Recursion Book Review

Recursion

Recursion is my second Blake Crouch book (Dark Matter was the first), and I am thankful to KoolSkool bookstore for introducing me to Crouch in the first place. Recursion is science fiction at heart but is written as an out and out thriller. Unlike a lot of Sci-Fi books and films, this is not based in the future but rather set in the 2010s’, which makes it highly relatable. We are introduced to the two lead characters (Barry and Helena) and the structure of writing gives the feel of a journal, with dates marking the start of each entry. Every entry corresponds to ‘a day in the life’ of Barry or Helena, and the accounts are from the first-person point of view. This way of storytelling is engaging and as a reader, I started thinking from the point of view of the protagonists immediately. ...  More

The Slow Regard of Silent Things Book Review

slow regard blog 2

I have been a fan of Patrick Rothfuss and have loved the first two books in The Kingkiller Chronicle. But all that seems ages ago. Rothfuss published The Name of The Wind (Kingkiller #1) in 2007, and The Wise Man's Fear (Kingkiller #2) in 2011. It has been 9 years but the third book is nowhere in sight. I got tired of waiting so I picked up this novella connected to The Kingkiller Chronicle. Mind you, even this came out in 2014. ...  More

Tinted Tales Book Review

Tinted Tales blog

For the last month or two, I have been trying to read and experience different styles in the fiction genre. While they are not strictly something I enjoy as much as fantasy fiction, I am happy that I have begun to widen my range. It started off with Forty Rules of Love, then came Handmaid’s Tale and the last one was Normal People. Tinted Tales is another book that is far from my usual taste. Written by debutant author Akanksha Shukla, Tinted Tales is a collection of 10 short stories that take you back to your childhood and make you reminisce that wonderful time, full of hope and dreams. Each story has its own particular setting but as you go on, you start to see the author’s stamp in all of them. ...  More

Y: The Last Man Comic Series Review

last man

Y: The Last Man is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi comic book series written by Brian K Vaughan with penciller Pia Guerra. True to its name, the comic is about Yorick (yes, referencing Hamlet), a 22-year-old male who is the last living being on the planet. Along with him is the most unlikely of survivors, his pet monkey named Ampersand. Yorick is an amateur magician, (though he prefers the term ‘escape artist’) and is eagerly waiting for his girlfriend Beth to get back from a study trip in Australia so that he can propose. But he can’t keep his excitement contained and decides to propose on the phone. Right then, things go apocalyptic. A mysterious illness instantly kills all other beings with a Y chromosome on the planet (an event referred to as gender-cide in the comic). These were the first few pages of the comic and more than enough to tickle my curiosity. ...  More

Normal People Book Review

normal

The story of Connell and Marianne, Normal People is a yo-yo of emotions as they continue to come close, and then, part aways. It is a fine example of how two people can know each other so well, and yet, completely miss the most obvious signs. A series of such misses ensures that Connell and Marianne never have it steady. ...  More