Love, Life, & Beyond

How has your reading year been so far? I am glad I have been able to fit in a lot of reading in my week (although not daily), and the book choices have been good to great as well. I also revisited some old favourites. If you’re like me, you probably just remember liking the book but not much of the details. This happens a lot with me, so I try to find the time to re-read some of them.

Since my son had gone for his first school trip this month, I made use of his library credits and delved back into the Grishaverse. It made me want to re-read the Six of Crows duology, which I hope to do before the year ends.

My Greek mythology selection continued this month, too, but it was unlike the ones getting repeated mentions online. I found this title by chance and was glad for it.

As the year draws to a close, I look at my TBR pile getting longer, and try not to get overwhelmed. Let’s just take it one book at a time!

If you want to follow this year’s reads, here’s January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, and September.

Andromeda by E.S McLeod

First of all, what a gorgeous cover! Secondly, I was intrigued when I read that Greek mythology mentioned characters from the African continent.

Andromeda was an Aethiopian princess famed for her unmatched beauty. She was set to marry Poseidon himself. But her mother, Queen Cassiopeia’s bold declaration of her daughter’s beauty, set in motion a sequence of events that no one could predict. She eventually marries Perseus and has a galaxy named after her.

The book reimagines her journey as a sapphic love story between the princess and Ceto, the guardian deployed by Poseidon to ensure Andromeda’s beauty is untouched. Ceto transforms into Cetus, who is depicted in the myths as the sea monster set to devour Andromeda.

Hers is a minor character in the grand Greek epic, but it was interesting nevertheless, especially because of her origins.

I loved how the book shows Cassiopeia’s African heritage and the Greek Gods through Andromeda’s grandmother on her father’s side, all of them linked to the River Nile. I liked the slow enemy to lovers transition as well. It is a heartbreaking end with a glimmer of hope.

“If a sword is not wielded by a fine swordsman, it is wielded by an inept and clumsy one.”

• Verdict: Read
• Rating: 8/10
• Genre: Fiction, Mythology, Romance
• Format: Ebook
• Pages: 320
• Country: UK, Greek Myth, set in North East Africa
• About: Ella Sade McLeod is an English writer and podcaster. She published her debut young adult (YA) novel Rapunzella, or, Don’t Touch My Hair which was longlisted for the Branford Boase Award. McLeod’s second YA novel The Map That Led to You was published in 2024. This was followed by the picture book Goldilocs in 2025, illustrated by Rochelle Falconer.

The Dinner by Herman Koch (Translated by Sam Garrett)

If you are in the mood for some underplayed dark drama, this is the book for you. We meet Paul, who is our narrator, and his wife Claire who are going to meet Paul’s brother and sister-in-law for dinner at a fancy restaurant. It just seems to be a social obligation they would rather get over with as quickly as possible with the high-profile brother who might come off as a pompous politician. Over the several courses of dinner, a family drama unfolds.

There’s a hint that their teenage kids have been in some kind of trouble, but instead of openly discussing it, they are engaged in frivolous talks. We also get some insight on what has happened in the past.

The character reveal of everyone involved is quite sneaky, as we have an unreliable narrator. The unfolding of the crime itself, and the reactions of everyone at the table tells you more about each person.

The book made me think about how parents pass on their personality traits to their kids. The adage of ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ is clearly demonstrated here. It was an interesting take on juvenile crime and circumstances surrounding it.

“That was how I looked at life sometimes, as a warm meal that was growing cold. I knew I had to eat, or else I would die, but I had lost my appetite.”

• Verdict: Read
• Rating: 8/10
• Genre: Fiction, Suspense
• Format: Ebook
• Pages: 350
• Country: The Netherlands
• About: Herman Koch is known as a television producer and a writer. The book ‘Het diner’, published in 2009, was his breakthrough in the Netherlands. It was partly based on a true story involving a homeless woman named María del Rosario Endrinal Petit in Spain.

Bullet Nani by Jasreen Mayal Khanna

If you need some inspiration to get up and do the thing you always wanted, read this book. It gives you a look into the lives of 12 badass Indian grandmas, from a medic in a war zone to a model and an activist to just name a few.

While the book just gives a glimpse of the lives of these women, it is enough to get a good idea of the number of rules and glass ceilings that were broken by them. Each chapter ends with a suggestion or advice on how to live up to your full potential.

It also infuriated me to realise that so many of the issues faced by them decades ago, are still being rebelled against by women today. Whether it is gender roles at home or the idea of femininity, we still have a long way to go before the world recognises equal status for women.

Inspirational read!

“That was how I looked at life sometimes, as a warm meal that was growing cold. I knew I had to eat, or else I would die, but I had lost my appetite.”

• Verdict: Read for inspirations
• Rating: 9/10
• Genre: Non Fiction, Short Bios
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 232
• Country: India
• About: Jasreen Mayal Khanna is an author and travel journalist from Mumbai. She did her MFA from New York University and taught Creative Writing there as an Adjunct Professor. She’s also been a Visiting Professor at St Xavier’s College Mumbai since 2010. She started her career in travel journalism in 2011 at Conde Nast Traveller India and continues to write for international magazines such as Robb Report, AFAR, and DestinAsian. Her debut book, Seva: Sikh Wisdom on Living Well by Doing Good was written during the pandemic.

Shadow & Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

The three books in the series are Shadow & Bone, Siege & Storm, and Ruin & Rising. I had read the Six of Crows duology a few years ago and remembered the world and character building to be quite good. These, the first books of the Grishaverse, did not disappoint.

We meet Alina and Mal, best friends who grew up in an orphanage, who are on their way to their respective job fields. When passing through the dreaded Shadow Fold, Alina reveals a power even she did not know she possessed.

From her time at the Little Palace, to being captive, used, and then liberated it is quite a journey. She learns who she can trust and why her heart might not always be right. All the characters are well thought out and every evil has a reason.

I liked the series on Netflix but they decided to not complete the series (don’t know why) which was disappointing. The books are obviously so much better.

The series is also a good reminder that sometimes what we go looking for is not necessarily what we need but something/someone that’s been in front of us the whole time (spoiler alert?)

“Weakness is a guise. Wear it when they need to know you’re human, but never when you feel it.”

• Verdict: Must Read if you like the genre
• Rating: 9/10
• Genre: Fantasy Fiction
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: Around 400 pages each
• Country: USA
• About: Leigh Bardugo is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. The Shadow and Bone series is also a Netflix original series. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies including The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Los Angeles and is an associate fellow of Pauli Murray College at Yale University.

Soul Sync by Archana Muthappa

I loved the ease of reading this book. If you are just curious about mental health or need a reminder about what you can do for yourself and others around you, this book gives you tools without making it overwhelming.

The book is divided into sections of a person’s life – work, relationships, and understanding yourself. Some chapters even have a step-by-step guide on how you can identify if someone needs help, what you can do, how you can help yourself when you feel overwhelmed, and many such helpful tips. It informs without being judgemental, and the reader doesn’t feel like they’re being talked down to.

A good book to keep handy and read as a reminder to be kind to yourself and to others around you.

“Labels are for jars.”

• Verdict: Read for reminders
• Rating: 9/10
• Genre: Non Fiction, Mental Health
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 103
• Country: India
• About: Archana Muthappa is a trained mental health counsellor who has worked in the areas of communications and brand strategy, with over 30 years of experience building narratives that matter. She has a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and further training in Transactional Analysis. This is her first book that started as short essays on LinkedIn.

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