This middle grade book is so underrated! Deals with themes of loss, grief and friendship. There are elements of magic realism that add so much beauty to this intense story. It‘s a middle grade story but it‘s quite difficult to read at times. #bookstagram #bookreview #middlegrade #2021reads #bookblogger

LOVED this book featuring Saudi characters. Excellent themes on morality, complex personal histories and the trauma of loss. #bookreview #bookblogger #booknerd #bookstagram #bookish #2021reads

This was a good book set in India, told from the perspective of an 8 year old boy who wants to become a detective (inspired by the tv shows he watches). The grim reality that inspires this story is the disappearance of nearly 200 children in India on a daily basis. I liked that it had a non-stereotypical representation of poverty in India, but it was a bit repetitive which made it an imperfect 4 star read.

What are you reading during social distancing?! I read BEACH READ and absolutely adored it. It‘s exactly the kind of book I needed during these times. A lovely balance of steamy romance and substance; the book is about two writers as they try to explore writing each other‘s genre. I loved every minute of reading it!

#bookreview #bookstagram

5/5⭐️
A beautiful read on friendship, love, grief and personal histories. Understated prose that conveys depth and intimacy reminiscent of Murakami. Loved it ♥️
#bookstagram #bookreview #bookworm

A suspenseful novel—the interior monologue of an unreliable narrator reveals a crumbling psyche. Scattering of lucidity begs the question: what is real, what is imaginary? what even is reality if the imagined is as real as it could get? 5 ⭐️ read.

#bookrec #bookstagram #booklover

I LOVED this as much as Dark Matter 😱🖤

oh my god this book is so so so good and intense and life changing. Please read it 🖤

Working on my list of best 2018 reads! I think I‘ve had better reading years. I really hope 2019 will be better. What‘s a 2018 favorite book for you?
PS: This photo was taken for my profile as a guest contributor for The Reading Women Podcast next year! So excited for this role ♥️

Currently reading this! It‘s really good yet something is missing. Hoping the ending makes up for that! Have you read this book? It‘s about two Korean sisters who grow up in very different circumstances; Inja in South Korea with her grandparents, Miran in America with their parents.

Do you read YA romance? I‘m currently reading this one and enjoying it! I‘ve noticed that it‘s best read in long sittings; for some reason I‘m not really feeling that urge to keep going after I take a break. Not a good sign I‘m guessing!

This was such a promising book and I couldn‘t believe how underrated it was. But after reading that ending I‘m just lost and confused. That was a big pile of nothingness. All the intrigue tapered into an ending that felt abrupt and bland. Kind of upset because I really thought I‘d discovered a good book. Wondering what the editors were thinking? Feels like a rush job.

Currently reading and it is so underrated!
Also; I‘ve written an essay to address the bookworm shaming and elitist attitude that unfortunately exists on Bookstagram and other Bookish communities. Thought I‘d share the link!
https://sumaiyyareads.wordpress.com/2018/12/02/we-need-to-talk-about-bookworm-sh...
#booklover #bookstagram

This was a beautifully written book that didn‘t live up to my expectations. I wanted something more out of this book; the plot twists didn‘t work well for me and overall, I felt it was a bit repetitive and overwritten. It‘s character driven but also tries hard to have the effect of a fast paced plot towards the end.

After a string of below average reads, this book completely pulled me out of my slump! It was beautifully written and a heartwarming exploration of what we‘re willing to give up if it means we get one more day to live. The novel also explores what it means to live and the process behind accepting that it‘s your time to die.
My review: https://sumaiyyareads.wordpress.com/2018/12/01/book-review-if-cats-disappeared-f...

This felt like a promising read - a group of friends are forced to revisit a holiday ten years in the past where a French girl they met was later found dead - as the investigation is reopened and they‘re suspects, their inner anxieties and secrets surface. Their relationships are put under the microscope and betrayals are revealed. The ending was very anticlimactic and overall I was underwhelmed. Would recommend only if you‘re new to the genre.

Soooooo... I really didn‘t like this book. I generally don‘t mind unlikeable characters, but this novel was not what everyone made it out to be. I was expecting a comfort read about friendship and fascination but it was anything but.
My full review: https://sumaiyyareads.wordpress.com/2018/11/26/book-review-conversations-with-fr...

This is such an excellent read so far. It‘s part historical fiction, part diary/travel writing. I‘m loving the details, the meandering narrative that Ghosh brilliantly pulls together. Definitely recommend if you want something on migration, movement and a generally critical and subversive view of anthropology and imperialism.

Gah!!! I really thought I‘d love this book, but I‘m feeling so UNDER-whelmed and confused after reading it. The story tries to be too much at once, though the writing is great. My full review:
https://sumaiyyareads.wordpress.com/2018/10/18/book-review-everything-under-by-d...

It was lovely revisiting this cozy mystery series + historical fiction set in 16th century Japan. I‘d recommend if you like Japanese cultural order of the Samurai and Shinobi, and if you like a good whodunnit with a lot of questions 😻🖤 I‘ve got the next book in the series and can‘t wait to read it!

This was such a strange novel. I liked it but also didn‘t like it or understand it. It made me uncomfortable and I don‘t see myself revisiting it or recommending it, despite it‘s strengths. I think I understand what the author tried to do, but I‘m not fully onboard the feminist dystopia wagon and think we shouldn‘t need to warp an already twisted reality to bring attention to gender issues. But maybe men should read this book.

Got this in the mail yesterday! What a gorgeous edition by Knopf 😻 My full review is here:
https://sumaiyyareads.wordpress.com/2018/09/10/art-and-obsession-in-killing-comm...

I have mixed feelings about this novel of religion, faith and cults. The writing style didn‘t really work for me, I found it a bit distracting because of the endless commas and choppy sentences. Loved some parts of it, though. But overall, I‘m not sure how I feel.

This is the best Murakami novel I‘ve ever read! It‘s publishing on Oct 9 from Harvill Secker (UK) and Knopf (US). My review is here: https://sumaiyyareads.wordpress.com/2018/09/10/art-and-obsession-in-killing-comm...

Bought these at the bookstore today (not including The Hazel Wood). Have you read any books by Matt Haig?

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#bookhaul

I‘m reading Murakami‘s upcoming novel, KILLING COMMENDATORE! Feels like it‘s been forever since I read one of his books 😱😱😱

Starting this one just now ♥️ I‘ve seen a LOT of mixed reviews, so if you‘ve read it I‘d love to know what you thought ♥️

Started this (it‘s pub day). I really liked Sager‘s debut, so I‘m looking forward to this one. Anyway; still shocked from last night‘s discovery: RILEY SAGER IS A MAN. I‘d been referring to him as she/her for the past year, I just never questioned that it might be a male author. WHY? HOW???

I‘m so underwhelmed after reading this book 🤦🏻‍♀️ I wanted to know if it‘s just me, so I looked through ratings and it appears a lot of readers feel disappointed. I don‘t think it‘s the author‘s fault, because once expectations are removed this looks like a great speculative fiction novel. But it‘s being marketed as an conflict-driven dystopia (based on the blurbs), and I think that‘s where the problem lies. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Currently reading this book! I‘m almost 60% in and a tiny bit confused but I have a feeling the ending will help things make sense. Regardless, this is proving to be a great read!

Started this tale of obsession yesterday and I‘m loving it!! It‘s so creepy, twisted and I‘m so intrigued by the delusional and disturbed protagonist. What a chilling read 😻

Currently reading this book. I‘m about 30 pages in but the story hasn‘t really grabbed my attention yet. Has anyone read it?

Oh my god. This trilogy was SO EPIC. I feel stupid for not reading it sooner. The magic system is so well developed, the world building and character developments are brilliant and the overall cohesiveness of the three books was SO SATISFYING. A lot of people cried at the ending and I can see why. It was bittersweet and incredible. Highly recommend if you‘re looking for readable high fantasy.

One of my favorite books that deals with the theme of technology vs tradition. There‘s a lot of baking in this one, so I was hungry the entire time I was reading it 😹

Got this in the mail today! Is anyone planning to read this?

I‘m a little nervous because I‘m starting The Final Empire today 🙈 I‘ve heard such incredible things about Sanderson‘s work so I have a lot of expectations. I‘m also going through a difficult time in my life so I feel a fantasy like this one is a good option right now. If you‘ve read the book or trilogy, do you have any advise for me?

Currently reading this very strange, funny and witty book.

Looking for feel good books! Can you recommend any? I prefer books about twentysomethings rather than teens. Thank you so much 🙈

I want to follow more people on Litsy! If you have a book review account please drop a comment below - I‘d love to check out your profile!

Btw, STARFISH is my current read and I‘m loving it ♥️

Recently read and LOVED this story about an Indian-Muslim family in America. It was so heart wrenching and relatable for me. Loved the way it captured the essence of my religion. Full review: https://sumaiyyareads.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/book-review-a-place-for-us/

I loved this book so much!! It‘s a character driven story that takes place AFTER the missing teen is found. My full review if you can spare a couple of minutes: https://sumaiyyareads.wordpress.com/2018/05/03/book-review-whistle-in-the-dark/

I absolutely disliked this book set in Saudi Arabia. My review: https://sumaiyyareads.wordpress.com/2018/04/29/book-review-a-girl-like-that/

I‘ve just started this - looks great so far. What are you reading?!

It was difficult for me to get into this book. I wasn‘t fully invested in it until I reached the mother‘s POV. This isn‘t an emotionally manipulative story, but when I finished it I felt the full weight of the words. This is a lengthy read, sometimes that felt unnecessary, yet it‘s an important narrative that I personally related to. My full review:
https://sumaiyyareads.wordpress.com/2018/04/24/blog-tour-review-the-leavers-by-l...

This book is so good! Just the fantasy-magic read I needed at the moment. But also, can‘t help but feel that under the layers of world building, all new YA fantasy books feel the same 🤦🏻‍♀️

This Ya sci-fi/magic realism was a good escapist read for me. The Native American stories and mythology is the core strength of this book, and it has a well developed science fiction and supernatural aspect that I enjoyed. Overall, a fun escape but requires some eye rolling because of insta love 🙄

Why are people not obsessing over this brilliant YA historical fiction?! It‘s set in 1947, the historic year that saw the India and Pakistan partition. We see the horrific and brutal divide through the diary entries that Nisha (12y) writes for her dead mother. I loved her exploration of home, displacement and identity. This historic event is underrepresented in children‘s literature and TND does it incredible justice. So jarring & beautiful.

This was such an incredible read! I read it in one day, and that‘s 100% because of the engaging storytelling and the stunning writing style. This follows Nick, a young man whose girlfriend gets a job as the director of a Historic House. Things start to go wrong after they move in, followed by her eventual disappearance. Nick tries to make sense of the mystery and the role the house‘s previous inhabitants play in it. SO BLOODY GOOD.

What are you guys reading these days?! I recently got a couple of books including this one from PRH International. Are any of them on your list?

Oh my god, this book. I LOVED it. Such a creepy and unnerving read. The final 30 pages are insane and so trippy. I love the atmosphere the author created, along with the premise which lived up to my expectations. Go for it it if you want a literary psychological thriller. Full review here: https://sumaiyyareads.wordpress.com/2018/03/15/book-review-im-thinking-of-ending...