TITLE: Sinbad and the Tomb of Alexander

AUTHOR: Kevin Missal

PAGE EXTENT: 336

PUBLISHER: Penguin India

GENRE: YA

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐

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

EVIL ALWAYS FINDS ANOTHER WAY

You would think having saved the world from Armageddon would have its perks, but sadly there are no happily ever afters. Because evil never sleeps. We battled the Angel of Death and prevented the trumpet of Israfil from being blown. But Iblis, the Devil King, is after yet another artefact that can bring him back to life.

Now my crew and I race against time to find the famed Water of Life. And as luck would have it, it is said to be hidden in the legendary tomb of-wait for it-Alexander the Great. What fate!

So here I am again, Sinbad the Sailor, pitted against Viking warriors, immortal Chinese alchemists, haunted isles and murderous golems, creatures of the dark . . . you get the drift. Then there is the Lame Archdemon, Admiral Sakhr, a foe far more sinister than I have ever encountered.

And on top of it all, my friends seem to be drifting away from me, as is the love of my life, Safeena, Iblis’s daughter.

Bestselling author Kevin Missal’s second book in the Sinbad series is a thrilling reimagination of the fabled sailor from the classic One Thousand and One Nights!

Sinbad managed to save the world from destruction. But when has evil ever backed down once and for all? Now, the Devil King Iblis is after another artefact to help bring him back to life, and since things don’t get easier in such situations: it’s inside the tomb of Alexander the Great! To make matters worse, he has recruited the Archdemon Admiral Sakhr to do his bidding. Will Sinbad succeed in preventing Iblis from rising again? Or will Iblis rise after all? Read the book to find out!

We travel with Sinbad and his ragtag crew (aka found family) on yet another adventure across the world! The plot was fast-paced and action-packed just like the first one, with new mythical beings and Vikings added to the mix! And a very sassy alchemist too! And there is a plot twist you will NOT see coming! Be warned!

Full disclosure: this book was a disappointment for me. This was a classic case of the author setting an extremely high standard with the first book that the second one failed to barely scratch the surface. While the plot is unique and interesting, it wasn’t explored to its full potential and the book in general felt a bit lacklustre.

The editing job was poorly done and that made the book extremely difficult to read in places. A couple more rounds of editing with a fine-toothed comb would have made the reading experience better. There were 8-10 typos on almost every page which was testament to the fact that the editing process was choppy and rushed and how the book was hastily pushed out into the market without honing it to finesse.

This book had a ton of potential which, if tapped fully, would have made this book better than the first one! The stakes are high, even more so than the first book, and there are quite a few gasp-inducing moments. There’s queer representation too, which is definitely a plus!

After reading this book, I really want the third and final book to come at me with redemption! The first book took my expectations to an all-time high, which only ended up plummeting into the abyss of disappointment. Can’t wait to see what book 3 has in store for Sinbad and his friends!

What is your favourite fantasy series? Let me know in the comments below!

TITLE: Nick and Charlie

AUTHOR: Alice Oseman

PAGE EXTENT: 176

PUBLISHER: HarperCollins India

GENRE: YA, LGBTQIA+

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

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

CHARLIE: “I have been going out with Nick Nelson for two years. He likes rugby, Formula 1, dogs, the Marvel universe, the sound felt-tips make on paper, rain and drawing on shoes. He also likes me. ”

NICK: “Things me and Charlie Spring do together include: Watch films. Sit in the same room on different laptops. Text each other from different rooms. Make out. Make food. Make drinks. Get drunk. Talk. Argue. Laugh. Maybe we’re kind of boring. But that’s fine with us. ”

Everyone knows that Nick and Charlie are the perfect couple – that they’re inseparable. But now Nick is leaving for university, and Charlie will be left behind at Sixth Form. Everyone’s asking if they’re staying together, which is a stupid question – they’re ‘Nick and Charlie’ for God’s sake!

But as the time to say goodbye gets inevitably closer, both Nick and Charlie question whether their love is strong enough to survive being apart. Or are they delaying the inevitable? Because everyone knows that first loves rarely last forever…

Did you binge read the Heartstopper series and binge-watched the show and now you want something to fill the Nick-and-Charlie-sized void in your heart until the next season/ book comes out? Do you want more of Nick and Charlie’s adorable and wholesome relationship? You’re in the right place!

Set two years into their relationship, this heartfelt, realistic and cute novella takes place when Nick’s off to college at the University of Leeds and Charlie is left behind at school for one more year. There are multiple reasons for Charlie to believe long distance relationships are a myth and they will not last whatsoever, while Nick is super excited to go off to college at the same time! Will they decide to give long-distance relationship a try? Or will decide to break up before it gets worse? Pick up the book before I accidentally end up spilling all the beans!

While reading the book, I couldn’t help but imagine all the scenes as they would play out on the show and needless to say, it was a joyful experience indeed!

We have all come to love and cherish the wholesome relationship that is Nick and Charlie’s and how they always make it a point to communicate their feelings with each other, haven’t we? In this novella, not only do we get to see a realistic portrayal of the mental turmoil couples go through when it involves one of them moving far away, but we also get to read about how a lack of communication tends to have its own consequences.

But fret not, there are a lot of adorable full-page illustrations featuring Nick and Charlie filled with kisses, cuddles and everything else we love! Huge shout-out to Tori for being the best sister ever! (You have to read the book to find out why, haha!)

Once you’re done reading the book, you will want to hug it tight to your chest and heave a sigh of relief and it will be a reminder of why you fell in love with Heartstopper in the first place!

Are you a Heartstopper fan too? 🌈

TITLE: Dhara’s Revolution

AUTHOR: Varsha Seshan

PAGE EXTENT: 112

PUBLISHER: Puffin Books (Penguin India)

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️⭐️

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

Sarvaloka Public School calls children ‘future citizens’ but makes every decision without ever talking to the students. Nine-year-old Dhara is determined to change that. She sparks a revolution, and gets the whole school to vote for the very first time. However, caught in the storm of elections, Dhara loses sight of what is really important to her.

Can she find her way back to what truly matters before everything spirals out of control?

When Sarvaloka Public School publishes a notice about the construction of a new auditorium, nine-year-old Dhara is bummed. A school that calls its students “future citizens” is supposed to ask them if that’s something they want in the first place, right? So, nine-year-old Dhara, in her quest to do “something revolutionary”, teams up with her best friend Carol to help organise an election at school to vote for a students’ representative! Will a fourth grader succeed in becoming a representative for the student body? Will it turn out to be revolutionary, or will she lose sight of what she set out to do in the first place? Read the book to find out, otherwise I might spill the beans hehe!

In today’s extremely competitive world, everyone is trying to stay a step ahead of others and being the best of the lot. This book highlights the importance and benefits of healthy competition, while pointing out the fact that competition can serve as a breeding ground for toxicity, very much like two sides of the same coin.

Dhara and Carol running for the representative post makes Dhara lose sight of her long friendship with Carol and her need to win the election takes over, leading to a few hurdles in their friendship, which not only shows Dhara the error of her ways, but also shows young readers how competition among friends is always supposed to be healthy and how healthy competition is all about helping each other grow!

Let’s not forget the highlight of the story: the election! Elections are quite a difficult topic for the young ones to wrap their around, but fret not! If you have a young reader at home and you want to explain to them how elections work(campaigning, posters, voting day, etc.), this is the perfect book for you! It can’t get simpler than this! Tanvi Bhat’s adorable illustrations will make the reading experience only better!

A huge shout-out to Chandra ma’am and Dhara’s parents for being extremely supportive and caring, which shows how the presence of well-meaning adults will shape a child’s life!

And yes, this one has a happy ending, of course! Any book that makes me tear up gets an extra star from me and boy, did I want to jump right into the pages and give Dhara, Carol and Chandra ma’am a group hug! Undoubtedly a 5-star read!

Are you a fan of Middle Grade books? Which ones are your favourite? 🤩

TITLE: The Chowpatty Cooking Club

AUTHOR: Lubaina Bandukwala

PAGE EXTENT: 144

PUBLISHER: Duckbill Books (Penguin India)

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️💫

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

Bombay, 1942

With Mahatma Gandhi’s call to the British to Quit India, the city has become a hotbed of revolutionary activity-student protests, secret magazines and even an underground People’s Radio which broadcasts news that the British want concealed. 
Sakina and her friends Zenobia and Mehul desperately want to be part of this struggle for freedom. But there is little that they are permitted to do. But at least, they are trying to do something useful, while their mothers are only running a cooking club …

The Songs of Freedom series explores the lives of children across India during the struggle for independence.

What do we study in history textbooks about the Indian freedom struggle? What a bunch of adults do to ensure India’s freedom from the British. Right. But do they tell you about the lives of children during the freedom struggle and what they went through? No! And that’s where the Songs of Freedom series comes in!

Sakina, Zenobia and Mehul are three friends from Chowpatty in Mumbai who have heard a lot about freedom fighters, student protests and secret magazines from friends and family but they also want to be a PART of the freedom struggle! And then there’s the underground People’s Radio that’s broadcasting information the newspapers are forbidden to publish. They All they do is help deliver recipes and dishes for their mothers!

But what happens when they come across an object they aren’t supposed to have a clue about? What is the People’s Radio and who is running it? What if they get captured? These three kids get wrapped up in a mystery that’s way bigger than they can imagine and it’s a race against time before they run out of luck!

Wow! This book was thrilling to the T! I could NOT stop myself from reading and I was frantically turning pages because I couldn’t wait to find out what happens in the end! Who knew three kids from Mumbai would be involved in something that would tip the scales massively?

This book instills a deep sense of patriotism and shows how it transcends religion, language, caste and economic status. It gives us a glimpse into the lives of India’s young, budding citizens during her fight for freedom from the colonisers and portrays their mental turmoil, fear, curiosity and love for India in general!

The epilogue had my eyes brimming with tears and I wanted to jump into the book and give Sakina, Mehul and Zenobia a group hug!

Which book set during India’s struggle for freedom is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!

TITLE: The Train to Tanjore

AUTHOR: Devika Rangachari

PAGE EXTENT: 112

PUBLISHER: Duckbill Books (Penguin India)

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐

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

Tanjore, 1942

There are few excitements in Thambi’s quiet life. There is the new hotel, disapproved of by elders, which lures him with the aroma of sambar with onions. There are visits to the library to read the newspaper, and once in a while, a new movie at the Rajaram Electric Theatre. More disagreeably, there are fortnightly visits from his uncle to lay down the law. 

When Gandhiji announces the Quit India movement, Tanjore is torn apart by protests. The train station-the lifeline of the town-is vandalized. Mysterious leaflets are circulated, containing news that newspapers do not publish. And inspired by the idea of a free India and his own dreams of being an engineer, Thambi must find the courage to do what he believes is right-even when it endangers all he holds dear.

The Songs of Freedom series explores the lives of children across India during the struggle for independence.

Thambi is a 12-year-old from Thanjavur(also called Tanjore), Tamil Nadu. He’s going about his life, being a good student at school, aspiring to become an engineer, reading the newspapers at the library, looking forward to eating the aromatic sambar at the New Madras Hotel and so not looking forward to his dreaded Periyappa’s visit!

Things turn haywire when Gandhiji announces the Quit India movement and Tanjore is torn apart by violent protests, including setting fire to the railway station which happens to be the lifeline of the town!

I went into this book with a lot of expectations, especially after having read and loved another book in the series, and unfortunately, this one turned out to be a bit of a letdown for me. Although the book did justice to the time period by portraying a clear picture of the state of affairs in the country at the time, it didn’t really weave children into the freedom struggle. The Songs of Freedom series is all about the lives of children and their contribution to India’s freedom struggle but the protagonist didn’t really contribute much to it?

While there were chapters that were really emotional and invoked a feeling of patriotism, this book fell short on many grounds. Not only is the story slow-paced and dreary at places, it also lacks the element of suspense I was looking forward to.

There were a lot of things happening around Thambi and the people in his life but none of it seemed to involve him whatsoever. Thambi seemed more like a member of the audience than a participant.

As an adult, I love this book and the issues it addresses but if I would look at it from the perspective of Middle Grade me(the target audience), I’m afraid to say I wouldn’t find it captivating enough.

Have you read any books set during the Indian Freedom Struggle? Let me know in the comments!

TITLE: Pinkoo Shergill Pastry Chef

AUTHOR: Vibha Batra

PAGE EXTENT: 200

PUBLISHER: Scholastic India

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐💫

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

Pinkoo Shergill has a dream. He wants to be a pastry chef! But it’s the worlds biggest secret. You see, his Papaji believes that boys shouldn’t step into the kitchen or cook or bake. In fact, Papaji wants Pinkoo to become a shooting champ. Ack! But when the Great Junior Bake-a-Thon comes to town, Pinkoo has to come up with a WOWMAZING plan to make sure his blabbermouth cousin, Tutu, doesn’t vomit everything to Papaji, win Nimrat–the Most Annoying Girl on the Planet–over and win the baking competition. Pheww!

I’m all for breaking gender stereotypes and this book screams about it like no other!

Pinkoo, aka Prabhjot Shergill is a middle schooler from Ludhiana, Punjab who has a penchant for baking, much to the dismay of his Papaji. His father wants him to win an Olympic medal in shooting and Pinkoo is not interested whatsoever. He just wants to bake, bake and bake! Leave him to himself and the kitchen and it’s his heaven on earth! What happens when an international contest, the Great Junior Bake-a-thon comes to India and Pinkoo desperately wants to participate? Will he go behind his father’s back and participate or will he convince his father to grant him permission? Or will all his dreams come crashing down?

This was a cute, breezy read with a deeper meaning embedded beneath. India is a country where gender stereotypes rare their ugly heads on an everyday basis and children are expected to conform to these stereotypes, almost always against their will. If I boy is seen enjoying something that’s not “conventionally masculine”, he’s called names and rebuked for being into “girly things”. And where do we start breaking these stereotypes? Yes! Right from childhood! Vibha does an amazing job of portraying this in a way that’s appealing to every young reader and tells you not to be ashamed of what you love, no matter what the society tells you otherwise.

This book also throws light on something most Indian kids experience in their lives: parents making major career decisions for their children even before their children know what a career means! Parents tend to pressurise their children into achieving what they WANT THEM TO ACHIEVE, without even considering if their children want that path for themselves! These aren’t issues that can be easily conveyed to young, budding readers and this is a great feat in itself! Kudos, Vibha!

It’s a fun-filled book with a ton of desserts that are bound to make your salivary glands go pow pow pow! Vibha’s writing is quirky and fun and hilarious and will tickle your funny bone! Pinkoo, along with his cousin Tutu, his enemy-turned-friend Nimrat and Chef Khanna sets out to do the impossible and it shows how all we need is perseverance and a strong will to achieve our goals! Shamika Chaves’ illustrations only help make the book better!

And I promise you, it has a happy and satisfying ending that will make you sniffle and smile and beam with pride!

Do you have a sweet tooth? What is your favourite dessert? 😋

TITLE: Kolam Kanna

AUTHOR: Vibha Batra

PAGE EXTENT: 136

PUBLISHER: Puffin Books (Penguin India)

GENRE: Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

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

The exciting Kolam Kondattam Kontest is right around the corner. And Bharathi can’t wait to participate and show off, er, showcase his creative skills. Encouraged by his friends, Tabassum and Alagu, he registers for the contest (with a ‘k’).

Alas, the Residents’ Welfare Association, led by the fearsome Mrs Subramaniam, won’t hear of it. The contest is open only to the residents of Pravin’s Paradiso Apartments. And while Bharathi hangs out at the apartments all the time, he’s not exactly-technically-actually a resident.

Now it’s up to Bharathi to hatch an ingenious plan. Will he be able to get around the rules, get past the building bullies and get a shot at his dream?

Guess who went back to Middle School and reminisced about some great memories while reading this book? Me! I remember participating in a couple of kolam contests back in school and winning prizes and I couldn’t help but see myself in Bharathi throughout!

Bharathi is a young chirpy kid from Chennai who LOVES drawing Kolams and he also happens to be a pro at it! When the Residents’ Welfare Association of Pravin’s Paradiso Apartments(where Bharathi’s father irons clothes for the residents) decides to host a Kolam Kontest(yes, with a ‘k’ hehe) Bharathi’s friends Tabassum and Alagu encourage him to participate! But when has the journey to success ever been easy? sighs Mrs Subramaniam, the President is against the idea of a non-resident(technically) participating in the contest and there is the problem of the apartment bullies too! Will Bharathi succeed in beating the odds? Read the book before I end up revealing everything hehe.

I love how this book smashes gender stereotypes and shows how Bharathi is unapologetically proud of his talent! Being someone who was into kolams and mehendi and art in general, I resonated with Bharathi on a whole new level!

Is a Middle Grade book even complete without some amazing friends? Tabassum and Alagu are the true hype queens! Not only do they stand up for their friend, they also push him to do the right thing, even if it’s slightly out of his comfort zone!

Kudos to Jemma Jose on the cute illustrations that are peppered through the book and make it a joy to read!

If you’re in the mood for a light read on a lazy Sunday afternoon that will leave you with a sense of warmth, you know which book to pick up next!

What are some stereotypes you want to break? Let me know in the comments!

TITLE: Jukebox

AUTHOR: Nidhi Chanani

PAGE EXTENT: 224

PUBLISHER: HarperCollins India

GENRE: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️💫

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

A mysterious Jukebox, old vinyl records, and cryptic notes on music history, are Shaheen’s only clues to her father’s abrupt disappearance. She looks to her cousin, Tannaz, who seems just as perplexed, before they both look at the Jukebox which starts … glowing? Suddenly, the girls are pulled from their era and transported to another time!

Keyed to the music on the record, the Jukebox sends them to decade after decade of music history, from political marches, to landmark concerts. But can they find Shaheen’s dad before the music stops? This time-bending magical mystery tour invites readers to take the ride of their lives for a coming-of-age adventure.

Following up on the success of Pashmina, Nidhi Chanani delivers another story about family and friendship, tinged with magical realism – this one featuring a time-traveling jukebox.

If you’re in a reading slump or in between dense fantasy novels and want to read something light and adorable that will have you cracking into a huge smile, you’re in the right place!

Jukebox is a cute, time-travel themed graphic novel that is a treat to every music fan out there! When Shaheen gets suspicious over the disappearance of her music-lover father, she teams up with her cousin Tannaz and searches for him in the one place she expects him to be: the vinyl records store! But what she finds is a jukebox that also happens to be a time-travel machine and transports you to the time when the music was composed in history! As Shaheen and Tannaz travel from decade to decade in music history, unravelling truths and mysteries, they are also running out of time to save her father! Will they manage to race against “time” (haha, literally) and save her father before they lose him forever?

Nidhi’s art style is A-DO-RABLE! The 2-page spreads had my jaw dropping open from time to time! It takes you on a musical journey you will thoroughly enjoy and back to the present, beaming with happiness! I was googling about all the musicians featured in this book and boy, was it fun!

I’m all for representation in books and there is no shortage of it here! Bangladeshi Muslim rep, check. Bisexual rep, check. Dyslexia rep, check. Ticks across the board!

And do not forget to read the author’s note towards the end! You get a playlist and behind-the-scenes sketches of how this graphic novel came into existence! Nidhi goes on to explain how music has played a vital role in her life and how this book is close to her heart, and needless to say, it’s close to mine now too! 🥺

Nidhi, you’re now on my list of auto-buy authors! Yay!

Are you a fan of graphic novels? Which ones are your favourite? Let me know in the comments!

TITLE: Much Ado About Nada

AUTHOR: Uzma Jalaluddin

PAGE EXTENT: 320

PUBLISHER: Corvus (Atlantic Books)

GENRE: Romance

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

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

Nada Syed is stuck. At twenty-eight, she’s living with her parents and mourning the failure of her start-up baby, which failed because of a double-crossing business partner.

Nada’s best friend Haleema is determined to pry her from her shell – and what better place than at the giant annual Muslim conference? And did Haleema mention that Baz will be there?

What Haleema doesn’t know is that Nada and Baz have a secret history. And in their chance encounter at the conference, that history comes hurtling at Nada, bringing a moment of reckoning. Will Nada find a way to let go of the past but hold onto her dreams?

“My little sister, the family Wonder Woman. I hope my daughters grow up to be just like you.”
“An imminent disaster?”
“An evolving masterpiece,” Waqas countered.

OKAY WOW. I have way too many thoughts swirling around in my head and I have no clue how I am going to articulate them all into a review but I’m going to try my best. I had heard nothing but great things about this book and going in, I had a LOT of expectations and boy, did it live up to every one of those expectations and more!

We follow Nada Syed, the daughter of Hyderabadi immigrants in Toronto, who is in a professional and emotional limbo after the failure of her start up, Ask Apa. But her bestie, Haleema is not one to back down. Haleema drags Nada to a huge and super-posh annual Muslim conference on the other end of town with hopes of getting her a match! But when has the life of a Desi woman ever been that simple? Nada’s past finally catches up to her when she meets Baz, the broody, handsome son of the conference organisers, who she happens to have history with. Will Nada succeed at rekindling her love? Or will everything come crashing down? Not spilling the beans here, you have to read the book to find out!

This was my first time reading a second chance romance and full disclosure: I was a bit apprehensive about it being unrealistic or sloppy. Never did I think second chance romance would be a strong contender against enemies-to-lovers for my favourite romance trope of all time! People perceive this trope in different ways and I honestly feel it’s not something very easy to execute but needless to say, Uzma has knocked it out of the stadium with this one! I’ve come to love email exchange banter in books and the emails between Nada and Baz had my heart doing a happy flip from time to time, hehe!

The story takes place in two timelines and thanks to my attention span(comparable to that of a goldfish), I was worried I might have to do a lot of back-and-forth page flipping. But surprisingly, the two lines tied up seamlessly in a way that you can follow both the plots simultaneously without having to keep referring to the other and they ended up make perfect sense throughout!

“A world doesn’t exist where I don’t choose you, Nada beta, over everyone else. I will always choose you.”

This book is the perfect, nuanced depiction of South Asian families and their complicated dynamics and what Desi women tend to go through on a daily basis, although there is an undercurrent of love beneath it all. The South Asian obsession with professions like doctor, lawyer or engineer, the constant need to feel validated by impressing your parents and doing what’s right according to the strict rules set by them, the constant fear and anxiety of Brown parents regarding their children’s marriage, the way divorce is considered a big no-no and is frowned upon, to name a few, have all been portrayed with such finesse that every South Asian reader who picks up this book will find it so very relatable. A special shout-out for the disability rep too!

Baz was such a cinnamon roll I instantly fell in love with his character! The sweet and (very halal) chemistry between Baz and Nada was adorable and Baz is now on the never ending list of my favourite book boyfriends! Haleema is my absolute favourite side character who is a breath of fresh air and hype queen rolled into one! Every single side character in this book is given their own spotlight to bask under and that made me add an instant star to the rating! I love me a book that’s full of imperfectly perfect characters and this book gave them to me in heaps!

If you’re in the mood for a fresh, easy-going romance novel that’s full of South Asian pride and memorable characters, pick this book up right away! But be warned: it’s so compulsively readable you will not be able to put it down and even if you do, you will want to grab the book and pick up where you left off immediately!

What is your favourite romance trope? Let me know in the comments!