Realised after compiling this list that its a slow month for reading. This is understandable since I dealt with some personal stuff that took up a lot of time. On a balance, the books I read were quite good.
- Fault Lines by Emily Itami 4/5
This was a beautiful book. Similar to The Paper Palace I discussed in my previous post, this book was again billed as an ‘infidelity story’. And its so much more.
The book is set in Tokyo – its not a city I have been to but everything about it in this book makes it seem like such a cool and glamorous city full of stylish people doing fun things. I loved it. For me, the story was more about how unfulfilled the protagonist feels in her life and marriage than about her affair. The actual events of the affair I think cover less than half the book.
Another interesting plot point the book touches on is Japanese work culture which is famous – or rather infamous. I am quite curious about this aspect of Japanese culture and have listened to some podcasts discussing this and read about this quite a bit. Its very interesting to see this detailed in fiction.
2. The Widow by Fiona Barton 5/5
This is a really good thriller discussing a very niche subject – what about the partners of those creepy men? The monsters who hurt children. This books looks into the life of these women and their role. Its not a subject I have thought of at all or something I have been particularly interested in but after reading this book, it is something I have been wondering. What was their role? Did they know? Is it sexist of me to assume they didn’t know and played no part? A very twisty thriller on the surface but a thought provoking read as well.
3. Magpie by Elizabeth Day 4/5
Coincidentally I have ended up reading two books with the word ‘Magpie’ in the title recently. I had previously read non-fiction written by this author and hadn’t read any of her fiction, Magpie is the first. Magpie had an interesting premise but I felt it lost its way somewhat. Personally I felt my guess about where the book was going was better than the actual book 🙂
The book does discuss mental health with great insight which is so difficult to do so I really appreciated that.
4. Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney 4/5
Love domestic thrillers and this was definitely one of the good ones. Added bonus is it deals with a writer, writing culture and writing mentorship – a subject I am fascinated by.
I thought the twist was very clever. The creativity in the way its written is refreshing. I have read a lot for domestic thriller so the fact this caught me by surprise a plus.
5. How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie 3/5
The premise of this is very interesting but it is a little click baity. Its not as crazy as it sounds when you really get into it. It was an enjoyable read but I thought it was too long. It could have been a lot shorter. But I also have to admit, it was a majorly hyped and as always, it falls just a little bit flat.
I do feel some of the pop culture references in the book fell flat. It was really odd to hear of very old-fashioned influencer bashing from a 30 year old trendy young woman, it didn’t fit for me.
Hope this was a fun read. As always, thanks for reading. I would love to know what you have been reading and any recommendation to add to my ever growing TBR list! You can check more of what I am reading on my Instagram, Fashion and Frappes and even on my podcast’s Instagram account, Eat Watch Binge Read. I am always interested in talking books so please send your opinions and recommendations my way. If you want more books, check out my bumper book post.
– Anisha
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