pen.books.and.scalpel

BOOK NAME: THE FORMIDABLE MISS CASSIDY AUTHOR NAME: MEIHAN BOEY GENRE: HISTORICAL FICTION / MYTHOLOGY PUBLISHER: EPIGRAM BOOKS BOOK BUY LINK:   https://www.amazon.in/Formidable-Miss-Cassidy-Meihan-Boey-ebook/dp/B09NV4Z97C BOOK COVER IMAGE BOOK REVIEW It's 1890, and Singapore is heavily distraught with British colonisation, Chinese immigrants and locals in poverty. Miss Cassidy comes to Singapore as a paid chaperone to Sarah Jane, the only surviving child of Captain Bendemeer. As she learns about the customs and cultures of Singapore, she encounters fantastical elements like magic potions, Pontianak, toyols, and mythical beasts. She is caught in a situation where she must find the missing daughters of the new master, Mr. Kay, whom she works under, and Miss Cassidy might be forced to reveal her identity. Mr. Kay is not just her employee; they have started to hit a connection. Will this revelation affect their possible relationship?  I really loved Miss Cassidy's character, w...

BOOK NAME: FIREFLY LANE AUTHOR NAME: KRISTIN HANNAH GENRE: CONTEMPORARY FICTION / CHICKLIT PUBLISHER: PANMACMILLAN BOOK BUY LINK:   https://www.amazon.in/Firefly-Lane-Kristin-Hannah/dp/1447229533 BOOK COVER IMAGE BOOK REVIEW If there is one author whom I would blindly trust for both realistic and heroic portrayal of women, then that is Kristin Hannah. But tell me, who held a gun to her head and made her write this? Who and why?! It's the story of two friends -Tully, who is extremely passionate and high-spirited with a traumatic childhood and Kate, who is calm and shy with a blessed family and is often bullied at school. They meet one day in Firefly Lane when they are twelve. Over the years, their friendship is threatened by many things that break them apart and bring them back together. With two polar besties and one stunning perfect man in the middle, you know that's a recipe for a disaster. Initially, I was so angry with myself for not liking the book. But as the story pr...

  BOOK NAME: MORNINGS IN JENIN AUTHOR NAME: SUSAN ABULHAWA GENRE: HISTORICAL FICTION PUBLISHER: BLOOMSBURY BOOK BUY LINK:   https://www.amazon.in/Mornings-Jenin-Susan-Abulhawa/dp/1408805871 BOOK COVER IMAGE BOOK REVIEW "The earth is closing on us, pushing us through the last passage, and we tear off our limbs to pass through... Where should we go after the last frontiers? Where should the birds fly after the last sky?" This book, my God! Words fail me when I try to put my feelings down in letters. Never once did I imagine them as mere characters but as real people who lived through the horrors of it. This multigenerational historical fiction starts with Israel invading Ein Hod, a small town in Palestine. People are forced to seek refuge in Jenin camps after losing their homes in the Nakba to zionists. Amal is born to Dalia and Hasan in the refugee camp, and she fails to understand why her mother is dead inside even when she is alive. As Amal grows, she realises her father...

BOOK NAME: ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS AUTHOR NAME: ARAMINTA HALL GENRE: THRILLER PUBLISHER: PANMACMILLAN BOOK BUY LINK:   https://www.amazon.in/One-Good-Guys-Araminta-Hall/dp/103501811X BOOK COVER IMAGE BOOK REVIEW This is one of those rare books that ended up exceeding my expectations because of the mixed reviews. From my last reading experience, I learned to brush through the negative reviews as well (without spoilers) before reading a book and dreaded not liking it at the end. But to my surprise, it turned out the exact opposite for me. I am now confused about whether I have to continue this practice of looking at reviews or not because they have worked completely opposite every time. Cole and Mel are separated as they both want different things in life, and Cole finds it challenging to move on. He meets Lenni at the seaside, where he has moved, and they start a new chapter together. Two girls campaigning for a women's movement go missing nearby, and things start unfolding in a wa...

BOOK NAME: KILLING COMMENDATORE  AUTHOR NAME: HARUKI MURAKAMI GENRE: MYSTERY/ FANTASY PUBLISHER: VINTAGE BOOKS BOOK BUY LINK:   https://www.amazon.in/Killing-Commendatore-Haruki-Murakami/dp/1784707333 BOOK COVER IMAGE  BOOK REVIEW It would be fitting to say that Murakami's world is mysterious, vivid and contagious. His characters are memorable and the colours in his bookish world are transferable to your soul that they follow you even in your dreams. Reading a Murakami after so long made me realise why he is a living legend in the world of writing. There is no one like him to blend World War 2 and magical realism so effortlessly.  The unnamed protagonist in this story is an artist whom his wife abandons for another man. Dejected, he leaves for Tomohika Amada's neglected house, never to paint again. In his new home, strange things start happening after he accidentally stumbles upon a painting in the attic titled 'Killing Commendatore,' which opens a portal to an u...