TITLE: The Misadventures of a Diamond Thief

AUTHOR: Lubaina Bandukwala  

PAGE EXTENT: 176

PUBLISHER: Puffin Books (Penguin Random House India)

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐💫

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Sahabzada Hawa Singh Rafu Chakkar (Rafu), a descendant of the legendary Time-Travelling, Thieving Djinns, wants to abandon the family tradition of stealing jewels to pursue his true passion―cooking. However, when the king of djinns tasks him with a mission to steal the Shah-i-Noor diamond in the newly built city of Haiderabad, Rafu reluctantly accepts. His secret agenda? The diamond is his ticket to his dream.

With only two weeks to get the coveted gem, Rafu finds himself entangled in a web of cunning courtiers, mysterious thieves and a most annoying horse, all while the tantalizing aroma of pulavs and kebabs constantly distracts him. Racing against the clock, Rafu’s adventure unfurls as he strives to turn his dream into reality. How far will he go?

Having read and loved The Chowpatty Cooking Club, I KNEW I had to read this one the moment I laid my eyes on it! Fair warning: if you’re jumping into this book on an empty stomach, you are bound to have a horrible case of hunger pangs because the food imagery is chef’s kiss! Haha, see what I did there? 😉

In this action-packed blend of history, time travel and magic, we follow Rafu, a descendant of the Time-Travelling, Thieving Djinns(TTTDs), who doesn’t want to continue the family legacy of, you guessed it right, stealing! He wants to pursue his passion of cooking as stealing gems from various kingdoms from various times isn’t his cup of tea! But when has it ever been easy for a teenager, with parents having a ton of expectations!?! Phew! In order to make his parents proud in one last hurrah, Rafu agrees to steal the Shah-i-Noor from Haiderabad for the King of the Djinns! What follows is a fun and frolicky adventure set against the backdrop of the Charminar! Read the book and find out what happens!

I read this one from cover to cover in one sitting and I couldn’t stop flipping the pages to find out what happens next! Not only do we get to read a fun historical adventure, we also get to learn about architecture, encounter some mouth-watering food and gasp at some well-placed plot twists!

Zainab Tambawalla’s illustrations peppered throughout the book only enhance the reading experience! I will be visiting Hyderabad pretty soon, thanks to my piqued curiosity!

If you’re in the mood for a thrilling time-travelling adventure that will tingle your taste buds, you know what to pick up next!

Are you a fan of historical fiction? If yes, drop in some recommendations for me in the comments!

TITLE: Ostrich Girl

AUTHOR: Lesley D Biswas  

PAGE EXTENT: 80

PUBLISHER: Duckbill Books (Penguin Random House India)

GENRE: Chapter Book

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A visitor mistakes Ritu’s bird call for an ostrich’s and wants to see the bird.
But there are no ostriches on Henry Island! where will Ritu find one to show him?

Ritu lives behind the Ank Ank Guest House on Henry Island, West Bengal with her mother, who happens to work as a cook at the guest house. Due to the dwindling population of birds, Manager Babu has recruited a bunch of children called the Secret Songsters to mimic the bird calls (to trick the tourists! Ah, what a sneaky man!) When a tourist mistakes Ritu’s struggling efforts at mimicking for an ostrich’s call, his curiosity shoots up the roof and he demands to see it for real! But how can he, when there is no real ostrich in the first place?

I have been a huge fan of the Hole books for quite some time now and when I saw the latest installment in the series, I knew I had to read it right away!

Illegal bird trapping and trading rare birds as pets is rampant in our country and the fact that this book addressed this underreported yet extremely dangerous practice had me impressed! As someone who is an animal lover, I find this book an essential read for today’s younger generation of readers. Not only does it highlight the ill effects of illegal trade and poaching, it also shows how important it is for Animals Rights laws to be enforced.

Anupama Ajinkya Apte’s adorable illustrations add a nice touch to the story!

If you’re in the mood for a light read set against the backdrop of the Sunderbans, your next read is here!

Have you read books about biodiversity and conservation? Let me know in the comments!

TITLE: What Happened to Grandpa

AUTHOR: Nandini Nayar

PAGE EXTENT: 32

PUBLISHER: Puffin Books (Penguin Random House India)

GENRE: Picture Book

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Something strange is happening to Grandpa. Words and names are slipping away, and favourite faces and places are becoming distant memories.

As Grandpa’s family seems to be losing him, it is up to Neha to remind them about the things he stood for. She shares his adventures and spins his stories, but will that help them remember Grandpa and celebrate him?

In this heartwarming picture book about love, loss, and remembering, discover the priceless bond we have with grandparents and how their memories live on.

Picture books always have a special place in my heart: super simple and easy to comprehend, with adorable illustrations and bound to leave a smile plastered on your face!

In this cute yet impactful picture book, we follow Neha and her grandfather, who happens to be losing his memory. He can’t seem to remember people and places. But Neha takes it upon herself to remind everyone how amazing he is and how he showers everyone with love and affection!

Being a doctor, I have a soft spot for books that highlight medical conditions and present them in a palatable manner for young readers. This picture book throws light on age-related memory impairment and its effects on the family members as well. Kudos to Nandini Nayar for spotlighting this!

Aditi Anand’s illustrations remind me of a child’s imagination and perfectly capture the essence of the story!

You should definitely pick up this book about unconditional love, loss and the unique bond we share with our grandparents!

Are you a fan of picture books? Which ones are your favourite?

TITLE: What You Are Looking for is in the Library

AUTHOR: Michiko Aoyama

PAGE EXTENT: 252

PUBLISHER: Doubleday (Penguin Random House)

GENRE: Literary Fiction Anthology

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️💫

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

What are you looking for?

So asks Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi.

But she is no ordinary librarian.

Sensing exactly what someone is searching for in life, she provides just the book recommendation to help them find it.

We meet five visitors to the library, each at a different crossroads:

– The restless retail assistant eager to pick up new skills
– The mother faced with a demotion at work after maternity leave
– The conscientious accountant who yearns to open an antique store
– The gifted young manga artist in search of motivation
– The recently retired salaryman on a quest for newfound purpose

Can she help them find what they are looking for?

Which book will you recommend?

If you’re a part of the book community, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of the hype surrounding Japanese fiction. Here’s what I would say after reading this book: PLEASE GIVE IN TO THE HYPE AND READ THESE FEEL-GOOD STORIES! Trust me, you will not regret a single moment spent reading! Not only do they leave you with a feeling of satisfaction and joy at the end, they will also make you introspect and learn! If that isn’t one of the best things about a book, I don’t know what is.

In this anthology of short stories, we follow five people from different walks of life who happen to walk into the library at the Community Centre under different circumstances. They leave with a bunch of recommendations from the librarian, Sayuri Komachi, along with an adorable felted toy. Little do they know that they’re on the precipice of something great in their lives!

If there’s one thing in common between all of these people, it’s that they’re at a crossroads in life, with little to no idea how to move forward. This realistic portrayal of human emotions and situations reflects on what we go through in our daily lives and goes on to show how nothing is ever impossible, only if you make up your mind and start taking tiny steps towards your goal, no matter how small!

I have always had a soft spot for books about books, and that’s what drew me to this one in the first place! Being someone who always gravitates towards bookshops and libraries during outings, I couldn’t help but wish I could go to the Community Centre Library and meet Mrs. Komachi too! 🥺

Every story is centred around books and this shows how books, no matter the genre or size, can have a profound and lasting impact on people and their lives. Who knew picture books would have a deeper meaning hidden between the adorable illustrations? If you’re excited to read the titles mentioned throughout the book, there’s a list at the end with all the information you need!

All of the stories are interconnected by a fine thread and every time I noticed a link between them, I ended up smiling and reminiscing the warm, fuzzy feeling that I had at the end of every story that came before!

When I say you’re in for a feel-good, heartwarming treat, take my word for it and pick this book up right away!

Have you read Japanese feel-good fiction? If yes, what are your favourite titles? Let me know in the comments!

TITLE: Cell Theory for Smartypants

AUTHOR: Anushka Ravishankar 

PAGE EXTENT: 44

PUBLISHER: Duckbill Books (Penguin Random House India)

GENRE: Picture Book

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Are you a Smartypants?
Do you ask a lot of questions? Like—
Can you see an animal cell?
Does a Golgi body need exercise?
How many cells does a cat have?
If you do, then you just might find the answers in this book.
It has gorgeous pictures, simple explanations and a very curious cat!

Do you have a young biology whizz in the family? Or are you a biology whizz yourself? Have you always been fascinated by the cell theory and how our body works at the microscopic level? In that case, you’re in the right place!

Having been a fan of biology since middle school, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy of this new instalment in the Smartypants series! Needless to say, Anushka Ravishankar doesn’t disappoint one bit!

Not only does this book make cell theory easy and fun, it also makes the experience super hilarious! While the author teaches a cat about the different cell organelles, you can’t help but giggle at how the cat never gets the point!😂

This review would be incomplete without a shoutout to Pia Alizé Hazarika’s quirky illustrations!

This is one of my favourite series for young readers and I will pick up all future books in this adorable picture book series!

Are you a fan of biology? What do you find most fascinating about the subject? Let me know in the comments!

TITLE: Set Theory for Smartypants

AUTHOR: Anushka Ravishankar 

PAGE EXTENT: 44

PUBLISHER: Duckbill Books (Penguin Random House India)

GENRE: Picture Book

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Are you a Smartypants?
Do you ask a lot of questions? Like―
Can a set have a bicycle and a banana?
Can there be a set with nothing in it?
Do cats like tuna or chicken?
If you do, then you just might find the answers in this book.
It has gorgeous pictures, simple explanations and a very curious cat!

Oh, how I wish I had this book when I learnt set theory in middle school! Math isn’t one of my strong suits and I have constantly struggled to grasp anything math-related. (Yes, I use a calculator for basic calculations even now. Hehe.)

If you’re curious to know what set theory is or have learnt it in a way you couldn’t ever wrap your head around, don’t worry! This book is the perfect fit for you!

With super cute and easy-to-understand examples featuring some adorable cats, the author has managed to perfectly depict the concept in the simplest way possible! Pick this book up and you’ll never forget set theory!

How is a review of a Smartypants book complete without mentioning how amazing Pia Alizé Hazarika’s illustrations are! Illustrations are vital to a picture book and Pia has definitely knocked it out of the park with this one!

So, what are you waiting for? Grab a copy of this book for yourself and you miiiight not find math all that hard anymore!

Are you a math whizz? Does math intrigue you and pique your curiosity? Let me know in the comments below!

TITLE: Rocket Science for Smartypants

AUTHOR: Anushka Ravishankar

PAGE EXTENT: 44

PUBLISHER: Duckbill Books (Penguin Random House India)

GENRE: Picture Book

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Are you a Smartypants?
Do you ask a lot of questions? Like―
What makes a rocket take off?
What is a satellite?
Can you take off like a rocket if you eat a lot of beans?
If you do, then you just might find the answers in this book.
It has gorgeous pictures, simple explanations and a very curious cat!

Rocket. Satellite. Thrust. Escape velocity. Do these words ring a bell? Have you ever wondered what goes behind launching a satellite into orbit? How much speed has to be generated to prevent the satellite from flying away into space? I have always been intrigued by space exploration and rockets, but it has always been “rocket science” to me. Haha, see what I did there? 😉

If you have wanted answers to these questions but have been afraid of not being able to understand them, fret not: you’re in the right place!

As someone who struggled with physics in school and got all the concepts jumbled in my head, I wish I had this book to help make learning fun and easy! Anushka Ravishankar has taken a pretty complex science topic and explained it in a way that’s palatable for readers, both young and old(but young at heart, of course!)

Pia Alizé Hazarika’s illustrations definitely take the cake! The conversations between the author and the cat have been illustrated in a super quirky and hilarious manner and will have you giggling from time to time!

So, if you’ve always wanted to figure out how rockets work but never got a chance to, consider this a sign!

Have you read books about space and astronomy? If yes, which ones? Let me know in the comments!

TITLE: Sudden Superstar

AUTHOR: Claire Betita de Guzman

PAGE EXTENT: 264

PUBLISHER: Penguin Books SEA

GENRE: YA

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐💫

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

What happens when one goes from obscurity to celebrity, overnight?

Thirty-year-old Arya Alvarez is a travel manager at Isle Z, a luxury travel company in Singapore where she creates bespoke trips for celebrities and influencers. Discretion is her specialty at work and personal life: Few people know that she’s fled her home city, Manila, to get away from the scene of a devastating break-up.

When she travels to Svaneti, in the Republic of Georgia, Arya briefly encounters the mysterious Dave in a remote village high up the Caucasus mountains. Intrigued, she posts his photos on Instagram―which goes viral the very next day. Turns out, Dave is Davit Nadibaidze, a famous yet reclusive artist who’d retreated from the public five years ago and Arya is the first person to see him since he disappeared.

In less than twenty-four hours, Arya gains hundreds of thousands of followers. She’s deluged with invitations to talk shows, influencer parties, and celebrity junkets, all as her social media apps overflow with DMs, tags, and comments, both nice and nasty. Men are suddenly vying for her attention, including her ex, Jake.

Did I spend an awful amount of time on Google and YouTube looking up all the countries mentioned in this story? Did I end up getting a horrible case of wanderlust at the end of this book? Do I have an intense urge to hop on a plane and take a trip to Southeast Asia? Yes, yes and yes! I have always had a thing for books that take you on a trip around the world and if you are someone who has a penchant for travel, this book is right up your alley!

Arya Alvarez has been working for a luxury travel agency, Isle Z in Singapore for over two years after fleeing her hometown of Manila to escape the aftermath of a devastating breakup. She gets to make fancy itineraries for their influencer clients and travel the world with them! (What I wouldn’t give to live this life, haha.) On one such trip to Svaneti, Georgia (Yes, this is on my bucket list now as well) she posts a picture of a local artist at work without realising he’s one of the biggest names out there! What follows is instant fame and a roller coaster of emotions and influencer parties and being ripped apart on social media platforms, the likes of which you can’t imagine! Will Arya crumble under all that pressure, or will she manage to wriggle herself out of this mess? And what will she do when her ex suddenly makes an entry into her life again? Read the books to find out!

If you’re looking for a realistic and refreshing, fast-paced read without a boring moment, replete with sojourns in Greece, South Africa, Japan and a lot more, you’re in the right spot! You can’t help but want to go on a back-packing trip with Arya!

I am a sucker for books with great character arcs and Arya’s growth over the course of the story is commendable! Her character goes on to show the one main aspect of relationships we tend to forget: you solve problems by addressing them and NOT running away at the first chance you get; and how letting it fester can be detrimental in the long run. Kudos to the author on this realistic portrayal of relationships.

In the current era where social media is the “it” thing, with most of us living our lives online way more than we wish to, we tend to forget its not-so-great side as well. Viral social media fame can be a double-edged sword and the author hasn’t shied away from discussing the brutality of it.

However, I do wish the romance between Arya and Jake had been explored more. While the book addresses the consequences of a disastrous breakup, it would have been great to get more than just a glimpse into the relationship as well.

I am all for women friendships in books and the friendship between Arya and her flatmate-turned-bestie Nhi was definitely one to cherish! Yay for the casual queer rep as well!

Well, if I’ve convinced you enough to pick this book up, go grab a copy for yourself right away! In the meantime, I shall Google more about Palawan, Philippines and Da Nang, Vietnam!

Have you read books by Southeast Asian authors? Let me know in the comments!

TITLE: A Study in Drowning

AUTHOR: Ava Reid

PAGE EXTENT: 384

PUBLISHER: Del Rey (Penguin Books)

GENRE: YA Romantasy

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Effy has always believed in fairy tales. She’s had no choice. Since childhood, she’s been haunted by visions of the Fairy King. She’s found solace only in the pages of Angharad – a beloved epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, and then destroys him.

Effy’s tattered copy is all that’s keeping her afloat through her stifling first term at her prestigious architecture college. So when the late author’s family announces a contest to design his house, Effy feels certain this is her destiny.

But Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task: a musty, decrepit estate on the brink of crumbling into a hungry sea. And when Effy arrives, she finds she isn’t the only one who’s made a temporary home there. Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar, is studying Myrddin’s papers and is determined to prove her favourite author is a fraud.

As the two rival students investigate the reclusive author’s legacy, piecing together clues through his letters, books, and diaries, they discover that the house’s foundation isn’t the only thing that can’t be trusted. There are dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspiring against them – and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

Guys, THE HYPE IS REAL! This was one of my most anticipated titles of 2023 and having heard nothing but amazing things about this book, I was a bit apprehensive getting into it for fear of ending up not liking it but BELIEVE ME, THIS WAS SO SO GOOD! THERE IS NO SMIDGE OF DISAPPOINTMENT WHATSOEVER!

We follow Effy Sayre, the only woman student at the architecture college, who jumps at the opportunity to design the house of her favourite author, Emrys Myrddin. Angharad, the most famous work of Myrddin has been a constant in her life and what better opportunity than to design Hiraeth Manor! But when Effy turns up at Saltney, the birthplace of her Myrddin, things are not what they seem and there’s more than what meets the eye. To make matters worse, she meets Preston Héloury, a student from the literature college, and they go on a quest to discover the truth. Before I divulge the entire plot, please pick up this stunner of a book and find out for yourself!

This is probably the MOST atmospheric read of the year. You can’t help but get transported to the town of Saltney in Llyr and Hiraeth Manor on the hilltop and don’t be surprised if you end up shivering in between! Haha! Creaky stairs, sand in your hair, mist on your cheek and a mansion that’s crumbling down: what more do you need than an eerie, gothic setting to sweep you off your feet!?

Romantasy is a genre I’m beginning to love and I’m a sucker for slow-burn romance! The blossoming of love between Effy and Preston over the course of the story is super tender and realistic and your eyes are bound to well up with tears! Preston is obviously on my list of book boyfriends now!

This book highlights what I consider an extremely essential issue: institutional misogyny. It is rampant in our world as well and goes on to show how academia is not what it seems. This is a story of breaking through those barriers, not accepting the fate men decide for women, and having the power to make the decision for yourself! A trigger warning for sexual assault is apt here.

Books about books have a special place in my heart and I love how the entire story hinges on the tale of Angharad. And if you’re someone who enjoys massive plot twists, you’re going to encounter a lot of them, hehe.

I don’t usually talk about covers on my reviews but this edition is so beautiful it deserves a shoutout! The end papers are GORGEOUS too!

Do you need more reasons to pick this book up? I’m sure not!

Are you a fan of Romantasy? What are your favourite books?