Stunning. Absolutely stunning. I picked up A Monster Calls in the same way that I pick up all other books – randomly. No one recommended it to me. I read no reviews. I did not read the blurb. Sometimes it’s better that way, simply because you have no idea what to expect. Patrick Ness’s A Monster Calls is a truly […]
Books I’ve Been Reading
Lots of travelling always means lots of reading! What better way to spend long train journeys? The Last Unicorn is a classic. If Patrick Rothfuss says it’s the best book he has ever read, you know it’s worth looking out for. Title The Last Unicorn Author Peter S. Beagle Genre Classic/Fantasy/Fairy Tale Rating (out of 5) 5 […]
Running on the Cracks
So much to do, so much to read, so much to write! I haven’t written my blog for ages because I’ve been busy writing a brand new series on trains … But more about that when we’re closer to the date it’s to be launched. Running on the Cracks made me create a little space in the whirlwind […]
Whale Boy
I don’t know a single child who has read and not liked animal stories. I remember Animal Ark. I think of Gill Lewis’s White Dolphin. There are hundreds of horse stories that I’ve read and loved – Stallion Club comes to mind immediately. Whale Boy is one of those beloved animal tales. Growing up in Rose Town, […]
The Story-Catcher: A Review by Arushi Upadhyaya
Some time ago, I mentioned a book review of The Story-Catcher by 9-year-old Arushi Upadhyaya. Finally sharing the whole review here! It made me smile all over again.
Flight to Dragon Isle
One of the reasons I love travelling is that I have so much time that I can spend reading without feeling guilty about everything else I could have been doing instead. Waiting, sitting around, marking time until my workshop begins … What else can I do? I loved The Dragon Whisperer; I wanted to know what happened […]
The Witching Hour
Seventeenth century Scotland. The Presbyterians are convinced that the word of God is not equivalent to the word of King Charles, sitting far away in England. The Black Cuffs are everywhere, rounding up suspected Presbyterians because by the law enforced by Charles Stuart, it is illegal to pray outdoors; you can be fined for not going to the […]
A Face Like Glass
How would it be to have a face like glass, a face that is a window that can tell the truth and only the truth? And how would it be to have a face like that in a world where Facesmiths sculpt each expression on each individual’s face? A Face Like Glass is a remarkable book, which took me […]
The Raven Boys
Last week, the members of the Writers’ Club wrote book reviews of books they’ve read recently and loved. Here is a review by Riva Verma of The Raven Boys, a book I have not read. Welsh kings. Ley lines. Hidden bodies of ancient monarchs. This novel is filled with adventure and mystery. That is what […]
The Dragon Whisperer
Last week, I conducted a workshop at the British Library on inculcating the habit of reading in children. There were principals and representatives from several schools in and around Pune, and many asked me where they could find book reviews. I realised I haven’t written about books for a while, so for the next few days, that’s […]
The Story-Catcher – A Review by a 9-year-old
I’ve been waiting for something momentous before writing my blog – what could be more momentous than a review of The Story-Catcher by a nine-year-old? Arushi Upadhyaya had to design a book-jacket for a school competition. The entry she submitted is with the school, but she sent me the rough plan she made. At the back, she informs me, […]
Books for Rainy Days
It’s been a while since I wrote, mainly because I’ve been reading. Here’s a look at some of what I’ve read recently. As a child, I enjoyed reading and collecting the entire Animal Ark series. As I grew older, I learned that Lucy Daniels, the author of the series, did not exist. Just like Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon. […]
Empty Quarter (Girl on the Run Book 2)
I sat at Coimbatore train station, book in hand. “What happened?” asked my sister, looking at my face. I grinned. “I’m inside this book.” I added, quickly, “Will you keep a lookout for the train? I may not notice when it pulls in.” That’s how Empty Quarter was. As with Cat’s Cradle, I jumped straight […]
Cauldron Spells
What happens when a foolish dragon falls into a cauldron and makes it too misshapen for it to function normally? What happens when the bottle of frogspell that you thought you were carrying turns out to be blueberries mixed with porridge? What happens when a young girl sets out to become a squire? Cauldron Spells was delightful, full of […]
The Indian in the Cupboard
I picked up The Indian in the Cupboard full of apprehension. For a long time, I have intended to read this book. Yet, I have realised of late that I have read so much modern writing that older writing seems dry and slow. 1980 is rather a long time ago, and I was not sure how much […]
Sea of Tears
The cover illustration of Sea of Tears was just lovely. The wake of a boat curving into a big ‘S’, a little girl looking out at the sea … It was a cover I could keep looking at. The book could have been better, though. I enjoyed much of it, but there were parts that left […]
Berlin Olympics
I picked up Berlin Olympics assuming it was about a real person. Sure, I expected historical fiction, but my knowledge of Olympic swimmers is not good enough to have known that Eleanor Rhys Davies is not a real person. In the beginning, I was disappointed. I don’t know why; I don’t know what I expected. Yet, as I […]
Cat’s Cradle
Sometimes, especially when you read a lot of different kinds of books that you’ve picked up based solely on the cover, one book jumps out and takes you by surprise. It makes you read on and on, and it makes you chuckle even when you are in a public place and ought to be behaving […]
Pippi in the South Seas
No, I have not yet Pippi Longstocking. Maybe I should apologise. In my defence, I have wanted to read it for very long. When I read Pippi in the South Seas, I realised why it’s so famous and why so many people love it so much. Pippi is a classic in a world of her own. She […]
Billy the Bird
Dick King-Smith is an author I love. Whenever I pick up a book by him, I do so with complete faith in the story. As usual, I was not disappointed. Billy the Bird is the story of a little child who becomes weightless when the moon is full, but can remember nothing of his nightly flights […]