If you could go anywhere by Paige Toon

Angie has wanderlust at heart but due to personal circumstances she has lived all her life in Coober Pedy, an opal mining small town in the Australian outback. When the circumstances change, she is not only free to see the world but also learns about her father and his extended family. What does she find about the other side of her family tree and how does the charming Alessandro fit in?

As Angie is plunged into a new family she didn't know she had, there is plenty of warmth but tensions build and histories are unravelled. This book builds emotions slowly but strongly. I found it quite intense, though nearly 60% into the book, I was not really sure where the plot was heading. 

I am still not convinced of one thing though. Can there really be someone like Angie? It would be very hard to survive in this harsh world when someone is all heart and has room to love infinite number of people across the world. 

The Third Twin by Ken Follet

The Third Twin was published by Ken Follet in 1997. Even though I read this book a decade after it released, the concept and technology that forms the key plot of this book felt way ahead of time.

Dr. Ferrami is doing genetic research at JFU, specifically on what is born in us and what is our own choice. She comes across identical twins born to different mothers, while one is a good student, the other is a rapist who attacked her friend.

As she digs deeper, she find a much larger conspiracy around purity of race and involving powerful people who will stop at nothing to keep a secret that she is trying to bring to light.

Dr. Ferrami faces enemies on all sides and it doesn't help that her superior at the University is one of the conspirators of the plot. She will struggle to make sense of evidence that doesn't make any sense and while she likes the twin who is a student, how can she be sure of him when he is identical to a rapist and even has matching DNA.

Swallows and Amazons - Overdose of sweetness

I saw the movie version of this book on BBC and absolutely loved it. I had no idea that a children's  book could be this cool. The story follows the Walker family (John, Susan, Titty and Roger) who sail to the Wild Cat Island in their dinghy boat to camp over the summer holidays. They encounter pirates Nancy and Peggy who claim the island as theirs.

While it begins with enmity and competition, soon a truce is established followed by adventures and explorations. When they are accused of a crime they didn't commit, they must bring their best game forward to prove their innocence. 

The Flatshare - sharing a flat with a roommate you never meet

Beth O'Leary published her modern day romance in May 2019 but it has a wonderful old twist, the magic of handwritten notes exchanged once a day until strangers become friends and something more.

Tiffy needs an inexpensive place to live in London after a breakup and Leon needs a little extra cash to help his family. They come to an arrangement to share a flat and a bed but never at the same time. He works nights and will occupy the flat during the day. She works a day job and will use the flat in the evenings and weekends.

They exchange notes first about typical roommate stuff like clearing the garbage, sharing leftovers and the important point of contention in any multi-gender household, the position of the toilet seat. Slowly, the tone of the notes change as they become friends.

They learn many intimate things about each other that comes as part of sharing a space. They even manage to help each other out with their problems with work and personal life, still without meeting each other.

How to fall in love - book review

How to fall in love is written by Cecelia Ahern of P.S. I love you fame. It is a sweet and enjoyable book about a man (Adam) with a wish list of things to make his life worthwhile and a stranger (Christine) who promises to help him accomplish his goals if he doesn't jump off a bridge.

She only has two weeks to accomplish this before his 35th birthday. She does not exactly have a professional background in self-help but more of a DIY approach stemming from her career as a Human Resources consultant.

The perfect couple - Nantucket mystery

Do you enjoy books that can transport you to a different place? Would you like a glimpse into the lives of the very wealthy of Nantucket island? Would you like a mystery where not only you cannot figure out what happened, most of the characters also don't?

Remember me - Sophie Kinsella

As soon as I read this book, I felt the need to cast Bollywood actors into the movie version. Keep reading to learn who I wish to cast in this entertaining book!

Lexi wakes up in a hospital with retrograde amnesia which meant she had lost three years worth of memories. Three years ago she had crooked teeth, was slightly overweight, in a disastrous relationship and had just started her career.

Now she looks perfect, is married to a hot millionaire and is a boss lady at work. Why and how did she change so much?

Women of Game of thrones

Heroic male characters are glorified all too often so I am focusing this blog post on just the women characters of Game of thrones.

An interviewer asked George RR Martin, the author of the book series,  "How do you write such different women characters? Where does that come from?" he replied - "You know I have always considered women to be people."

Do you see now where Tyrion's cheeky dialogues came from? 😁

Welcome to Boston legal 😎⚖️

I am going off piste here as Boston legal is a TV series only without the backing of any books. But it is pretty awesome and way better than the more popular "Suits". And I do love legal dramas.

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

This book caught my eye because the lady on the cover looked like Daenerys Targaryen but this book turned out to be an unexpected thriller. The Good Girl was written by Mary Kubica in 2015.

Mia Dennett's date stands her up and at she meets Colin Thatcher in the same bar. Only later does she realise that bringing him home for a one-night stand was a mistake for several reasons. He kidnaps her and hides her in a secluded cabin in the dead of winter.

Her mother Eve and detective Gabe stop at nothing to find her. This ordeal causes emotional complications for all the characters, that no one could have foreseen.

No time for goodbye

No time for goodbye was written by Linwood Barclay in 2007. It is a thrilling mystery that unravels layer by layer and you will mostly not be able to guess what really happened until it is unveiled by the author.

When Cynthia was fourteen years old, she woke up and her family (mother, father and brother) had vanished without explanations. She is pitied and also suspected but she finally moves on.

Twenty five years later, Cynthia is living with her little daughter and husband Terry when the past returns to the present. Inexplicable things happen around her and amidst mounting paranoia and fear she finally learns the truth only to wish she hadn't.

Don't judge Twilight too hard! 👩💘👨

There is so much hatred online for the Twilight series and it is mostly from people who have never read it. And people keep saying absurd things like - A man and his printer, still a better love story than Twilight?! Why so much hatred?

And it is not fair to compare Twilight to another fantasy series like Harry Potter, that is like comparing apples and watermelons. The Twilight series is a supernatural romance and doesn't have a larger scheme. But it is supernatural romance done well, so we should give that some credit.