Personal Rating: There are two types of north: true north and a mere cardinal north of the compass. If Shadow and Bone (2012) is a direction, then it is the true north of the fantasy genre. Written by Israeli-American author Leigh Bardugo — this New York Times bestselling first novel in the Grishaverse series is a high-fashioned fantasy adventure […]
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
Personal Rating: An Enthralling Tell-All Tale of Race to Victory From an iconic brand logo of a swoosh that conveys motion, designed with a cheap price of only thirty-five dollars to a multibillion-dollar company name that revealed itself from a midnight sleep, named after the Greek goddess of victory, Nike, comes an inspiring success business story […]
The Antithesis of Romantic Comedy: Beach Read by Emily Henry
Personal Rating Sixteen weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list, Beach Read by Emily Henry (2020), dubbed as contemporary romance fiction, is actually more of a novel that encapsulates the realities and complexities of an adult life — where there are money problems on trying to make ends meet, health concerns of parents arise who are either battling […]
Finding a Family in an Unexpected Place: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Personal Rating A book should not be judged by its cover, but who would not be tempted to read TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea (2020) when it has an enticing artwork that speaks for itself? Not only is it a treat for the eyes, but simply looking at it already gives an idyllic nautical […]
Different facets of love: Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli
Personal Rating Any stories representing diverse characters and portraying different types of love alongside romance with relationships other than significant others are remarkable. Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli delivers both. In this contemporary romance-comedy work of fiction for 14+ young adults, diverse primary and secondary characters celebrate love in all its forms as a family, friend, […]
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: The Safe Space
Personal Ratings: Trigger warnings for mental health disorders, self-harm, substance abuse, suicide, terminal cancer, death of a loved one, and everything in between are in order in Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library. This adult science-fiction, a fantasy-esque novel that is wrapped up with philosophy, parallel universe, and quantum physics, and won the 2020 Goodreads Choice Award and Good Morning […]
On Revamping Thought Patterns and Habits: Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty
My Personal Rating: At the age of 21, Jay Shetty — a podcast host, purpose coach, and best-selling author with a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science, turned down all the fancy corporate job offers. Despite coming from a middle-class Indian family with only three career options: doctor, lawyer, or a failure; Shetty, with unwavering determination, […]