Internet commerce secure, The Code Book tells the story of the most powerful intellectual weapon ever secrecy.

Throughout the text are clear technical and mathematical explanations, and portraits of the remarkable personalities who wrote and broke the world's most difficult codes. Accessible, compelling, and remarkably far-reaching, this book will forever alter your view of history and what drives it.It will also make you wonder how private that e-mail you just sent really is.]]>
432 Simon Singh 0307787842 Apoorva 0 to-read 4.35 1999 The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography
author: Simon Singh
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.35
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less]]> 19776547 � found yourself stretched too thin?
� simultaneously felt overworked and underutilized?
� felt busy but not productive?
� felt like your time is constantly being hijacked by other people’s agendas?

If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist.

Essentialism is more than a time-management strategy or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution toward the things that really matter.

By forcing us to apply more selective criteria for what is Essential, the disciplined pursuit of less empowers us to reclaim control of our own choices about where to spend our precious time and energy—instead of giving others the implicit permission to choose for us.

Essentialism is not one more thing—it’s a whole new way of doing everything. It’s about doing less, but better, in every area of our lives. Essentialism is a movement whose time has come.]]>
290 Greg McKeown 0804137390 Apoorva 0 to-read-2019 4.20 2011 Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
author: Greg McKeown
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: to-read-2019
review:

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<![CDATA[Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1)]]> 13613142
A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

"Falling Kingdoms will gut you emotionally. It will make you ache, cry, and beg for the sequel as you turn the last page. I absolutely loved it."--Julie Kagawa, New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Queen

"This triple-layered tale of bloodshed, heartbreak, and tangled court intrigue kept me turning pages very late into the night."--Lesley Livingston, award-winning author of Wondrous Strange]]>
400 Morgan Rhodes 1101590769 Apoorva 4 3.64 2012 Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1)
author: Morgan Rhodes
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2017/01/13
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves: fantasy, young-adult, beautiful-covers
review:

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<![CDATA[The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes #5)]]> 19609195 The Hound of the Baskervilles features the phantom dog of Dartmoor, which, according to an ancient legend, has haunted the Baskervilles for generations. When Sir Charles Baskerville dies suddenly of a heart attack on the grounds of the family’s estate, the locals are convinced that the spectral hound is responsible, and Holmes is called in. “Conan Doyle triumphed and triumphed deservedly,� G. K. Chesterton wrote, “because he took his art seriously, because he lavished a hundred little touches of real knowledge and genuine picturesqueness on the police novelette.�


From the Trade Paperback edition.]]>
208 Arthur Conan Doyle 0307432297 Apoorva 3 4.02 1902 The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes #5)
author: Arthur Conan Doyle
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1902
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves: classics, mystery-thriller-horror
review:

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Since You've Been Gone 18741728 Second Chance Summer and Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour.

Before Sloane, Emily didn’t go to parties, she barely talked to guys, and she didn’t do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—someone who yanks you out of your shell.

But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just…disappears. There’s just a random to-do list with thirteen bizarre tasks that Emily would never try. But what if they can lead her to Sloane?

Apple picking at night?
Okay, easy enough.

Dance until dawn?
Sure. Why not?

Kiss a stranger?
²…w󲹳?

Getting through Sloane’s list will mean a lot of firsts, and with a whole summer ahead of her—and with the unexpected help of the handsome Frank Porter—who knows what she’ll find.

Go Skinny Dipping?


—Includes sixteen pages of bonus content!—]]>
465 Morgan Matson 144243502X Apoorva 4 4.03 2014 Since You've Been Gone
author: Morgan Matson
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2016/11/16
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves: young-adult, contemporary, feel-good-books
review:

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<![CDATA[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]> 12696555 74 Lewis Carroll 1613060254 Apoorva 3 I am not sure how I feel about this book. I liked the beginning of it the but as the story progressed, it felt kind of ridiculous and silly to me. Still, I liked the usage of puns and at times the situations were kind of funny. I liked the grinning Cheshire Cat! But some characters were very annoying. I thought the ending was kind of abrupt.]]> 4.11 1865 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
author: Lewis Carroll
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1865
rating: 3
read at: 2016/04/14
date added: 2024/09/16
shelves: classics, fantasy, childrens, books-to-read-before-you-die
review:
'Alice in Wonderland' follows the story of Alice who once follows a white-rabbit and falls down a rabbit-hole to a place called 'Wonderland'. There she encounters strange and bizarre situations and animals.
I am not sure how I feel about this book. I liked the beginning of it the but as the story progressed, it felt kind of ridiculous and silly to me. Still, I liked the usage of puns and at times the situations were kind of funny. I liked the grinning Cheshire Cat! But some characters were very annoying. I thought the ending was kind of abrupt.
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<![CDATA[Lola and the Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss, #2)]]> 10787121 There is an alternate cover edition for this ASIN here.

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.]]>
386 Stephanie Perkins 1101529482 Apoorva 3 4.00 2011 Lola and the Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss, #2)
author: Stephanie Perkins
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2015/12/07
date added: 2024/09/16
shelves: contemporary, romance, young-adult, feminism-lgbtq-social-issues, feel-good-books
review:

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<![CDATA[The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1)]]> 48654575 497 Patrick Ness 0763652164 Apoorva 0 to-read 3.95 2008 The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1)
author: Patrick Ness
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/12
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories]]> 99300
Written from a feminist perspective, often focusing on the inferior status accorded to women by society, the tales include "turned," an ironic story with a startling twist, in which a husband seduces and impregnates a naïve servant; "Cottagette," concerning the romance of a young artist and a man who's apparently too good to be true; "Mr. Peebles' Heart," a liberating tale of a fiftyish shopkeeper whose sister-in-law, a doctor, persuades him to take a solo trip to Europe, with revivifying results; "The Yellow Wallpaper"; and three other outstanding stories.

These charming tales are not only highly readable and full of humor and invention, but also offer ample food for thought about the social, economic, and personal relationship of men and women � and how they might be improved.

Collects:
—The Yellow Wallpaper
—Three Thanksgivings
—The Cottagette
—TܰԱ
—Making a Change
—If I Were a Man
—Mr. Peebles' Heart]]>
129 Charlotte Perkins Gilman 0486298574 Apoorva 0 to-read 4.05 1892 The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories
author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1892
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/06
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Around the World in Eighty Days]]> 54479 252 Jules Verne 014044906X Apoorva 0 tbr-pile 3.95 1872 Around the World in Eighty Days
author: Jules Verne
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1872
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/29
shelves: tbr-pile
review:

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<![CDATA[The da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #2)]]> 6388 This an alternate cover for 9780385504218

An ingenious code hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci. A desperate race through the cathedrals and castles of Europe. An astonishing truth concealed for centuries . . . unveiled at last.

While in Paris, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is awakened by a phone call in the dead of the night. The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum, his body covered in baffling symbols. As Langdon and gifted French cryptologist Sophie Neveu sort through the bizarre riddles, they are stunned to discover a trail of clues hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci—clues visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.



Even more startling, the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion—a secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci—and he guarded a breathtaking historical secret. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle—while avoiding the faceless adversary who shadows their every move—the explosive, ancient truth will be lost forever.]]>
522 Dan Brown Apoorva 5 3.65 2003 The da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #2)
author: Dan Brown
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/25
shelves: historical-fiction, favorites, mystery-thriller-horror, adult, philosophy-religion, books-to-read-before-you-die
review:

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<![CDATA[History of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt (Makers of History, #13)]]> 18889612 166 Jacob Abbott Apoorva 3 3.68 1851 History of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt (Makers of History, #13)
author: Jacob Abbott
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.68
book published: 1851
rating: 3
read at: 2017/04/19
date added: 2024/08/14
shelves: non-fiction, classics, romance, history
review:

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Diary of a Madman 11904357 64 Nikolai Gogol 0451500407 Apoorva 0 tbr-pile 3.88 1835 Diary of a Madman
author: Nikolai Gogol
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1835
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/12
shelves: tbr-pile
review:

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<![CDATA[Something Borrowed (Darcy & Rachel, #1)]]> 6625373 Rachel is an attorney living and working in Manhattan who has always been the good girl-until her thirtieth birthday, when her best friend Darcy throws her a party. That night after too many drinks Rachel ends up in bed with Darcy's fiance. Although she wakes up determined to put the one-night fling behind her, Rachel is horrified to discover that she has genuine feelings for him.
As the September wedding date nears, Rachel has to choose. She discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk it all to win true happiness.]]>
322 Emily Giffin Apoorva 0 to-read 3.82 2004 Something Borrowed (Darcy & Rachel, #1)
author: Emily Giffin
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/30
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Wellness Project: How I Learned to Do Right by My Body, Without Giving Up My Life]]> 34998162 For those battling autoimmune disease or thyroid conditions—or just seeking healthy life balance—the voice behind the popular blog Feed Me Phoebe shares her yearlong investigation of what truly made her well. After she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in her early twenties, Phoebe Lapine felt overwhelmed by her doctor’s strict protocols and confused when they directly conflicted with information on the bestseller list. After experiencing mixed results and a life of deprivation that seemed unsustainable at best, she adopted 12 of her own wellness directives—including eliminating sugar, switching to all-natural beauty products, and getting in touch with her spiritual side—to find out which lifestyle changes truly impacted her health for the better. The Wellness Project is the insightful and hilarious result of that year of exploration—part memoir and part health and wellness primer (complete with 20 healthy recipes), it’s a must-read not just for those suffering from autoimmune disease, but for anyone looking for simple ways to improve their health without sacrificing life’s pleasures.]]> 369 Phoebe Lapine 0553459236 Apoorva 0 to-read 3.91 2017 The Wellness Project: How I Learned to Do Right by My Body, Without Giving Up My Life
author: Phoebe Lapine
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/29
shelves: to-read
review:

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It's Kind of a Funny Story 9396843 452 Ned Vizzini 1423141083 Apoorva 4 4.03 2006 It's Kind of a Funny Story
author: Ned Vizzini
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2016/02/26
date added: 2024/07/09
shelves: contemporary, young-adult, humor, illness-insanity-death
review:

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<![CDATA[The Tokyo Zodiac Murders (Kiyoshi Mitarai, #1)]]> 40166502
By 1979, these Tokyo Zodiac Murders have been obsessing a nation for decades, but not one of them has been solved. A mystery-obsessed illustrator and a talented astrologer set off around the country � and you follow, carrying the enigma of the Zodiac murderer through madness, missed leads and magic tricks. You have all the clues, but can you solve the mystery before they do?]]>
316 Sōji Shimada 1782271384 Apoorva 4
"The Tokyo Zodiac Murders" is a peculiar mix of astrology and alchemy used in an elaborate plan to murder seven women. The book starts with the death of an old eccentric artist, Heikichi Umezawa, confined to his studio, locked from the inside. In his room, police find his nefarious scheme, and soon after, they find the women dismembered and buried across Japan.

Even after 40 years, the case remains an enigma eluding even the best of detectives. It seems to have hit a dead end until the duo takes it up; Kazumi Ishioka, illustrator and amateur detective, and Kiyoshi Mitarai- an astrologer, fortune-teller, and a self-styled detective. Together, they travel across Japan, gathering clues and interviewing suspects to decode the puzzle that baffled people for decades.

This is a unique and unsettling mystery blending the ordinary with the unusual similar to a magician pulling a trick. Because the magician is familiar with the technique, the deceit comes effortlessly while the audience, us readers, struggle to grasp the threads and are left clueless.

After 3/4th of the book, the author addresses the readers, telling us that we have all the clues necessary and challenges us to solve this case. I'm sorry to admit that I failed the author but that only proves his brilliance in constructing a mind-boggling thriller. After the case was explained, I took a pen and paper and tried to understand the logic behind the murder and gave up only after I was satisfied with its authenticity!

I had a great experience watching the two friends run around gathering clues and bantering among themselves. Some humorous moments in the book add a pleasant touch and lightens such a dark topic.

The entire premise of this book revolves around zodiac signs and alchemical references. I don't believe in astrology, but reading about it in the book made me look up more info on my zodiac sign. (Apparently, Scorpios are mysterious, mean and people are afraid of them!) Well, I'm not like that! Or am I? That's the mystery...

Anyway, if you are someone who enjoys thrillers, then this book is for you! It can be a little unsettling with all the cutting and the burying so if you are someone who can't stomach the gore, consider yourself warned!

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3.76 1981 The Tokyo Zodiac Murders (Kiyoshi Mitarai, #1)
author: Sōji Shimada
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1981
rating: 4
read at: 2021/06/27
date added: 2024/07/06
shelves: adult, dark-and-brooding, mystery-thriller-horror, japan
review:
What's the best way of getting out of a reading slump? I say go for your guilty pleasure reads or genres, and for me, that happens to be mystery/thriller/suspense/horror. I picked up "The Tokyo Zodiac Murders" when I was in a slump, and this book kept me hooked and helped me break my slump!

"The Tokyo Zodiac Murders" is a peculiar mix of astrology and alchemy used in an elaborate plan to murder seven women. The book starts with the death of an old eccentric artist, Heikichi Umezawa, confined to his studio, locked from the inside. In his room, police find his nefarious scheme, and soon after, they find the women dismembered and buried across Japan.

Even after 40 years, the case remains an enigma eluding even the best of detectives. It seems to have hit a dead end until the duo takes it up; Kazumi Ishioka, illustrator and amateur detective, and Kiyoshi Mitarai- an astrologer, fortune-teller, and a self-styled detective. Together, they travel across Japan, gathering clues and interviewing suspects to decode the puzzle that baffled people for decades.

This is a unique and unsettling mystery blending the ordinary with the unusual similar to a magician pulling a trick. Because the magician is familiar with the technique, the deceit comes effortlessly while the audience, us readers, struggle to grasp the threads and are left clueless.

After 3/4th of the book, the author addresses the readers, telling us that we have all the clues necessary and challenges us to solve this case. I'm sorry to admit that I failed the author but that only proves his brilliance in constructing a mind-boggling thriller. After the case was explained, I took a pen and paper and tried to understand the logic behind the murder and gave up only after I was satisfied with its authenticity!

I had a great experience watching the two friends run around gathering clues and bantering among themselves. Some humorous moments in the book add a pleasant touch and lightens such a dark topic.

The entire premise of this book revolves around zodiac signs and alchemical references. I don't believe in astrology, but reading about it in the book made me look up more info on my zodiac sign. (Apparently, Scorpios are mysterious, mean and people are afraid of them!) Well, I'm not like that! Or am I? That's the mystery...

Anyway, if you are someone who enjoys thrillers, then this book is for you! It can be a little unsettling with all the cutting and the burying so if you are someone who can't stomach the gore, consider yourself warned!


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<![CDATA[All the Ugly and Wonderful Things]]> 28595833
As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight. Struggling to raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold.

By the time Wavy is a teenager, her relationship with Kellen is the only tender thing in a brutal world of addicts and debauchery. When tragedy rips Wavy's family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world. A powerful novel you won’t soon forget, Bryn Greenwood's All the Ugly and Wonderful Things challenges all we know and believe about love.]]>
365 Bryn Greenwood 1466885807 Apoorva 4 3.99 2016 All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
author: Bryn Greenwood
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/04/23
date added: 2024/05/06
shelves: adult, beautiful-covers, contemporary, taboo, romance, favorites-2, tear-jerking
review:

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Flowers of Evil: A Selection 128480


Flowers of Evil: A Selection contains 53 poems which the editors feel best represent the total work and which. in their opinion, have been most successfully rendered into English. The French texts as established by Yves Gérard Le Dantec for the Pléiade edition are printed en face. Included are Baudelaire's "Three Drafts of a Preface" and brief notes on the nineteen translators whose work is represented.]]>
168 Charles Baudelaire 081120006X Apoorva 0 tbr-pile 4.14 Flowers of Evil: A Selection
author: Charles Baudelaire
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/02
shelves: tbr-pile
review:

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<![CDATA[Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men: A Play in Three Acts]]> 1135044 63 Sherman L. Sergel 0871293277 Apoorva 0 tbr-pile 3.98 1955 Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men: A Play in Three Acts
author: Sherman L. Sergel
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1955
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/02
shelves: tbr-pile
review:

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Death on the Nile 17458517 472 Agatha Christie Apoorva 3 3.66 1937 Death on the Nile
author: Agatha Christie
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.66
book published: 1937
rating: 3
read at: 2017/04/06
date added: 2024/02/02
shelves: classics, mystery-thriller-horror
review:

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Em and the Big Hoom 22450623 240 Jerry Pinto 938227782X Apoorva 0 to-read-2019 4.25 2012 Em and the Big Hoom
author: Jerry Pinto
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/11
shelves: to-read-2019
review:

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<![CDATA[The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1)]]> 17211494
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. She is on the run, desperate to find the only safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who have escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents. When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at having a life worth living.]]>
496 Alexandra Bracken 1423179188 Apoorva 3 3.94 2012 The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1)
author: Alexandra Bracken
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2016/10/28
date added: 2023/11/07
shelves: dystopia-postapocalypse-utopia, sci-fi-futuristic, young-adult
review:

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Virgin (Virgin, #1) 18624367 Okay, I admit it…I didn’t do it.

Yet.

This is normal, right? I mean, just because everyone I know has talked like they’ve already done it doesn’t mean that they’re telling the truth…right?

It’s not like I’m asking for that much. I don’t need the perfect guy. I don’t need candlelight or roses. Honestly, I don’t even need a real bed.

The guys I know complain that girls are always looking for Mr. Right—do I have to wear a sign that says I’m only looking for Mr. Right Now?

Sooooo…anyone out there want sex? Anyone? Hello? Just for fun?

I am not going to die a virgin. One way or another I am going to make this happen.

Hey, what have I got to lose? Besides the obvious.]]>
304 Radhika Sanghani 069816864X Apoorva 0 to-read 3.31 2014 Virgin (Virgin, #1)
author: Radhika Sanghani
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/02
shelves: to-read
review:

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Circe 41045102
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. Circe is a strange child - not powerful and terrible, like her father, nor gorgeous and mercenary like her mother. Scorned and rejected, Circe grows up in the shadows, at home in neither the world of gods or mortals. But Circe has a dark power of her own: witchcraft. When her gift threatens the gods, she is banished to the island of Aiaia where she hones her occult craft, casting spells, gathering strange herbs and taming wild beasts. Yet a woman who stands alone will never be left in peace for long - and among her island's guests is an unexpected visitor: the mortal Odysseus, for whom Circe will risk everything.

So Circe sets forth her tale, a vivid, mesmerizing epic of family rivalry, love and loss - the defiant, inextinguishable song of woman burning hot and bright through the darkness of a man's world.]]>
337 Madeline Miller 1408890046 Apoorva 4 4.16 2018 Circe
author: Madeline Miller
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/16
date added: 2023/06/16
shelves:
review:

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A Riviera Retreat 50804693 When a holiday is more than just a holiday�

When Retreat owner Amy offers three lucky competition winners a holiday on the Cote d’Azur, she has no idea that this act of kindness will have life changing repercussions on her own life and those who join her�

Young entrepreneur Chelsea, is still grieving the tragic loss of her mother and has just been subjected to a very public relationship breakup. She needs to get away and lick her wounds.

MP’s wife Victoria is at a crossroads in her life now that the children have left home. Much to her husbands shock, she realises she has ambitions of her own and is desperate to reconnect/find her own identity. She needs some ‘me time�.

Recently widowed Matilda, is assessing life without her beloved husband. Their dream had always been to retire to France.Can she find the courage to follow their dream on her own?

Over the course of the ten days they spend together, the four women, despite their differences, support and bond, making memories and forming friendships that will last for years.]]>
340 Jennifer Bohnet 1838891889 Apoorva 4 4.35 A Riviera Retreat
author: Jennifer Bohnet
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/31
date added: 2023/05/31
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: Bring calm to your life with the ultimate mindfulness guide from a Buddhist monk]]> 33529957 'Is it the world that's busy, or my mind?'

The world moves fast, but that doesn't mean we have to. In this timely guide to mindfulness, Haemin Sunim, a Buddhist monk born in Korea and educated in the United States, offers advice on everything from handling setbacks to dealing with rest and relationships, in a beautiful book combining his teachings with calming full-colour illustrations. Haemin Sunim's simple messages - which he first wrote when he responded to requests for advice on social media - speak directly to the anxieties that have become part of modern life and remind us of the strength and joy that come from slowing down.

Hugely popular in Korea, Haemin Sunim is a Zen meditation teacher whose teachings transcend religion, borders and ages. With insight and compassion drawn from a life full of change, the 'mega-monk' succeeds at encouraging all of us to notice that when you slow down, the world slows down with you.

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238 Haemin Sunim Apoorva 4 4.25 2012 The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: Bring calm to your life with the ultimate mindfulness guide from a Buddhist monk
author: Haemin Sunim
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/25
date added: 2023/05/25
shelves:
review:

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The Secret History 70897
Truly deserving of the accolade Modern Classic, Donna Tartt's cult bestseller The Secret History is a remarkable achievement - both compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful.]]>
629 Donna Tartt 0140167773 Apoorva 3
What I loved the most about this book was its magnificent writing that pulls you into the story and makes you turn page after page to uncover the mystery. Richard, who is reminiscing about his past, narrates the story. He comes from a poor and abusive family and gets accepted into an elite college in Vermont, hoping to start his life with a clean slate.

With a lot of luck, he gets into the Ancient Greek course taught by a charismatic professor. He then becomes part of a squad of clever and eccentric oddballs who discover an unconventional way of thinking and ends up doing something that crosses the boundaries of morality.

The book has a dark and moody undertone. It delves into the aftermath of the tragic incident that changed the lives of everyone involved. It's a tragic story of a person who is attracted to what he considers beautiful only to discover its ugliness and corruption, which he becomes a part of.

Now let's talk about things I didn't like. There's a stark contrast between what that book says it's about and what the book is actually about. By reading the description, I assumed the book would be about a group of snobbish loners getting influenced by their charismatic classics professor, who skillfully isolates them from society, distorts their way of thinking, and manipulates them to commit a terrible act. Those students start to question their morality and their troubled relationship with the professor, and their self-reflection takes on a philosophical outlook towards their situation.

If only the book had been the way I mentioned, I felt like it would have been a better story; instead, the charming professor who is supposed to play a significant part in the tragedy is barely present in the story except for a scene or two to establish his peculiarity. What I expected from the characters was self-introspection and soul-searching while struggling with the knowledge of the crime they have committed, rationalizing their action and looking for ways to handle it, the way it's done in "Crime and Punishment," but we get none of that.

Instead, the book goes on and on about random details and useless events that add nothing meaningful to the story and don't drive the plot. Meanwhile, the characters stay stagnant, and you're not able to connect to them or feel bad for them. The concept of morality was highly unexplored, there was no commentary on class and privilege, and the book feels pretentious and underwhelming. The only saving grace of this book is its writing. Otherwise, the book is wasted potential.]]>
4.25 1992 The Secret History
author: Donna Tartt
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1992
rating: 3
read at: 2022/04/26
date added: 2023/05/18
shelves:
review:
I picked up "The Secret History" because it is hailed as a modern classic and got many positive reviews. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. First, the thing I liked about this book is the plot surrounding four students at an elite liberal arts college. They are misfits interested in ancient Greek and philosophy and form a cult of sorts.

What I loved the most about this book was its magnificent writing that pulls you into the story and makes you turn page after page to uncover the mystery. Richard, who is reminiscing about his past, narrates the story. He comes from a poor and abusive family and gets accepted into an elite college in Vermont, hoping to start his life with a clean slate.

With a lot of luck, he gets into the Ancient Greek course taught by a charismatic professor. He then becomes part of a squad of clever and eccentric oddballs who discover an unconventional way of thinking and ends up doing something that crosses the boundaries of morality.

The book has a dark and moody undertone. It delves into the aftermath of the tragic incident that changed the lives of everyone involved. It's a tragic story of a person who is attracted to what he considers beautiful only to discover its ugliness and corruption, which he becomes a part of.

Now let's talk about things I didn't like. There's a stark contrast between what that book says it's about and what the book is actually about. By reading the description, I assumed the book would be about a group of snobbish loners getting influenced by their charismatic classics professor, who skillfully isolates them from society, distorts their way of thinking, and manipulates them to commit a terrible act. Those students start to question their morality and their troubled relationship with the professor, and their self-reflection takes on a philosophical outlook towards their situation.

If only the book had been the way I mentioned, I felt like it would have been a better story; instead, the charming professor who is supposed to play a significant part in the tragedy is barely present in the story except for a scene or two to establish his peculiarity. What I expected from the characters was self-introspection and soul-searching while struggling with the knowledge of the crime they have committed, rationalizing their action and looking for ways to handle it, the way it's done in "Crime and Punishment," but we get none of that.

Instead, the book goes on and on about random details and useless events that add nothing meaningful to the story and don't drive the plot. Meanwhile, the characters stay stagnant, and you're not able to connect to them or feel bad for them. The concept of morality was highly unexplored, there was no commentary on class and privilege, and the book feels pretentious and underwhelming. The only saving grace of this book is its writing. Otherwise, the book is wasted potential.
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The Snows of Kilimanjaro 30317485 In broader terms, The Snows of Kilimanjaro should be viewed as an example of an author of the "Lost Generation", who experienced the world wars and the war in Spain, which led them to question moral and philosophy. Hemingway, in particular, found himself in a moral vacuum when he felt alienated from the church, which was closely affiliated with Franco in Spain, and which he felt obliged to distance himself from. As a result, he came up with his own code of human conduct: a mixture of hedonism and sentimental humanism.]]> 25 Ernest Hemingway Apoorva 4 short-story 3.56 1936 The Snows of Kilimanjaro
author: Ernest Hemingway
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.56
book published: 1936
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/17
date added: 2023/05/13
shelves: short-story
review:

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<![CDATA[Blue Light Yokohama (Inspector Iwata Book 1)]]> 34104641 Inspired by a blistering real-life murder, Blue Light Yokohama's INSPECTOR IWATA is perfect for FANS OF JO NESBO'S HARRY HOLE.THE MURDERER'S IN YOUR HOUSE . . . A family of four are found murdered in their own home. A painted black sun is left dripping, as the killer walks away in broad daylight.THE FIRST DETECTIVE DIED TRYING TO SOLVE IT . . . He was said to have committed suicide by throwing himself off Tokyo's famous Rainbow Bridge.THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING . . . Inspector Iwata and his partner must find a murderer who is only just beginning. He knows time is running out and the menacing black sun means one thing, the killer will never stop.'Outstanding' SUNDAY EXPRESS, THE MOST AWAITED BOOK OF 2017 'Strong . . . promises to be an excellent series' Guardian]]> 466 Nicolás Obregón 1405926902 Apoorva 4 4.25 2017 Blue Light Yokohama (Inspector Iwata Book 1)
author: Nicolás Obregón
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/12
date added: 2023/05/12
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #1)]]> 40916679
Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?

Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.]]>
433 Holly Jackson 1405293187 Apoorva 4 4.30 2019 A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #1)
author: Holly Jackson
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/28
date added: 2023/04/29
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle]]> 40033006
There are eight days, and eight witnesses for you to inhabit.

We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer.

Understood? Then let's begin . . .

Evelyn Hardcastle will die. Every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others . . .

The most inventive debut of the year twists together a mystery of such unexpected creativity it will leave listeners guessing until the very last second.]]>
482 Stuart Turton Apoorva 0 to-read-2019 3.78 2018 The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
author: Stuart Turton
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/16
shelves: to-read-2019
review:

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<![CDATA[Master Your Emotions: A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings (Personal Workbook) (Mastery Series Workbooks)]]> 50375774 Master Your Emotions is your ‘how-to� manual to improve your emotional state. With the help of this personal workbook, you’ll be able to integrate the lessons from the book more deeply. As a result, you’ll start regaining control over your emotions, which will help you become happier and more optimistic.
If you want practical exercises to help you take control of your mood and experience a deeper sense of fulfillment, you’ll love Master Your Emotions Personal Workbook. This is the perfect companion to Master Your Emotions.]]>
84 Thibaut Meurisse 1708315950 Apoorva 4 4.12 2018 Master Your Emotions: A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings (Personal Workbook) (Mastery Series Workbooks)
author: Thibaut Meurisse
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/08
date added: 2023/04/08
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot, #4)]]> 21064438
Poor Roger Ackroyd. He knew that the woman he loved had been harbouring a guilty secret - she poisoned her first husband. And yesterday she killed herself.

But guilty secrets rarely stay secret. Who had been blackmailing her before her death? Had it really driven her to suicide? And would it all be revealed in the letter that arrived in the evening post? Sadly Roger Ackroyd wasn't going to live long enough to find out...]]>
304 Agatha Christie Apoorva 5 4.35 1926 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot, #4)
author: Agatha Christie
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.35
book published: 1926
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/13
date added: 2023/04/07
shelves: favorites, classics, mystery-thriller-horror, unreliable-narrator
review:

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<![CDATA[Sleeping Beauty: Classics Illustrated Junior]]> 23137723 36 Charles Perrault 1620280299 Apoorva 4 fairy-tales-and-retellings 4.00 1697 Sleeping Beauty: Classics Illustrated Junior
author: Charles Perrault
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1697
rating: 4
read at: 2016/04/17
date added: 2023/03/30
shelves: fairy-tales-and-retellings
review:

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<![CDATA[City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)]]> 6981005
To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings � and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.]]>
496 Cassandra Clare Apoorva 4 4.15 2008 City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, #2)
author: Cassandra Clare
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2016/03/05
date added: 2023/03/19
shelves: young-adult, urban-fantasy, feminism-lgbtq-social-issues
review:

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<![CDATA[The Almanack Of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness]]> 59202599 242 Eric Jorgenson 9354893945 Apoorva 0 on-hold 4.51 2020 The Almanack Of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness
author: Eric Jorgenson
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/19
shelves: on-hold
review:

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A Room with a View 36190098
A challenge to persistent Victorian ideals as well as a moving love story, A Room with a View has been celebrated for both its prescient view of women’s independence and its reminder to live an honest, authentic life.

AmazonClassics brings you timeless works from the masters of storytelling. Ideal for anyone who wants to read a great work for the first time or rediscover an old favorite, these new editions open the door to literature’s most unforgettable characters and beloved worlds.

Revised edition: Previously published as A Room with a View, this edition of A Room with a View (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.]]>
208 E.M. Forster 1542099579 Apoorva 0 on-hold 3.91 1908 A Room with a View
author: E.M. Forster
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1908
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/19
shelves: on-hold
review:

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New Moon (Twilight, #2) 6987077 Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.]]> 362 Stephenie Meyer 0316007730 Apoorva 2 paranormal, young-adult 3.67 2006 New Moon (Twilight, #2)
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2006
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2023/03/18
shelves: paranormal, young-adult
review:

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<![CDATA[Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman]]> 59822447 A new, fascinating account of the life of Agatha Christie from celebrated literary and cultural historian Lucy Worsley.

"Nobody in the world was more inadequate toact the heroine than I was."

Why did Agatha Christie spend her careerpretending that she was “just� an ordinary housewife, when clearly shewasn’t?Her life isfascinatingfor its mysteries and its passionsand, as Lucy Worsley says,"She was thrillingly, scintillatingly modern."She went surfing in Hawaii, shelovedfast cars, and she was intrigued by the new science of psychology, whichhelped her through devastating mental illness.

So why—despite all the evidence to thecontrary—did Agatha present herself as a retiring Edwardian lady ofleisure?

She was born in 1890 into a world that hadits own rules about what women could and couldn’t do.Lucy Worsley’s biography is not just of amassively, internationally successful writer.It's also the story of a person who, despite the obstacles of class andgender, became anastonishingly successful working woman.

With access to personal letters and papersthat have rarely been seen, Lucy Worsley’s biography is both authoritative andentertaining andmakes us realize what an extraordinary pioneer Agatha Christiewas—truly a woman who wrote the twentieth century.]]>
498 Lucy Worsley Apoorva 0 to-read 4.20 2022 Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman
author: Lucy Worsley
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/13
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Five People You Meet In Heaven]]> 40436
On his eighty-third birthday, Eddie, a lonely war veteran, dies in a tragic accident trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. With his final breath, he feels two small hands in his - and then nothing. He awakens in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a lush Garden of Eden but a place where earthly life is explained to you by five people who were in it. These people may have been loved ones or distant strangers. Yet each of them changed your path forever.]]>
231 Mitch Albom 0751536822 Apoorva 4 3.93 2003 The Five People You Meet In Heaven
author: Mitch Albom
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/07
date added: 2023/03/07
shelves:
review:

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Snow Country 10571801
Snow Country is both delicate and subtle, reflecting in Kawabata's exact, lyrical writing the unspoken love and the understated passion of the young Japanese couple.]]>
121 Yasunari Kawabata 0141192593 Apoorva 3 3.43 1948 Snow Country
author: Yasunari Kawabata
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.43
book published: 1948
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/05
date added: 2023/03/05
shelves: beautiful-writing, classics, japan
review:

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<![CDATA[The Mystery of the Yellow Room]]> 9656894 212 Gaston Leroux 1840226471 Apoorva 3 3.68 1907 The Mystery of the Yellow Room
author: Gaston Leroux
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.68
book published: 1907
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/23
date added: 2023/02/23
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead]]> 51648276
A deeply satisfying thriller cum fairy tale, Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead is a provocative exploration of the murky borderland between sanity and madness, justice and tradition, autonomy and fate. Whom do we deem sane? it asks. Who is worthy of a voice?

Duration: 11 hours 39 minutes.]]>
274 Olga Tokarczuk Apoorva 0 to-read 3.93 2009 Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
author: Olga Tokarczuk
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

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The Death of Ivan Ilych 54265780
Immerse yourself in the pages of this classic novella, where Tolstoy's narrative becomes a mirror reflecting the complexities of human existence. The Death of Ivan Ilych is not just a book; it's an invitation to ponder the universal questions that define our humanity.

Are you ready to explore the profound themes of life, death, and existential meaning with Leo Tolstoy?Engage with short, impactful paragraphs that introduce you to the central themes and narrative brilliance of Tolstoy's novella. The Death of Ivan Ilych invites readers to reflect on the human experience, offering a literary journey that transcends time and resonates with the depths of the soul.

Here's your chance to not just read but to actively engage with the profound themes of life and mortality. The Death of Ivan Ilych is more than a novella; it's an invitation to confront the existential questions that shape our existence. Will you seize the opportunity to embark on this introspective journey with Leo Tolstoy?Don't miss out on the chance to own this classic novella. Purchase The Death of Ivan Ilych now, and let the narrative brilliance within guide you toward a deeper understanding of the human condition.

Contemplate Life and Mortality with "The Death of Ivan Ilych" by Leo TolstoyEmbark on a Profound Journey into the Human ConditionAre you ready to confront the existential questions of life, mortality, and the pursuit of authentic existence? "The Death of Ivan Ilych" by Leo Tolstoy is not just a novella; it's a profound exploration of the human condition, mortality, and the search for meaning in the face of death. Within these pages, you'll accompany Ivan Ilych Golovin, a high-ranking judge, on his transformative odyssey from a life of societal conformity to a profound confrontation with his own mortality.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to engage with a literary classic that transcends time and speaks to the essence of human existence. This novella is not just for literature enthusiasts; it's for anyone who contemplates life, death, and the pursuit of a meaningful existence. Let the pages of "The Death of Ivan Ilych" guide you through a contemplative journey, where every sentence invites introspection and every revelation resonates with the reader's own existential inquiries.

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was a Russian novelist and philosopher, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in world literature.]]>
122 Leo Tolstoy Apoorva 4 4.22 1886 The Death of Ivan Ilych
author: Leo Tolstoy
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1886
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/02
date added: 2023/02/02
shelves:
review:

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Tao Te Ching 61347727 37 Lao Tzu Apoorva 3 3.00 -350 Tao Te Ching
author: Lao Tzu
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.00
book published: -350
rating: 3
read at: 2023/01/31
date added: 2023/01/31
shelves:
review:

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In the Miso Soup 11550336 196 Ryū Murakami Apoorva 0 to-read 3.72 1997 In the Miso Soup
author: Ryū Murakami
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.72
book published: 1997
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Eat That Frog! Action Workbook: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time]]> 32471928
There’s an old saying that if the first thing you do each morning is eat a live frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re done with the worst thing you’ll have to do all day. For Brian Tracy, eating a frog is a metaphor for tackling your most challenging task—but also the one that can have the greatest positive impact on your life.

Eat That Frog! shows you how to organize each day so you can zero in on these critical tasks and accomplish them efficiently and effectively. The core of what is vital to effective time management decision, discipline, and determination. This workbook puts the ideas of the original book into action. By following the same twenty-one-chapter format as the book, each chapter includes exercises for you to reflect on your own habits. You’ll also learn through the experience of a narrative character who is struggling with procrastination in her work and home life and uses Eat That Frog! to improve her time management performance.]]>
144 Brian Tracy 1523084707 Apoorva 4 Review to come! 4.00 Eat That Frog! Action Workbook: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
author: Brian Tracy
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/29
date added: 2023/01/29
shelves: non-fiction, personal-development
review:
Review to come!
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The Obsession 29739543 “She stood in the deep, dark woods, breath shallow and cold prickling over her skin despite the hot, heavy air. She took a step back, then two, as the urge to run fell over her.�

Naomi Bowes lost her innocence the night she followed her father into the woods. In freeing the girl trapped in the root cellar, Naomi revealed the horrible extent of her father’s crimes and made him infamous.

Now a successful photographer living under the name Naomi Carson, she has found a place that calls to her, thousands of miles away from everything she’s ever known. Naomi wants to embrace the solitude, but the residents of Sunrise Cove keep forcing her to open up—especially the determined Xander Keaton.

Naomi can feel her defenses failing, and knows that the connection her new life offers is something she’s always secretly craved. But as she’s learned time and again, her past is never more than a nightmare away.]]>
15 Nora Roberts Apoorva 0 did-not-finish 3.95 2016 The Obsession
author: Nora Roberts
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/29
shelves: did-not-finish
review:

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<![CDATA[The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom]]> 35558933 The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love. The Four Agreements are: Be Impeccable With Your Word, Don't Take Anything Personally, Don't Make Assumptions, Always Do Your Best.]]> 153 Miguel Ruiz Apoorva 5
I don't believe in destiny or any such bullshit. Even though I'm an eternal optimist and a hopeless romantic, I have a cynical side. If bad things happen to you and you just shrug it off, saying, "everything happens for a reason," I need to question- What's the reason I'm suffering so much when I did nothing wrong? Why do bad things happen to me? What did I do to deserve this? Don't we all question these things?

Perhaps I'm not mature enough to handle situations that are out of my control. But I'm learning more each passing day. And at the exact moment of my existential crisis, I happened to find a book that spoke to me like it was meant for me, waiting to find me at the right time. It will color my decisions and shape my thoughts for years to come.

Let me introduce you to a book that soothed me immensely when I was hurting a lot. It has acted as a balm alleviating my bruised heart and uplifting my vanquished spirit. When everyone in the world disappoints you, just be sure that you will find comfort in the pages where words weave magical tapestry; when hung on the walls of your heart, it will clear your vision and invigorate you to make the best of what you have.

Because you deserve the world, and to get it, you must make efforts to change yourself from within and let go of the fallible notions the world has instilled into you. You must change the very foundation of the belief system to change your reality. All you need to do is break the agreements you have made to yourself and make new agreements. I hope this write-up is enough to convince you to read this excellent book!]]>
4.26 1997 The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
author: Miguel Ruiz
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1997
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/28
date added: 2023/01/28
shelves: non-fiction, personal-development, philosophy-religion, life-changing
review:
It's such a blessing when you find an opportunity, an unrecognized passion, a kindred spirit, and a good book at the exact moment you are ready to embrace it. The moment when you know you need it the most. The moment a particular song, a piece of writing, an incident, a conversation will resonate with you creating vibrations that will affect the rest of your life. When you're not searching for it but stumble upon it by accident. A very fortunate accident.

I don't believe in destiny or any such bullshit. Even though I'm an eternal optimist and a hopeless romantic, I have a cynical side. If bad things happen to you and you just shrug it off, saying, "everything happens for a reason," I need to question- What's the reason I'm suffering so much when I did nothing wrong? Why do bad things happen to me? What did I do to deserve this? Don't we all question these things?

Perhaps I'm not mature enough to handle situations that are out of my control. But I'm learning more each passing day. And at the exact moment of my existential crisis, I happened to find a book that spoke to me like it was meant for me, waiting to find me at the right time. It will color my decisions and shape my thoughts for years to come.

Let me introduce you to a book that soothed me immensely when I was hurting a lot. It has acted as a balm alleviating my bruised heart and uplifting my vanquished spirit. When everyone in the world disappoints you, just be sure that you will find comfort in the pages where words weave magical tapestry; when hung on the walls of your heart, it will clear your vision and invigorate you to make the best of what you have.

Because you deserve the world, and to get it, you must make efforts to change yourself from within and let go of the fallible notions the world has instilled into you. You must change the very foundation of the belief system to change your reality. All you need to do is break the agreements you have made to yourself and make new agreements. I hope this write-up is enough to convince you to read this excellent book!
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The Maid (Molly the Maid, #1) 59452617
Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.]]>
352 Nita Prose 000843574X Apoorva 4 3.94 2022 The Maid (Molly the Maid, #1)
author: Nita Prose
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/27
date added: 2023/01/27
shelves: mystery-thriller-horror, contemporary
review:

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<![CDATA[The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery]]> 53934413 248 Brianna Wiest 1949759229 Apoorva 4 4.09 2020 The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery
author: Brianna Wiest
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/27
date added: 2023/01/27
shelves: non-fiction, personal-development, psychology
review:

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<![CDATA[Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #1)]]> 44421460 What would you change if you could go back in time?

In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.

In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the café’s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer's, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.

But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the café, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .

Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s beautiful, moving story explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?]]>
213 Toshikazu Kawaguchi 1529029589 Apoorva 2 3.66 2015 Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #1)
author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2022/07/18
date added: 2023/01/26
shelves: beautiful-covers, contemporary, japan, magical-realism
review:

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A Man Called Ove 25555839 Alternate cover edition can be found here and here.

At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots - neighbours who can't reverse a trailer properly, joggers, shop assistants who talk in code, and the perpetrators of the vicious coup d'etat that ousted him as Chairman of the Residents' Association. He will persist in making his daily inspection rounds of the local streets.

But isn't it rare, these days, to find such old-fashioned clarity of belief and deed? Such unswerving conviction about what the world should be, and a lifelong dedication to making it just so?

In the end, you will see, there is something about Ove that is quite irresistible...

The word-of-mouth bestseller causing a sensation across Europe, Fredrik Backman's heartwarming debut is a funny, moving, uplifting tale of love and community that will leave you with a spring in your step - and less ready to judge on first impressions a man you might one day wish to have as your dearest friend.]]>
295 Fredrik Backman 1444775812 Apoorva 4
It took me about 9-10 months to finish this book. Not that it's any of the book's fault, it's just that I was not in the mood for this book.

It is a light-hearted and feel-good story that will make you feel warm inside. Although I prefer books that have dark and thrilling storylines, it definitely was a breath of fresh air!

"A Man Called Ove" is about a man called Ove who is grumpy and difficult to get along with. He views the world in black and white and is a stickler for rules.

He wakes up at the same time every morning and goes out to inspect the locality. We follow Ove as he grudgingly adopts a stray cat and hesitantly befriends the next-door neighbor.

It's fun and hilarious, but there is much more to the story than what we see. Ove's wife died, and he is struggling to live without her. He has no friends and practically no one to lean on.

However, he isn't just a cranky old man who hates people. He is a disciplined man who stands up for what he believes is right and doesn't care about what people think of him.

The story is all about him coming to terms with his loss and at the same time, coming out of his shell and forming a deep bond with someone. The book alternates from past and present to talk about his life before he met Sonja, the love of his life, and after she passed away.

The writing is filled with humor; that's why reading a book with heavy topic such as death is transformed into a feel-good story that will make you cry at places.

In the end, the book is about acceptance and forming meaningful connections. It will make you believe in the good in people. Read this book if you want a good laugh and cry at the same time!]]>
4.41 2012 A Man Called Ove
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2021/08/29
date added: 2023/01/26
shelves: contemporary, feel-good-books, humor
review:


It took me about 9-10 months to finish this book. Not that it's any of the book's fault, it's just that I was not in the mood for this book.

It is a light-hearted and feel-good story that will make you feel warm inside. Although I prefer books that have dark and thrilling storylines, it definitely was a breath of fresh air!

"A Man Called Ove" is about a man called Ove who is grumpy and difficult to get along with. He views the world in black and white and is a stickler for rules.

He wakes up at the same time every morning and goes out to inspect the locality. We follow Ove as he grudgingly adopts a stray cat and hesitantly befriends the next-door neighbor.

It's fun and hilarious, but there is much more to the story than what we see. Ove's wife died, and he is struggling to live without her. He has no friends and practically no one to lean on.

However, he isn't just a cranky old man who hates people. He is a disciplined man who stands up for what he believes is right and doesn't care about what people think of him.

The story is all about him coming to terms with his loss and at the same time, coming out of his shell and forming a deep bond with someone. The book alternates from past and present to talk about his life before he met Sonja, the love of his life, and after she passed away.

The writing is filled with humor; that's why reading a book with heavy topic such as death is transformed into a feel-good story that will make you cry at places.

In the end, the book is about acceptance and forming meaningful connections. It will make you believe in the good in people. Read this book if you want a good laugh and cry at the same time!
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Eating Wasps 42033397 HINDU LITERARY SUPPLEMENT]]> 261 Anita Nair Apoorva 3
The ghost of Shreelaksmi narrates the stories of the women she comes across, women of different ages and walks of life. These are poignant stories of women going through hardships and trying to take control of their lives. The book is woman-centric; it highlights women's struggles in day-to-day lives, restrictions put on them by society, the physical and mental anguish, and how they try to deal with it. As the book progresses, you learn about the secret behind Shreelaksmi’s death.

The stories are realistic and heartbreaking. There’s no doubt that the author is a fantastic writer; her writing is poignant and mesmerizing, and you find yourself empathizing with the characters. Some stories are pretty impactful, and it keeps you reading to understand the motivation behind these women's actions.

Sadly, my high expectations for the book were shattered in the next half when the writing lost its charm and turned distorted and confusing. At first, you feel like there’s a pattern to the stories, and they’re interconnected, but it all gets jumbled because the stories don’t go well together. I feel there was no need to include so many narratives because some don’t serve any purpose, and I don’t understand why they were included in the first place.

It was a letdown because the book had the potential to be an excellent story, but it seemed like a wasted opportunity. I’m not saying the book is terrible per se, and the first half of the book, along with the mystery behind the death of a famous writer, are all worth a read. However, the plot got messy towards the end, so I had to drag myself to keep reading, and that wasn’t a very satisfying experience for me.]]>
3.89 Eating Wasps
author: Anita Nair
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2021/06/13
date added: 2023/01/26
shelves: indian, mystery-thriller-horror, dark-and-brooding
review:
A book with an intriguing title and a promising start. What could possibly go wrong? “Eating Wasps� begins when a famous writer Sreelakshmi kills herself, and no one knows why. Fifty-two years later, her finger bone is discovered in an antique cupboard in a private resort, and the mystery starts to unravel. Though the book has supernatural elements, the main story has nothing to do with that.

The ghost of Shreelaksmi narrates the stories of the women she comes across, women of different ages and walks of life. These are poignant stories of women going through hardships and trying to take control of their lives. The book is woman-centric; it highlights women's struggles in day-to-day lives, restrictions put on them by society, the physical and mental anguish, and how they try to deal with it. As the book progresses, you learn about the secret behind Shreelaksmi’s death.

The stories are realistic and heartbreaking. There’s no doubt that the author is a fantastic writer; her writing is poignant and mesmerizing, and you find yourself empathizing with the characters. Some stories are pretty impactful, and it keeps you reading to understand the motivation behind these women's actions.

Sadly, my high expectations for the book were shattered in the next half when the writing lost its charm and turned distorted and confusing. At first, you feel like there’s a pattern to the stories, and they’re interconnected, but it all gets jumbled because the stories don’t go well together. I feel there was no need to include so many narratives because some don’t serve any purpose, and I don’t understand why they were included in the first place.

It was a letdown because the book had the potential to be an excellent story, but it seemed like a wasted opportunity. I’m not saying the book is terrible per se, and the first half of the book, along with the mystery behind the death of a famous writer, are all worth a read. However, the plot got messy towards the end, so I had to drag myself to keep reading, and that wasn’t a very satisfying experience for me.
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Ikigai 58369037 Bring meaning and joy to all your days with the internationally bestselling guide to ikigai.

According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai--a reason for living. And according to the residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa--home to the world’s longest-living people--finding it is the key to a happier and longer life.

Inspiring and soothing, this book will bring you closer to these centenarians� secrets: how they leave urgency behind; keep doing what they love for as long as possible; nurture friendships; live in the moment; participate in their communities; and throw themselves into their passions. And it provides practical tools to help you discover your own personal ikigai. Because who doesn’t want to find the joy in every day?]]>
Héctor García Apoorva 5 3.76 2016 Ikigai
author: Héctor García
name: Apoorva
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2021/12/31
date added: 2023/01/26
shelves: feel-good-books, japan, non-fiction, personal-development
review:

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Man's Search for Meaning 17304997 Man's Search for Meaning has become one of the most influential books in America; it continues to inspire us all to find significance in the very act of living.]]> 154 Viktor E. Frankl 1846041244 Apoorva 4
Written by the man who survived the concentration camp in Nazi Germany, Victor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" recounts the story of survival. The book is not an account of facts but of the author's personal experience and the experience of his fellow prisoners.

The book is divided into two parts. The author describes life in the concentration camps and the prisoners' struggles in the first part.

The conditions in the camp were horrible. It caused the prisoners to lose hope or turn on their own people. He talks about the psychological shift in their mindset caused by living with no hope for the future.

However, the one thing that stands out is the people who managed to survive did so not because they were in better condition than the rest but because they had hope and something to live for, which gave meaning to their lives.

Life is full of suffering, but it is our job to provide meaning to the suffering, that whatever you've gone through is worth something.

It's heart-wrenching to hear about the grim reality that innocent people had to face and the horrors that befell them, from which most of them never came back.

However, instead of dwelling on such experiences, the author focuses on the psychological aspects of the situation. A person can't control what happens to him but can control how he chooses to react.

The book poignantly reinforces his belief that life is not a quest for pleasure or power but a quest for meaning. And the different ways to find the meaning of life are in work (doing something significant), love (caring for another person), and courage during difficult times.

One powerful insight that can change the way you see the world is- anything can be taken from you by forces beyond your control except your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation.

In the second part, the author focuses on logotherapy, which focuses on the meaning of human existence and man's search for such a meaning. According to it, the search for meaning is the primary motivation in life.

The book gives powerful insights on inner strength, life, and suffering based on godawful experiences, but the lessons are helpful in many aspects of regular life. Because in the end, suffering is universal and an indispensable part of life, but how we deal with it is how we choose to live our lives and find meaning.]]>
4.33 1946 Man's Search for Meaning
author: Viktor E. Frankl
name: Apoorva
average rating: 4.33
book published: 1946
rating: 4
read at: 2022/02/01
date added: 2023/01/26
shelves: autobios-bios-memoirs, classics, existentialism, history, illness-insanity-death
review:
ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ 'ᴡʜ�' ᴛᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇ, ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇᴀʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʟᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴀɴʏ 'ʜᴏᴡ'

Written by the man who survived the concentration camp in Nazi Germany, Victor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" recounts the story of survival. The book is not an account of facts but of the author's personal experience and the experience of his fellow prisoners.

The book is divided into two parts. The author describes life in the concentration camps and the prisoners' struggles in the first part.

The conditions in the camp were horrible. It caused the prisoners to lose hope or turn on their own people. He talks about the psychological shift in their mindset caused by living with no hope for the future.

However, the one thing that stands out is the people who managed to survive did so not because they were in better condition than the rest but because they had hope and something to live for, which gave meaning to their lives.

Life is full of suffering, but it is our job to provide meaning to the suffering, that whatever you've gone through is worth something.

It's heart-wrenching to hear about the grim reality that innocent people had to face and the horrors that befell them, from which most of them never came back.

However, instead of dwelling on such experiences, the author focuses on the psychological aspects of the situation. A person can't control what happens to him but can control how he chooses to react.

The book poignantly reinforces his belief that life is not a quest for pleasure or power but a quest for meaning. And the different ways to find the meaning of life are in work (doing something significant), love (caring for another person), and courage during difficult times.

One powerful insight that can change the way you see the world is- anything can be taken from you by forces beyond your control except your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation.

In the second part, the author focuses on logotherapy, which focuses on the meaning of human existence and man's search for such a meaning. According to it, the search for meaning is the primary motivation in life.

The book gives powerful insights on inner strength, life, and suffering based on godawful experiences, but the lessons are helpful in many aspects of regular life. Because in the end, suffering is universal and an indispensable part of life, but how we deal with it is how we choose to live our lives and find meaning.
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