All posts tagged: Romance

collage of books

Reading Challenge: 2021 (Short Reads)

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This is Part 1 of 4 posts about the books I read in 2021. I’ll start with the shorter reads.
Amazon Kindle has teamed up with some great story writers for a series of short stories in various themes that are available only as Kindle books or Audibles. I read a few that were powerful reads.
This year, I also read some books from the romance genre, from the literary to the unabashed soft porn. I wasn’t blown away by any of them, but they were good in-between reads—a palette cleanser, if you may!
I couldn’t catch up on any poetry collections published this year, mainly because I didn’t have the time to research the titles I wanted to read. I’m still looking for an easier way to get a list of books from different genres and regions without spending hours researching.
Short Stories I read in 2021
Books on Romance
Poetry Books

Cover of the book Call me by your name on a Kindle in a beach setting

Book Review: Call me by your name by André Aciman

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Call Me by Your Name is a highly sensual, somewhat nostalgic and sweet novel by André Aciman about the longings of young forbidden love. The main character, Elio, is struggling with his sexual identity. He is 17 and falls in love with Oliver, his father’s new research assistant.

It is a coming of age story about a young boy’s first love told from his perspective as a grown man reflecting on the summer that changed his life. You can feel the longing, love, and passion throughout the book. 


Call Me by Your Name has been adapted into a film starring Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet. The smooth voice of Armie Hammer narrates the Audible version of the book.

Reading Challenge: 2014

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It was such a joy last year to get back to reading after having survived on just two or three books a year for the lack of time. Now when I look at my reading list, I am filled with anxiety because I feel I have so much to catch up on. I calm down after I realise that everyone’s ‘to be read’ pile is probably longer than their ‘read’ pile. This year I reduced the number of books for the challenge because I felt a bit rushed last year and I knew that I was going to have a busier 2014. I managed to complete the challenge well in time so that I could go on my break without feeling the pressure to read – that’s no way to enjoy a book. Here are some of the books from this year that I think deserve a mention – for better or for worse. Non-fiction Zealot by Reza Aslan: It gave a good historical background into Jesus’ life and how he became a man of legendary …

Reading Challenge: 2013

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This year I discovered the Goodreads Reading Challenge. You set your reading goal for the year and try to achieve it. This came at a great time for me because since I had stopped working last year, I had been planning to catch up on my reading. I have always loved to read but with all of life getting in the way, it had been difficult to make time for it. I started with a simple goal of 50 books for the year, but within a few days changed it to 100 – it’s a challenge after all. Although each book I read has its review on the site, I wanted to highlight some of them I read this year that kept me thinking about them long after I had devoured the stories. 1. A Dog’s Tale by Mark Twain – It’s only a few pages long but manages to squeeze in so much heartbreak that it was difficult to read the whole thing without pausing and reflecting on it. Especially if you love dogs and animals, …