Fictionandme

shadow town by sreemati sen genre: supernatural My 💭: [22/3/26 7 PM] This book has that quiet, slightly eerie vibe that slowly builds as the story goes on, and I found that really interesting. It starts off in a remote village setting where everything feels a little unfamiliar, almost like you’ve stepped into a place that follows its own rules. There’s a strong presence of local beliefs, stories, and small details that make the setting feel real without being overwhelming. Through Deesha’s perspective, things feel grounded and practical at first, since she looks at everything with a more logical mindset. But even then, there’s always something in the background that doesn’t quite sit right, like a constant feeling that something is being missed. As more questions start coming up, about Bensho, the pond, and the strange lights in the marshy land - the story slowly becomes more layered. Nothing is rushed, which actually works well here because it gives time for that sense of curiosity t...

dawn of the firebird by sarah mughal rana genre: fantasy My 💭: [18/1/26 10.14 PM]  I do not know what happened to my soul while reading this book but I loved reading fantasy again - the genre that got me into reading in the first place as a child. Thank you so so so much publishers for bringing this book to my life and author for creating the words that made this book an unforgettable experience for me 🤎✨ What an AMAAAAAZING world building this book has omggg! Seriously, fantasy readers, make haste and get your hands on this book NOW. After being a voracious fantasy reader for so many years, trust me, the fantasy worlds of recent fiction kept repeating the same sort of plotline - it was kinda becoming dull to me. But this storyline with its jinns and heavenly light (nur) and black magic and most importantly, the perseverance and survival of a girl born in a world that despises her from the beginning, but will move heaven and hell to prove her worth to her clan - it got me so hook...

writing from the solitary genre: anthology My 💭: [15/1/26 8.20 PM] Sometimes I feel scared and spooked when I try to understand this Universe's plan of how the exact perfect book lands in my hands in the right time. Believe me, I mean it when I say this : I am so so grateful that I began reading this book last day. It accompanied me in living one of the heartbreaking days of my life. And what the book gifted me : understanding. Thank you @simon and @pri for bringing this book to me 🙏🏻💜 So this book is an anthology of many short stories, essays, poems and dialogues written by many eminent authors. All of them have the theme of loneliness and solitude - the concept of একাকিত্ব - accompanying one's own 'self'. All of these pieces deal with the different types of loneliness - having no family, seeking me time in a new city by being lost in crowd, feeling alone while being with someone else, the loneliness of dating apps where people want fleeting companionships, or the ...

the architect's dream by nikhil kumar genre: contemporary My 💭: [10/1/26 5.14 PM]  Sometimes we come across some books that feel like it took you only a minute to read them and now you want more time with it. This was one such read. Just wow 😲! I've said it before and I'll say it again - fiction books written by journalists ALWAYS leave a lasting impression on me. In this case too, the author has this arresting way of flowy writing that got me hooked in the storyline right from the start. The plot doesn't have epic twists or turns, it relies entirely on the characters and their narrations and dialogues. The story is so intricate that the characters have themselves become the plot. Tanya, Vidhu and Hanif are equally the main characters in this book. But in their lives, Tanya is the main character. Despite everything, it has always been Tanya who is at the centre of both Vidhu and Hanif's narrations. And it completely fascinated me! Vidhu's story is related to h...

heartbreak unfiltered by milan vohra genre: self-help, short stories My 💭: [9/1/26 12.19 AM] Wow... reading this book was truly an experience for me. Thank you @rupa for bringing this book to me! This book was the most unique read I've read in recent times, for it is a unique combination of self-help, journal prompts and even a collection of short stories based on the topics discussed. And kudos to the author for writing everything in such a friendly tone that it felt like a friend was talking to me throughout. In fact, despite being a chronically closed book person, I was unexpectedly feeling my emotions and thoughts unraveling a few chapters in, so much so that I felt like I would be comfortable enough to talk to the author about my personal life. Her words convey that she is a very warm accepting person. This book is fully focused about heartbreaks and all the tangled emotions revolving them. The author explains everything in a very warm friendly tone, starting with the root ca...

at the altars of the unknown genre: horror story collection My 💭: [7/1/26 12.12 PM]  Recently, I have been reading a lot of horror fiction. And when I saw that rupa publication has released this amazing collection of historical horror stories by some eminent authors of this world, I couldn't resist and got my hands on the book. 🤓 If you enjoy Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley's works of horror and supernatural fiction, then you'd definitely enjoy all the stories. In each story, there are certain things left for imagination, things that are grotesque and hellish. Nothing is too intricately described, so faint hearted readers, this book is safe for you too 😂. Nothing too dark. I enjoyed a couple of stories from the book, but most of them failed to leave an impression on me as the writing felt too hazy and convoluted too me, nothing written simply. The last story, The Great God Pan was the only story that had me hooked from start to end. Yes, this was true horror, the kind I...

marked for murder : a vikram rana mystery by sharmistha shenoy genre: murdery mystery My 💭: [5/1/26 1.36 AM]  I cannot believe that I'm writing this review in the wee hours of this night. But I literally cannot resist the torrent of thoughts pouring out of my mind after finishing this book. Indie books are sooo underrated! Author , I am officially your fan now 🙌🏻 After getting horribly disappointed this week by the Stranger Things ending because of the lack of twists and everything, I have been craving something, a twist so massive that will get me over my Stranger Things disappointment. I thank all the stars of this universe that brought me to this book this very week and finally my mood is rising again 🤩. Agatha Christie fans and Byomkesh fans, please assemble here and read this book. Such a brilliantly written murder mystery, that will arrest your attention right from the chapter 1 - nope, from the prologue itself. It was a very character driven plot that kept me reevaluatin...

of moonflowers and memories by satya genre: poetry My 💭: [4/1/26 6.23 PM]  On this quiet gloomy Sunday evening, as I am opening the Notes app on my phone to write this review, I cannot help but feel gratitude for all that life has given me. This intricately designed thick shawl, this thermos, this reading nook, the uneventfulness of this evening. And of course, for poetry books like this. The poet has given a thorough introduction of what we may expect from this book at the beginning. She said that this book is for "those who see the world in metaphors and moments...". Most of us poetry readers, aren't we just that? Life is passing us by as we close our eyes each time we blink, yet somehow we hold onto all that life is with the essence of a few words and moments from ourselves and the nature just beyond us. This book is a collection of poems divided into three segments - whispers of the cosmos, echoes of the soul and tides of time. All these poems seem to be taken out fr...

10 minutes and 38 seconds in this strange world by elif shafaq genre: literary fiction, women literature My 💭: [4/1/26 9.44 AM] 🏅 My first read of 2026! My choice couldn't have been more perfect 💯. A 🏅 read. It feels very odd to write 2026 instead of 2025. I used to envision my life as an independent adult, stepping into this vast world and find my footing - something that little me could only dream of. 2026 used to feel like such an 'adult year'! And here I am, finally, lucky enough to witness it with my loved ones by my side. And yet so much has changed, so many stories ended, so many new began, so many still continuing. 1 book of life, yet so many parallel stories, strung together by time, each of them brimming with life. Tequila Leila, too, was a person of many stories. But sadly, it began with the end. This book, or Leila's story, was an amalgamation of so many aspects of her life - all connected by the memories her brain churned up in the last 10 min and 38 se...