books – iyashikei in words

on book bingo

Despite superficially claiming my blog as a space to share my thoughts or experiences or even a rant on something that caught my eye, I can be incredibly picky about what I end up actually publishing. I’ve discussed this before in my post about the blogger’s block I experienced a…
review: minor disturbances at grand life apartments by hema sukumar

Even before I reached Hema Sukumar’s name at the bottom of this beautifully illustrated cover, I knew this book was South Indian in some form or the other. The clothes hanging on the terrace, the wooden doors, the little squirrel clambering up the coconut tree, the window air conditioners, the…
on hoarding e-books on a budget

I’ve always been a book hoarder. My bookshelves constantly overflow, despite several promises to myself to not buy any more until I’ve read at least half of the books I own. Over the past few months, I’ve somehow managed to hoard as many e-books as physical ones. Among those are…
on an unexpected niche

We all know bad things come in threes. Apparently, London-based historical mysteries with a female lead come in fours. For those who are unaware, NetGalley is a website where publishers offer digital and audio ARCs (advance reader copies) to interested readers in return for their completely unfiltered reviews. It’s the…
on the nobleman’s guide to scandal and shipwrecks

Adrian Montague appears to have it all. He’s the sole heir to his father’s estate; he is soon to be inducted into the House of Lords; and he is engaged to the love of his life, Louisa Davies. His future is bright, his fortune is secure, his happiness seems absolute.…
on january’s reads

A new year usually begins with the desire to read more and with intention. I can read ten murder mysteries in a row without having to even think twice about it, but intentionally reading other genres and expanding my reading profile is a harder task than it seems. No matter,…
on a statistical look at 2022

An overview of my reading habits in 2022, based on my StoryGraph reading Wrap-Up.
on an accidental book haul

There was a very brief period in 2022 when I looked at my overflowing bookshelves and thought to myself, ‘I need to go on a book-buying ban next year.’ Well, the next year has arrived, and yes, less than three weeks in, there’s six new books next to me, waiting…
on the best of 2022

There are two types of readers: the ones who can tell you what their favourite book is immediately upon asking and the ones who simply cannot even fathom the question, because there are so many books. I’m definitely in the latter category, which made the task of figuring out the best books…
on november’s reads

A TBR is an unwieldy thing. I keep track of everything I want to read (or that has simply caught my attention, let’s be honest) in multiple places: goodreads lists, StoryGraph pins, a list on my Reminders app, screenshots on my phone… Despite all of them, I end up reading…