It Has No Name by Payal Dhar

It Has No Name is laser focused on the strong bonds between its teen characters - on the love they feel and express towards each other.

Polysecure by Jessica Fern

A must-read for anyone in non-traditional relationship structures, and even monogamous relationships would benefit from asking themselves the questions Fern has put together.

The Prisoner’s Wife by Maggie Brookes

The Prisoner's Wife paints a realistic picture of navigating the harshest realities of war - POW camps, unscrupulous, predatory, grasping men, the ravaging horror of illness, and the unexpected kindness that shines through in human beings during such dark times and circumstances.

Frith Chronicles #7 – Master Arcanist

I'm a little taken aback by the fact that the next book is the last in the series. It doesn't feel as though we're close to the end. The storylines are this series' only saving grace, so here's hoping that doesn't get sacrificed at the altar of bad pacing.

Frith Chronicles #6 – Warlord Arcanist

Frith Chronicles has at its heart a great story. With appropriate editorial guidance, it could turn into an impressive series - one that doesn't interrupt the reader's focus every five minutes with bad writing or internal incoherence.

Games People Play by Eric Berne

As with Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy, Games People Play holds a limited academic value that I hope has already been fulfilled by better written books in this field.

Ester Nilsson #1 – Wilful Disregard

Through Wilful Disregard, Andersson has managed to paint a painfully self-aware portrait of the common yet toxic relationship between the preoccupied and dismissive attachment styles. Aside from the narrative itself, Andersson's poetic style of writing helps her dish out advice without seeming overbearing. She casts thoughtful pearls out in front of a world full of anxious and preoccupied human beings, hoping that they might relate.

Maithili and the Minotaur: Web of Woe

The eye-catching illustrations and side notes add to the interactive and layered experience of reading, and the characters and plot are such that Indian readers will be tickled pink.

Tamanna Trilogy #1 – No Time For Goodbyes

The quaint portrayal of these characters and the original premise were sufficient to keep me hooked all the way to the end. Here's looking forward to the sequel!

Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy by Eric Berne

Worth it only if you have an academic interest in the subject and are willing to sift past problematic elements to get to the core ideas put forward by the author.

Courts of the Feyre #1 – Sixty One Nails

Sixty One Nails has at its heart an interesting and intriguing storyline. Unfortunately, it takes way too long to get from point A to point B, and constantly subjects the reader to Niall's mental monologues and Blackbird-objectification along the way.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The Silent Patient is a high paced thriller with a twist I definitely did not see coming. I would definitely recommend it as an excellent read, but I hope the author bothers to put in more research and remove stigmatising content about his central theme next time.

Trials of Apollo #2 – The Dark Prophecy

Dark Prophecy keeps the momentum provided by The Hidden Oracle and really builds on it, in terms of expanding the mythology, the degree of villainy, and character development. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Earthsea Cycle #3 – The Farthest Shore

The story is intriguing enough that one will want to keep reading, but at least to my brain, it is difficult to form a fond attachment to dry writing of this style. Still a must-read for ardent fantasy fans, especially if you're exploring earlier works in the genre, or are interested in how later writing has been influenced by that which came before it.

Frith Chronicles #5.5 – Arcanist Fables

I'm eagerly waiting for Warlord Arcanist, and, despite its quirks of flawed writing, Arcanist Fables was a nice interlude to break the monotony in the meantime. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond

Diamond looks at the signs left behind our world today by history and makes some excellent assertions about why some nations and races prospered and became colonizers, whereas others became the colonized. He effectively debunks the idea of innate superiority, pointing instead to the respective environments as the answer for the disparity.

Princess Diaries #2 – Princess in the Spotlight

For all her flaky exaggerated hyperbole, Mia was a great character to relate to for teens in my time, and I hope that kids today continue to get great books like this to look up to.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility is a journey worth taking, filled with twists and turns. And Austen continues to prove herself a keen observer of human nature (even if her judgments and morals tend toward the uglier side.) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Book of Dust #1 – La Belle Sauvage

An extremely well written adventure with solid child characters who shine with an inner fire. TW for gratuitous sexual assault as a plot device though.

Discworld #13 – Small Gods

What draws me back to this book time and again is the in-depth and thought provoking exploration of divinity. And the amusing sight of a discomfited god throwing temper tantrums as a tortoise. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐