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.
Are you a Smartypants? Do you ask a lot of questions? Like- Are all germs bad? What is an antibody? Do T cells go to school? If you do, then you just might find the answers in this book. It has gorgeous pictures, simple explanations and a very curious cat!
Being a doctor, curiosity always gets the better of me(much like the cat in the book!) when I come across books for young readers that discuss topics related to the field of medicine. Unsurprisingly, when I saw this adorable book that explains vaccines to budding readers, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy!
Kudos to Anushka Ravishankar for simplifying the concept of vaccines and making it palatable to the young ones! Since they are the ones most subjected to vaccines, it makes perfect sense to make them understand what exactly happens in their body every time they get a jab! Immunology was one of my least favourite and most dreaded areas of study in medschool and I love how the entire immune system has been summarised perfectly!
Pia Alizé Hazarika’s illustrations throughout the book are adorable and the cat’s questions were hilarious and had me giggling from time to time!
If you have a curious young reader at home, or if you are a curious young (at heart) reader like I am, pick up this adorable picture book!
Do you know how wonderful vaccines are in preventing deadly diseases?
TITLE: How to Reach Mars and Other (Im)Possible Things
AUTHOR: Menaka Raman
PAGE EXTENT: 44
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.
Rabia is one of the most curious girls you’ll meet. She’s always full of questions: How, Why, What, Where and When!
When she hears a classmate say that women can’t be scientists, she has to find out if it’s true. Luckily, she’s soon visiting the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on a field trip with her classmates, where she bumps into Dr Mary, a physicist.
When Rabia learns that Dr Mary is one of the scientists working on a daring mission to Mars, she asks her all the questions that she can think of about the mission.
Join Rabia and Dr Mary as they walk through ISRO and learn everything about making the impossible-possible!
If there’s one thing that’s impossible, it’s you NOT falling in love with this book! And what better time to read this book than now? With India having achieved the feat of soft landing on the South Pole of the moon, why not find out more about the nitty-gritties of satellite making and the effort it takes to launch a satellite into orbit?
Rabia is a curious middle schooler whose head is always brimming with questions and ideas and is the one to raise her hand first every time the teachers pops a question! When Madhu sir gives the class an assignment to draw a scientist, everybody except Rabia ends up drawing a man. Much to her dismay, her classmate Pavan says that women can’t be scientists! This sets Rabia off on a curious journey of discovery during a field trip to ISRO, where Rabia finds out that there are a LOT of women scientists with extremely important jobs involved in the making of a satellite(Mangalyaan, in this case), thanks to Dr. Mary, a scientist herself!
This book had me beaming with pride and joy after turning the last page. Being a proud Bangalorean myself, a book featuring ISRO made my heart do cartwheels!
I have always been intrigued by astronomy and satellites and this book was the perfect quencher to that curious thirst of mine! As Dr. Mary guides Rabia through the tedious process of making a satellite and launching it into space, you’ll be surprised at just how many women are actually involved behind the scenes, all of them with great accolades and even greater brains! This is infotainment at its best! You get to learn a lot about the physics behind satellites in a way that’s not info-dumpy or boring!
A huge shout-out to Rajiv Eipe for those gorgeous illustrations that made this book the joyful experience it is! Seeing the saree-clad scientists at the end of the book had me smiling from ear to ear!
In a world that is quick to judge women and label them as weak, misogyny quite often readers it’s ugly head in society. Books like these are essential to make young readers(especially girls) realise just how much potential they have and they can and WILL achieve everything they set out to! STEMinists unite!
Well, I don’t have to convince you more! Pick up this adorable yet powerful book and discover for yourself! It’s not “rocket” science, you see? Unless you to try to lick your elbow, which is impossible! 😉
Have you found something to be impossible but achieved it nonetheless? Let me know in the comments!
SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
You might be wondering why I’m still speaking in the midst of chaos. Well, danger has now become my constant companion. In my reckless quest for power, I shattered the trust of those who once stood by my side. The words ‘betrayer’ and ‘broken’ are now etched into my very being.
But there is no time to give in to my misery. The dreaded devil, once imprisoned, has risen from the depths of Qlitop. With a legion of abominable creatures at his command, he now threatens to unleash unrestrained havoc upon the world.
Time is rapidly pushing us towards the abyss. Desperate, I must embark on a harrowing journey to acquire three mystical artefacts that can save our ravaged Earth. Yet, as fate would have it, these objects can only be found within alternate universes, adding another layer of torment to my already tormented existence.
Prepare yourself for the final instalment in Kevin Missal’s Sinbad series, a gripping reimagination of the legendary sailor from the classic One Thousand and One Nights!
WOW! That was indeed an explosive conclusion to the trilogy! Binge-reading this trilogy and going on adventures with Sinbad and his ragtag crew was the respite I didn’t know I needed!
In the final instalment of the trilogy, we follow Sinbad, a Seid-turned-sailor and his crew of misfits and vampires on his journey to multiple realms(yes, you read that right, there is interdimensional travel in this one) to find three artefacts that will help him vanquish the risen devil, Iblis once and for all. Add some shocking revelations and Norse Gods to the mix, and you have one banger of a book! I will try my best to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, because who likes spoilers?
Having grown up on stories like The Arabian Nights and being a huge fan of mythology right from childhood, this book was right up my alley! Kevin has taken all these stories we love and cherish and mashed them up into an amalgamation of funny(and sometimes questionable)characters and a super-fast plot that will you have you reading the book from cover to cover in one sitting! Be warned: pick up this trilogy ONLY when you have a lot of time on your hands, because you CANNOT stop reading!
The author’s writing style is smooth and simple and before you realise it, you’re flipping the pages at breakneck speed, bracing yourself for all the explosive action and craving for more! The chapters being short are an added bonus!
Reading the trilogy at a stretch made me realise just how much the characters have grown in the span of three books! I tend to have a soft spot for books with well fleshed-out characters and good character development and this book had me sighing with contentment. 😌 Who knew this team of some of the most incompatible yet somehow the most compatible people will always have a place in my heart for years to come? The theme of found family shone through the pages and I was low-key jealous of the bond this tight-knit group shared. Kudos on the queer rep too!
However, I would be lying if I said the climax was perfect. I expected the climax to be more action-packed and thrilling but it felt weirdly too convenient and hastily done. Needless to say, the story was wrapped up perfectly and gave all the characters the closure they deserved.
If you’re in the mood for a high-stakes fantasy with some intense, action-packed scenes that will have you biting your nails in anticipation, you know what to pick up next!
What are you waiting for? Read this trilogy right away!
SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
A trans pianist makes a New Year’s resolution on a frozen Wisconsin night to win regionals and win back his ex, but a new boy complicates things in this heartfelt debut YA rom-dram. Sixteen-year-old trans boy Miles Jacobson has two New Year’s resolutions: 1) win back his ex-boyfriend (and star of the football team) Shane McIntyre, and 2) finally beat his arch-nemesis at the Midwest’s biggest classical piano competition. But that’s not going to be so easy. For one thing, Shane broke up with Miles two weeks after Miles came out as trans, and now Shane’s stubbornly ignoring him, even when they literally bump into each other. Plus, Miles’ new, slightly terrifying piano teacher keeps telling him that he’s playing like he “doesn’t know who he is”—whatever that means. Then Miles meets the new boy in town, Eric Mendez, a proudly queer cartoonist from Seattle who asks his pronouns, cares about art as much as he does—and makes his stomach flutter. Not what he needs to be focusing on right now. But after Eric and Miles pretend to date so they can score an invite to a couples-only Valentine’s party, the ruse turns real with a kiss, which is also definitely not in the plan. If only Miles could figure out why Eric likes him so much. It’s not like he’s cool or confident or comfortable in his own skin. He’s not even good enough at piano to get his fellow competitors to respect him, especially now, as Miles. Nothing’s ever been as easy for him as for other people—other boys. He’s only ever been almost enough. So why, when he’s with Eric, does it feel like the only person he’s ever really not been enough for…is himself?
THIS BOOK RADIATES PURE TRANS AND QUEER JOY FROM COVER TO COVER! 🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️I went into it with a mountain of expectations and I’m super happy that it lived up to every single one of them!
Miles recently had a breakup with his (now ex)boyfriend, Shane after he came out as trans. But, of course, the heart wants what it wants. Miles wants to win him back while also making sure he beats his piano arch nemesis, Cameron Hart at the Tri-State Piano Competition. And then there’s the charming, sweet and caring Eric. Will Miles succeed in winning Shane over? Will he also succeed in making Cameron Hart eat his own words? Embark on this journey as Miles navigates transitioning and acceptance, all the while balancing school and piano lessons, and like the author says, this book has a happy ending , and it will leave you sniffling and giggling and smiling from ear to ear!
This book is an ode to music and musicians everywhere and it shows in every single page. Miles is a pianist who has been participating in the Tri-State Piano Competition for quite a while but has always ended up second. Ugh, that feeling! Having been trained in music for more than a decade now, it immediately piqued my interest and I was reading up on famous pianists around the world! The relationship between Miles and his teacher, Stefania was something worth cherishing and will stay rent free in my mind! It was a wholesome student-teacher relationship and Stefania is such a badass we got to take lessons from her in badassery! 💅🏾
ERIC. OMG. ERIC. If there is perfection in human form, it’s ERIC. This adorable, queer sweetheart has so many green flags he is basically a walking St. Patrick’s Day poster! 😂😂😭😭 How is it possible for someone to be SO understanding, caring, empathetic and supportive! If he isn’t the best boyfriend out there, I don’t know who is! Miles, you got really lucky there, man! Eric’s sister, Nina is such a cute jellybean I want to watch Disney movies with her! Also, yay for Down’s Syndrome rep!
The blossoming of love between Miles and Eric was one of the most wholesome aspects of this book and one that will stay with me for a long, long time. chef’s kiss It was fluffy and cute and made me feel hopelessly single! 😂😭
A huge shout-out to Miles’ bestie, the lesbian queen RACHEL! She’s a walking orb of supersonic energy! I was constantly looking forward to her chirpy and excited banter and hilarious quips that had me laughing my head off!
Miles’ journey of accepting his true self and his parents’ journey of coming to terms with it in their own ways were perfectly executed and written with such precision only a trans person can hope to achieve! While most of the book is happy and cheerful, it also addresses some necessary issues such an deadnaming and dead gendering that trans youth face on a daily basis and the impact it can have on their mental health. Edward, you’re one of my auto-buy authors now and I will read every single book you write henceforth!
Books like these make us realise how important representation is. I want every single queer teen to read this book and know we’re not alone and we never will be. We are a part of the most glorious community out there! 🌈
If you’ve read my rant right up to this line, I hope I’ve succeeded in convincing you to pick up this wholesome gem of a book and hug it tightly to your chest once you’ve turned the last page!
Have you read any books with trans main characters? Let me know in the comments below!
OKAY. WOW. This was a reread but I somehow ended up liking it more than I did the first time? Is that even possible? I wanted to read it to jog my memory before the release of the movie but DAMN. I DIDN’T REALISE HOW MUCH I MISSED THESE CHARACTERS AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH THEM ALL OVER AGAIN! I have way too many thoughts swirling in my brain and I’m having a hard time articulating all of them into sentences so I will go ahead and give my review of this masterpiece under five headings.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU SEE THE FSOTUS FALLING IN LOVE WITH A BRITISH PRINCE? That’s enough to say how big of a topsy-turvy dramatic rollercoaster you’re about to sit in! And you’re in for one hell of a ride!
BEAUTIFUL QUEER REPRESENTATION! There is a ton of queer rep in this book and it screams queer joy like no other! You can’t help but root for every single perfectly imperfect character throughout the book and giggle at their shenanigans from time to time!
THE EMAILS. OH MY GOD. These are the true highlight of the book! I am a sucker for witty banter and I constantly kept looking forward to the emails between Henry and Alex! The historical references and hilariously flirtatious quips between these two goofballs was just chef’s kiss
THE CHEMISTRY! 🤌🏾🤌🏾 Is it even a romance novel without some sizzling chemistry between the protagonists? This is undoubtedly one of my favourite romances ever: the blooming of love between Alex and Henry over the course of the book shows how love(no matter its form) is not something to be frowned upon but something to be cherished forever! Henry and Alex have a tremendous amount of growth as humans who want to work towards the betterment of the human race and it made me fall in love with them with every passing page! And if you’re looking forward to some spice, do not worry: there’s quite a lot of that too! 😉
ZAHRA. Yes, I’m dedicating a whole bullet point to her. She is the biggest badass I’ve EVER come across in fiction and I would be extremely happy if there were a spin-off novel based on her! Every time Zahra popped up in the book, I would mentally go “Yay! The queen is here!” 😂 Her sass was something I didn’t know I needed in my life and there are times when I randomly recall something Zara-related from the book and giggle! 🤭
Now you know what to do: READ. THIS. BOOK. I’m off to watch the movie now! Yay!
What happens when America’s First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?
When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There’s only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.
Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn’t always diplomatic.
What did you like more: the movie or the book? Let me know in the comments below!
FANTASTIC PERIOD DRAMA: This book takes you all the way back to 1920s Bangalore (yes, a century ago!) and is written with the accuracy only a true Bangalorean can manage to achieve! Being a native of Bangalore myself, the title is what got me intrigued and imagine my happiness when I realised that the protagonist and I live in neighbouring localities! Set in pre-independence era, the author perfectly captures the attitude of the Indians and the British towards one another and takes you back to the time of horse-drawn carriages and paints the perfect picture of the city!
THRILLING WHODUNNIT MURDER MYSTERY: The prose is easy flowing and captivating and before you realise it, you’re hurtling through the book at breakneck speed to find out what happens next! Believe me, “just one more chapter” does not work here whatsoever! Who knew a sari-clad math genius of a woman in her early 20s would be running around the city solving a murder?
YOU. WILL. NOT. SEE. IT. COMING. YOU. WILL. GASP.
SIDE CHARACTERS YOU WILL LOVE!: This book has some of my favourite side characters! Kaveri’s husband, Ramu, who is also a doctor(yay! Fellow doctor here!) is a constant source of strength and support and you realise how big of a deal this is, right? We’re talking 1920s here, a time when women weren’t allowed to do anything but marry and serve their husbands. Their blossoming love had me smiling time and again, and I was rooting for them throughout! These tiny moments of joy were the tiny oases in the desert of murder and mayhem!Kaveri’s neighbour Uma and Inspector Ismail were so wholesome I wanted to jump right in and give them a warm hug! That would make them frown though, hehe. They’re in the 1920s, remember?
MOUTHWATERING FOOD IMAGERY: Having grown up on the dishes featured throughout the book, it didn’t stop my mouth from watering every time I came across one! My heart leapt with joy reading about these dishes in the book (I felt so represented) and fret not: the recipes are right there towards the end of the book! You’re in for a ‘treat’! Haha, see what I did there?
I can’t wait to pick up Murder Under a Red Moon and read about our very own sari-clad detective’s next adventure!
Huge thanks to Hachette India for sending a copy for review!
Solving crimes isn’t easy.
Add a jealous mother-in-law and having to wear a flowing sari into the mix, and you’ve got a problem.
When clever, headstrong Kaveri moves to Bangalore to marry doctor Ramu, she’s resigned herself to a quiet life.
But that all changes the night of the party at the Century Club, where she escapes to the garden for some peace – and instead spots an uninvited guest in the shadows. Half an hour later, the party turns into a murder scene.
When a vulnerable woman is connected to the crime, Kaveri becomes determined to save her and launches a private investigation to find the killer, tracing his steps from an illustrious brothel to an Englishman’s mansion. She soon finds that sleuthing in a sari isn’t as hard as it seems when you have a talent for maths, a head for logic and a doctor for a husband.
And she’s going to need them all as the case leads her deeper into a hotbed of danger, sedition and intrigue in Bangalore’s darkest alleyways . . .
Are you a fan of murder mysteries? What are your favourite ones?
TITLE: Magic in Marble: Building the Taj with Attaullah and Saving the Taj with Aradya
AUTHOR: Arthy Muthanna Singh and Mamta Nainy
PAGE EXTENT: 48
PUBLISHER: Puffin Books (Penguin India)
GENRE: Young Readers
MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️
SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
SIDE A
Magic in Marble: Building the Taj with Attaullah
Attaullah has to leave his playmates and the beautiful trees of Lahore behind as he makes the tiring journey to Akbarabad on a camel cart. His abbu, a master architect, has been summoned there to help build the most extraordinary monument ever-the Taj Mahal. The mausoleum will immortalize the memory of Jahan Panah Shah Jahan’s beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. And Attaullah wants to be a part of history as it’s being created. But how?
Travelling across two timelines in history, this is an ulta-pulta book about two children whose paths collide in a mysteriously magical way.
——————————————————————
SIDE B
Magic in Marble: Saving the Taj with Aradya
Aradya has read everything she could find on the greatest monument ever built-the Taj Mahal. So, when her papa, a conservationist, invites her to join him on his quick work trip to Agra, she feels like she’s the luckiest girl in the whole, wide world. Her papa’s team is working on a project that will help preserve the Taj’s beauty and ensure its survival for future generations. And Aradya wants to help. But how?
Travelling across two timelines in history, this is an ulta-pulta book about two children whose paths collide in a mysteriously magical way.
Ever wondered how the Taj Mahal was built? Do you know what makes it so fascinating that it’s one of the seven wonders of the world? What was the process of building it like? How has it stood the test of time and will it continue to do so? If these questions are swirling around in your brain and you want to put them to rest, pick up this book!
Magic in Marble is a chapter book that’s also two books in one! First, we follow Attaullah, the son of the chief architect of the Taj, Ustad Ahmad Lahori as he sees the Taj Mahal rise up from scratch! What do you do next? You flip the book and read about Aradya, who visits the Taj Mahal with her conservationist father and learns about the impact of pollution on it’s otherworldly beauty. But what connects the two youngsters who are born centuries apart? Read the book to find out!
With pollution levels on an all-time high, not only is it impacting our health, but also destroying nature and precious monuments which have been around for ages! This book discusses the impact of climate change and makes it palatable for young readers, thanks to gorgeous illustrations by Aniruddha Mukherjee and Mihir Joglekar!
Mihir’s illustrations of the Taj Mahal had me going WHOA! I read up quite a bit about the Taj Mahal after reading this book and if a book piques a reader’s curiosity to learn more, it has succeeded indeed! Here’s to hoping there are more books in the Ulta Pulta series!
Waiting for the day I get to witness this architectural marvel in person!
Have you visited the Taj Mahal? What did you like the most about it?
SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
What are the Yoga Sutras? Instructions for bearded rishis who lived in the forests of ancient India? Or the complete manual of asanas? Neither! In fact, the text may well have been called ‘Maharishi P’s Ultimate Handbook of Mind Control’, for it is really a set of techniques to help us – all of us – awaken and harness the explosive power of our minds, through our actions, our attitudes and our awareness. And not our asanas? Those too, but not in the way you imagined it. In this surprising, sparkling book, Roopa Pai unravels the secrets of Patanjali’s compact 2,000-year-old text in ways both fun and accessible. Walk down the well-marked paths into a dazzling world where a whole new version of yourself – self-assured, fearless and free – awaits you. Go on, then – what are you waiting for?
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “yoga”? Fancy yoga instructors on YouTube contorting their bodies into all possible positions? Meditation and pranayama which Indian aunties have been vouching for since forever? Well, set those thoughts aside because this book is about to change every perception you’ve had about yoga!
Because, in fact, yoga is all about MIND CONTROL! Maharshi Patanjali(a certain brand of products may or may not be named after him haha) or Maharishi P, as we adorably call him, gives us the essential tips and tricks to achieve absolute control of the mind and it looks like he’s chosen Roopa Pai to be his voice in this generation, because oh man, what an amazing job she has done indeed!
Maharishi P spoke all about mind control in just 195 sutras, which happen to be small sentences of two or three words each! Well, compared to other Indian scriptures which are HUMONGOUS, the Yoga Sutras seem like a pamphlet! BUT, in order to concise and compress all his teachings into this tiny little sheet, he didn’t explain what each of them means! Here come the real heroes, the interpreters! Wait, did I just INTRODUCE THE BOOK OVER THREE PARAGRAPHS? I shouldn’t be left unattended when I write reviews, you see? 😂
The Yoga Sutras consist of 4 pAdas (quarters or parts, if you will) but the last two deal with telekinesis and superhuman powers(which are best left to fantasy books for now) so this book focuses on the first two, the perks of having a mind as calm as a mountain lake and the nitty- gritties on how to achieve it!
Well, if you’re wondering if the book is going to be all preachy, you couldn’t be any more wrong! Pai has explained every single concept in the Yoga Sutras with a ton of everyday examples that make this book so so RELATABLE: Instagram reels, anxiety over vast syllabi to be covered for exams, best friend problems, to name a few! Did you EVER think an ancient Indian scripture would be remotely relatable in today’s scenario?
Being an avid fiction reader, non-fiction is the one genre I steer clear of. But having read and LOVED the first book of the series, The Gita for Children, I knew without a doubt that Roopa Pai is going to slay with this book as well! 💃🏾💃🏾
Scattered throughout the book are adorable illustrations by Sayan Mukherjee and snippets of what seems to be a fun conversation between the Maharshi and the reader! If there is one author who can turn the most dense and drab Indian scriptures into the most fun reads ever, for adults and children alike, it’s definitely Roopa Pai!
If you are someone who thinks this is all going on a very religious tangent and you’re an atheist, let me tell you one thing: most of these scriptures do NOT talk about God but talk about YOU. And how to BE a better version of you! Believe me, I was of the same assumption too and boy, was I wrong!
A minor flex here but I got to be in conversation with the author during the launch of this amazing book in Bangalore! Yay!
So, what are you even waiting for? Do you want to be one of those super calm people who aren’t swayed by any circumstance and take things as they come and overcome every single obstacle effortlessly and stay composed throughout? You’re in the right place! Read this book NOW!
Have you read any books based on Indian scriptures/mythology? Let me know in the comments and let’s discuss!
SOURCE: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Fake-dates, mooncakes and rich people problems. But love wasn’t meant to be on the menu …
Meet Dylan Tang: he juggles school and delivery runs for his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn. Winning a mooncake competition could bring the publicity they need to stay afloat.
Enter Theo Somers: a charming, wealthy customer who convinces Dylan to be his fake date to a family wedding full of crazy rich drama. Their romance is supposed to be just for show . . . but soon Dylan’s falling for Theo. For real.
With the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can’t risk being distracted by rich-people problems. Can he save his family’s business and follow his heart―or will he fail to do both?
“We have the destiny to meet across a thousand miles.”
What are you doing right now? Because, whatever you’re doing, stop it right away and PICK. UP. THIS. BOOK. I had seen this book all over Instagram and I went into it with a mountain of expectations, and boy, did it not disappoint! It was everything I wanted from an adorable queer romance and more!
We follow Dylan Tang, a high schooler who stays with his aunt and cousins after the death of his mother and helps her out at her Singaporean-Chinese take-out, Wok Warriors in New York. Enter Theo. Rich beyond measure, cute and charming. Theo helps save the family from a financial crisis in exchange for Dylan being his fake date to a family wedding in the Hamptons. Add a mooncake competition to the mix! Will Dylan adjust to the luxury, opulence, glamour and rich people drama that’s Theo’s life? How will Dylan deal with his growing feelings for Theo when they are merely fake-dating? Will Dylan manage to win the contest? Do yourself a favour and bless your life with this book. 😌
This book is so Asian at heart! It is a celebration of the cultures and cuisines that make up Asia and highlights Singaporean-Chinese food! Trust me, I was so tempted to hop on a plane and visit Singapore just to try the street food! I have a soft spot for books that introduce me to new cultures; Fake Dates and Mooncakes ticked all the boxes, without a doubt! Sher Lee, welcome to my list of auto-buy authors!
Dylan is the absolute cinnamon roll. chef’s kiss I have always had a thing for soft boys in books (and in real life too, if I may haha) and Dylan is clearly one of my favourite book boyfriends of all time! I am going to buy some geeky T-shirts now too! I am a huge fan of the fake-dating trope and Sher Lee managed to execute it perfectly! Theo was always by Dylan’s side and helped him navigate the world of the posh and that was so endearing! 🥺 Okay, I better stop before I go off on a rant about how this book made me want a boyfriend really bad! Hehe!
While the story is full of joyful and fun characters, it doesn’t shy away from stating how life isn’t all unicorns and rainbows. Dylan and Theo, both having lost their mothers, find common ground because of their loss and their deep conversations had me sniffling from time to time! 🥹
Dylan and his relationship with his Aunt Jade and his cousins Megan and Tim was something I cherished throughout the book! We see Dylan as someone who is headstrong and stands up for the people he loves and makes no compromises when it comes to family. He doesn’t let go of his integrity throughout and prioritises things perfectly, which made me fall in love with his character more and more! Megan is the BEST hype queen out there and my favourite side character in this book! That girl has some SASS! YAASSS KWEEEN Dylan’s Gong Gong and Por Por were an adorable addition too! A huge shout-out to Clover for being the cutest corgi ever! 🐾
If you are someone who enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians,(well, I for sure did!) you need no more convincing! Add a scoop of Crazy Rich Asians, sprinkle a ton of rainbow sprinkles of queernormativity and top it off with the cherry of M/M romance, and voila: you have Fake Dates and Mooncakes! Kudos to Myriam Strasbourg for that PERFECT cover! 😍
Did I Google mooncake recipes and read up quite a bit about their history and their fillings? Well, definitely! I have an intense urge to eat mooncakes now! 🥮🥮🥮
So, what are you waiting for? Grab some bubble tea, pick up this book, snuggle up on the couch, and read it from cover to cover in one sitting!
Do you have a favourite M/M romance? Let me know in the comments below! 🌈
STELLAR WORLD-BUILDING AND MAGIC SYSTEM: Is it even high fantasy without some amazing world-building and a unique magic system? The richly-imagined, India-inspired land of Ashoka with an intricate magic system is bound to make your jaw drop in awe!
POLITICAL INTRIGUE AND ROYAL DRAMA: Of course, who doesn’t love a smidge of drama in books? With the land of Ashoka on the brink of war and having run out of magic, there is a lot of political tension and secret agendas and plans and whatnot! If you are someone who loves reading books with royal families and the shenanigans they get up to, you’re at the right place!
SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS: Sibling relationships and rivalry are topics that aren’t often touched upon in YA. Vira, Riya, Ronak and Kaleb are the four royal siblings, each with an ulterior motive of their own, who are forced to embark on a journey to grab hold of the Ivory Key, the last remaining hope for the country’s dwindling magic. As they go on the quest, they discover a lot about one another and it made my heart swell with joy to see them warm up to each other, despite their insecurities and shortcomings. Also, a major shout-out to the queernormative society!
HIGH-STAKES, FAST-PACED PLOT: The story might start off at a slow pace, but trust me, that’s just the calm before the storm! Once the siblings embark on the quest to find the Ivory Key, you’ll find yourself turning the pages frantically to know what happens next, biting your nails and sitting on the edge of the couch! The puzzles incorporated into the plot made it much more fun!
FOOD, FOOD AND MORE FOOD! : The food imagery in this book is top-notch and had my salivary glands overworking from time to time, haha! The Indian culture has been beautifully woven into the story and I can’t wait to read The Crimson Fortress, after that shocking cliffhanger!
In this epic YA fantasy debut, magic, a prized resource, is the only thing between peace and war. When magic runs out, four estranged royal siblings must find a new source before their country is swallowed by invading forces. The first in an Indian-inspired duology that’s perfect for fans of The Gilded Wolves, There Will Come a Darkness and We Hunt the Flame.
Vira is desperate to get out of her mother’s shadow and establish her legacy as a revered queen of Ashoka. But with the country’s only quarry running out of magic–a precious resource that has kept Ashoka safe from conflict–she can barely protect her citizens from the looming threat of war. And if her enemies discover this, they’ll stop at nothing to seize the last of the magic.
Vira’s only hope is to find a mysterious object of legend: the Ivory Key, rumored to unlock a new source of magic. But in order to infiltrate enemy territory and retrieve it, she must reunite with her siblings, torn apart by the different paths their lives have taken. Each of them has something to gain from finding the Ivory Key–and even more to lose if they fail. Ronak plans to sell it to the highest bidder in exchange for escape from his impending political marriage. Kaleb, falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani needs it to clear his name. And Riya, a runaway who cut all family ties, wants the Key to prove her loyalty to the rebels who want to strip the nobility of its power.
They must work together to survive the treacherous journey. But with each sibling harboring secrets and their own agendas, the very thing that brought them together could tear apart their family–and their world–for good.
Have you read any books inspired by Indian culture/mythology? Let’s chat!
