Hello, just a quick one from me before the regular scheduled review later on today but I have officially changed my blog name! I decided after 3 years of being India Reads that I wanted to switch it up. So, I can officially announce my new blog name…. India Reads A Lot! Hahaha. Not that much of a change but I am happy with it. My URL has also changed to reflect the new title as well so don’t get confused. Thank you so much to everyone who has been following me on this journey. I am super excited to keep it going!
Author: IndiaReadsALot
November 2021 Wrap Up
Happy Holidays! We have finally reached December and the Christmas holidays! My favourite time of year! October was an amazing reading month for me but sadly I cannot say the same for November. I don’t think I read anything really over 3.5 stars.
- I read 7 books this month.
- I read 2 ARCs this month.
- Genre: 2 fantasy, 2 murder mystery, 1 romance, 1 thriller and 1 non-fiction.
- Gender of authors: 5 men and 2 women.
- Race of authors: 4 white authors, 1 black authors, 1 asian author and 1 pacific islander author
- Age range: 3 YA and 3 adult
- Format: 3 paperback, 3 eBook and 1 hardcover.
Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier (3.5 stars)
This was a solid debut. I really enjoyed the main character, the romance and the exploration of the trauma a pandemic can have on people, from a singular and community wide level. In terms of the plot, certain elements of the mystery could have been explained/set up more and the ending did feel slightly rushed but that did not stop me from getting invested into the story as a whole.
Ghibliotheque by Michael Leader & Jake Cunningham (3 stars)
A look into the production history of the Studio Ghibli films. I loved the artwork and I loved learning about the history of how these films were made. I wish they delved more into the symbolism and the messaging of each film but it was super fun and informative.
Seven Down by David Whitton (2.5 stars)
This book started on the best foot possible. I was hooked instantly. I really enjoyed the interview type structure. It was pretty easy to follow. Sadly, I started losing interest about halfway through. I personally wanted to just focus on the core plot, the failed operation. But some of the interviews diverged a lot from that and went on tangents that personally didn’t care about. Leading me to lose interest in the story as a whole.
Far From the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson (3 stars)
I don’t read much sci-fi and I wanted to get back into the genre and what a great way to do so by reading a book that is a murder mystery set in space. Unfortunately I went into this novel expecting the sole focus to just be on the mystery but instead there were additional elements to the story which ended pushing the mystery (and my interest) to the back burner. I would have preferred for it just to be a mystery and that’s it.
Methods of Dyeing by B. Mure (2.5 stars)
This was a beautiful graphic novel set in a world where animals act like humans. This story was also a murder mystery but I will be honest, the mystery was incredibly underwhelming. There was no real investigation into the mystery and everything was super convenient to the plot. That being said I really enjoyed the art in this graphic novel. The art and the colour palette were by far the stand out part of this book.
The Remarried Empress by Alphatart (4 stars)
This was a web comicthat I had been reading since January of this year. Every week I would tune in and read the next instalment and last month I finally finished Season 1! The art style is beautiful! The designs of the landscapes, the architecture and the outfits were my favourite. I really enjoyed exploring the complicated relationship between Navier and her husband. I also really enjoyed that the beginning of the series the first episode is actually the ending of Season 1 so we know the ending by the first episode and we work our way back to see what led up to that exact moment.
The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld (3.5 stars)
This was a cute little picture book I read at work. I loved the art-style of the book so I had to read the story. This was just a super sweet story about siblings and magic. I loved it.
Methods of Dyeing Review
In Ismyre, on the eve of his lecture, the renowned botanist and master dyer Professor Detlef is found dead in the university gardens. As the local constabulary begin their search for the culprit, a strange detective arrives from outside the city to help solve the crime. In a place where things are never as they seem, will Mary the university custodian be able to help the mysterious investigator uncover the truth?
Winter Reading Recommendations 2021
It’s nearly Christmas and the start of Winter though I have been freezing for ages! With Winter just around the corner here are some recommendations that I think would fit the season wonderfully.
The Remarried Empress Season 1 Review
Navier Trovi was an Empress perfect in every way — intelligent, courageous, and socially adept. She was kind to her subjects and devoted to her husband. Navier was perfectly content to live the rest of her days as the wise Empress of the Eastern Empire. That is, until her husband brought home a mistress and demanded a divorce. “I accept this divorce… And I request an approval of my remarriage.” In a shocking twist, Navier remarries a King and retains her title and childhood dream as a Queen instead. But just how did everything unfold?
India Reads 3 Year Anniversary!
3 whole years of India Reads! 1095 days, 156 weeks, 36 months of me creating and building this blog dedicated to my love of books!!!
Far From the Light of Heaven Review
The colony ship Ragtime docks in the Lagos system, having traveled light-years to bring one thousand sleeping souls to a new home among the stars. But when first mate Michelle Campion rouses, she discovers some of the sleepers will never wake.
Answering Campion’s distress call, investigator Rasheed Fin is tasked with finding out who is responsible for these deaths. Soon a sinister mystery unfolds aboard the gigantic vessel, one that will have repercussions for the entire system—from the scheming politicians of Lagos station, to the colony planet Bloodroot, to other far-flung systems, and indeed to Earth itself.
Book Series I Have Completed So Far #3
As I have already said, earlier this month, we are finally making it to my yearly wrap up posts, my favourite posts of all time! This week it’s all about the series I have completed from December 2020 to November 2021!
Seven Down ARC Review
Seven ordinary hotel employees. Catering, Reservations, Management. Seven moles, waiting for years for a single code word, a trigger that will send them into action in a violent event that will end their dull lives as they know them. The event has failed: the action was a disaster. Each employee is being debriefed by an agent of an invisible organization. These are the transcripts of these interviews. What they reveal is not just the intricate mechanism of an international assassination, but the yearnings inside each of its pawns, the desperation and secret rage that might cause any one of us to sign up, sell out, and take a plunge into darkness.
October 2021 Wrap Up
So Halloween is over for another year and now we are into what I call pre-Halloween. Now this month was probably one of my best reading month probably ever! I read loads of spooky books this month and had a great time. I also managed to finally get back into Netgalley and started reading ARCs again which was super fun.
- I read 6 books this month.
- I read 1 ARC this month.
- Genre: 4 fantasy, 1 horror and 1 non-fiction.
- Gender of authors: 6 women and 1 man.
- Race of authors: 3 white authors, 2 black authors, 1 south asian author and 1 pacific islander author
- Age range: 2 middle grade, 2 YA, 1 children’s and 1 adult
- Format: 3 paperback, 2 hardcover and 1 eBook.
If you want to read more in-depth versions of my thoughts click the the titles for my reviews.
Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria (4.5 stars)
Going into this novel I didn’t have many expectations but what I got was a story about friendship and trust. I loved the structure of the novel flicking between the past and present. I loved the the characters and the different relationship dynamics between the core group. This novel was just super fun and exciting to read.
The Monsters of Rookhaven by Padraig Kenny (4 stars)
This book is the perfect mix of The Addams Family meets Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children! So much heart, so much excitement and so much adventure. I loved the huge variety of characters and the multiple POVs introduced. This was a perfect Halloween read!
All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman (5 stars)
The Hunger Games if it was set in a fantasy world. I loved the world/lore of this novel, the characters and all their varying and complex dynamics, the exploration of family and the exciting yet incredibly tense plot. I read this as an ARC but I am definitely buying the book when it comes out physically I enjoyed it that much!
Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Black Girl Magic edited by Lilly Workneh (4 stars)
I really enjoyed being able to learn about loads of women I had never heard of before and being to learn about their contributions to the world from science to music. I loved the championing of black women/non-binary people in both the illustrations and as well as the individuals mentioned within the novel.
Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago (4 stars)
I just picked this up randomly after being enticed by the beautiful cover. This was a super cute story celebrating the introverts of the world and the beauty of friendship.
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson (5 stars)
Probably my favourite book of the month. I really enjoy books where we see new beliefs and old beliefs clash. Witches vs God essentially and this book was it! I loved the setting, the female protagonist, the writing was so beautiful and structured incredibly well, the messaging within this novel just hit every mark for me.
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