I love Julia Golding. There were a couple that I didn't end up writing about - The Glass Swallow and Ringmaster (Darcie Lock Book 1), but there were others that I devoured and simply had to gush about. Here are four that come to mind:Empty Quarter (Girl on the Run Book 2)DragonflyCat's CradleThe Middle PassageAnd now, The Diamond of Drury Lane, which begins with the wonderful lines:Reader, you are set to embark on an adventure about one hidden treasure, two bare-knuckle boxers, three enemies and four hundred and thirty-eight rioters. It is told by an ignorant and prejudiced author - me."Cat Royal - orphan, adventurer, actressThe Diamond of Drury Lane is the first of Cat Royal's adventures, and it's delicious.As a reader, characters are everything to me. If I fall in love with the character, I'm much more likely to fall in love … [Read more...]
Dead Man’s Cove
The cover of Dead Man's Cove, the first of the Laura Marlin Mysteries, has a snippet from a review, proclaiming that the book will delight Enid Blyton fans. And so, even though I read the second book, Kidnap in the Caribbean, some time ago, I began this one with different expectations. The most wonderful part was that those expectations were met.As a child, I was convinced that smugglers were exciting. Anyone who has read Five Go to Smuggler's Top and The Secret of Spiggy Holes will, I think, have similar responses. Ooh! Smugglers! What fun! Smugglers, for me, were equated with adventure. Even when people spoke to me of binoculars and cameras being smuggled into India, I had the same kind of starry-eyed reaction.As a child who lived vicariously through books, Enid Blyton's stories came with a sense of security. … [Read more...]
Me and Mister P
There are times when only a polar bear will do ..."Arthur and Liam's MumI'm still smiling as I write this review, even though I finished reading Me and Mister P yesterday. It's such a charming read, one that reminded me of Nurse Matilda and Mary Poppins. Except that there's no nanny here - because there are times when only a polar bear will do, right?Arthur is fed up with the fact that his brother Liam, who is specially abled, gets all the attention from his family. Everything is now about Liam.Liam cannot take the school bus because he does not like crowds. Arthur cannot watch the football match on TV because Liam is upset.Liam is embarrassing. He sings loudly, hums all the time, dances--and Arthur can't take it anymore. He hates it when other people make fun of Liam because he feels that they're making fun of him.So, he decides to run away.Except that … [Read more...]
The Little Rainmaker
It is the year 2028, and it hasn't rained for ten years. The last time it rained, Anoushqa was in her mother's womb. She kicked when it rained. That's her only experience of rain, an experience that she does not even remember. Sometimes, she wonders if rain is even real, or just part of one of her Grampa's stories.The Little Rainmaker is a heartwarming read. I was moved to tears on multiple occasions because it was impossible not to feel and live Anoushqa's passion.At ten, we're superheroes, aren't we? Self-doubt has not really begun to creep in yet. Even when it makes an appearance, we are confident that we can change the world. That's the joy of being ten!But when Anoushqa's Grampa dreams of seeing rain one last time, the ten-year-old does not know what to do. Enterprising as she is, can she really battle all the naysayers and make rain? Can she do the … [Read more...]
The Lies We Tell
I finished reading The Lies We Tell last night. I woke up this morning, still disturbed. For a moment, I just had a vague sense of unease that I could not place, but a few seconds later, I knew I was still in another place, in another character. I was still Irfan Ahmed.I read Talking of Muskaan two years ago, and it made such a powerful impression on me that I knew I had to read The Lies We Tell. Yet, halfway through the latter, I was frowning. I did not feel that the promise of the title was kept. Sure, all the tumultuous adolescent emotions felt authentic, but I did not want the book to be just another Young Adult novel that floats by, barely impacting me.I was disenchanted enough to look for reviews of the book, something I rarely do. Goodreads had one review; Amazon had one review, perhaps by the same person. Four stars.At that … [Read more...]
Bungee Cord Hair
Five months ago, an editor mentioned to me that publishers in India believe that Asian literature, apart from books written in the subcontinent, will not sell. I was taken aback by the idea, but I didn't know what to say. I had not thought about it at all, so I did not have an opinion.Naturally, the conversation got me thinking. What was the last book I read that was Asian, but not from the subcontinent?I thought of Chinese Cinderella and The Joy Luck Club. Both long ago.It was time to change that. I began with Pachinko and liked it a lot. I wanted to read more, particularly children's literature. The best place to begin, I thought, was the Scholastic Asian Book Award, so I began my research.I found only three books that were affordable, and wondered, would that be one of the reasons I haven't read much Asian literature that does not hail from the subcontinent?I began … [Read more...]
Top Ten: Young Adult Books in 2018
There's so much happening in the world of Young Adult books! Some people may classify a few of these books as MG rather than YA, but again, I put forth the usual disclaimer - associating an age with a reading level is impossible.Many of these books are crucial - they deal with ideas and issues that need to be addressed. Yet, when I read, the "issue" cannot ever be all-important. I cannot love a book simply because it is important. And that's why, even though I read books that are arguably more "important", my favourites remain ones that wring my heart.Boy 87Fourteen-year-old Shif is put into prison for something he has not even done yet. It is when he goes to jail that he discovers others who have been imprisoned for the kind of "something" which is actually nothing at all. Also, it is in Shif that every prisoner's hopes are vested, for Shif is young and can run away: his … [Read more...]
Top Ten: Middle-Grade Books in 2018
My list of favourite middle-grade books was the most difficult one to make! Until the second I hit 'Publish', I kept changing my mind about which books to include. I almost made this top fifteen - it is my blog after all, no one is dictating how many I should have here ... But I restricted myself. And yes, there are at least five more that I want to put here but didn't.The Girl Who Walked on AirThe Girl Who Walked on Air is the perfect combination of adventure, suspense and drama. Louie dreams of becoming the showstopper of the circus, but for some reason, Mr Chipchase never gives her the chance to demonstrate her talent. On the day he does, everything changes, and Louie must demonstrate her courage in more ways than one. From the details of a Victorian circus to the high drama of performance, I enjoyed everything about this book!Charmed Life (Chrestomanci … [Read more...]
Top Ten: Books for Young Readers in 2018
I know that 'books for young readers' is a very vague title, but these aren't all chapter books, though the age-group for all the books on the list is similar. I also don't read as many chapter books as I do other children's books, but as I was making this list, I realised that I probably should read more because I've enjoyed each and every one of these!The Last Tiger (Mark Greenwood)A work of non-fiction, The Last Tiger is exactly the kind of book I would have loved to read age eight. Even as a child, I was fascinated by the wild world, and aghast at what humans were doing to it. The Last Tiger is the perfect mixture of seriousness and hope, bringing home to me that nature is in danger, but all is not lost yet.Read a more detailed review here.Tilly and the Time Machine (Adrian Edmondson)I would imagine that writing a fresh story about a time machine is incredibly … [Read more...]
Top Ten: Picture Books in 2018
It's when I make lists like this that I realise how many books I read each year. It makes me deeply conscious of how privileged I am to be able to devote so much time each year to reading. Year after year, I read more books. More often than not, I don't buy them - it's impossible to buy every book I want to read - but libraries, online platforms like StoryWeaver, Kindle Unlimited ... These are a great source of stories. Many of these stories were not published in 2018; they're just books I read last year. It was difficult to make this list, but here goes, in no particular order ...Lion Goes for a HaircutAuthor: Swati ShomeIllustrator: Sayan MukherjeeWhen a lion walks into a salon for a haircut, what happens? Here's a story that shows you why lions don't go for haircuts! I enjoyed it tremendously.Ammachi's Amazing MachinesAuthor and illustrator: Rajiv EipeThis … [Read more...]