The Reading Owl

Hi folks! Welcome to my spot on the of ‘The Manor House Governess’. Another gem I got to read thanks to

It is a mix of the nineteenth-century Bronte world and the modern world. Bron has lived all his life in a boarding school, escaping into a fictional world when the real one did not understand his q***rness. And his life takes a new turn when he goes to Greenwood Manor to care for a little girl.

The story draws(I think intentionally) multiple parallels with Jane Eyre’s story. I think it reflects the author’s love for the classic. Why I say that is because the MC loves Jane Eyre and I find that Bron is a fictional representation of the author’s own self. If not in story, then at least in character.

The writing is beautiful. Some of the metaphors/images created are really powerful. It's like reading a classic set in the modern world. And like classics, it tends to meander a bit and can get slow. And thus it took me a while to finish.

But I love reading more q***r stories. I feel it helps me understand people better. Bron looks so comfortable in his skin, in his choice to cross-dress, to love boys but his insecurities pull him back. His loneliness causes him to rely on literature and then draw conclusions based on those stories. It helped me glimpse a little more into his world.

***rbooks

Hi folks! Welcome to my spot on the bookstagram tour of Thanks to & for sending me a copy



As I posted on my stories, I loved this book. Here is why:

- It has a great rep of people from different walks of life. Gay, non-binary, asexual, different ethnicities, disability, and a fat lead.
- I mean look at that gorgeous cover with a strong powerful witch. It's not her physical traits who make her who she is but her resilience and her will to protect her siblings at all cost.
- Derry’s character is not the perfect, chosen one types but she is gray with a lot of flaws. She lies, breaks promises, even kills? if needed for survival. You see her growing from a timid person to an assured powerful witch.
- It is dark & chilling. I don't know why I ever expected it be to like ‘House in the cerulean sea’ which has a similar trope of found family and a mysterious orphanage, but is much more cozy. This one however takes a dark turn very quickly and unexpectedly.
- It kept me hooked. The suspense might be predictable but the intensity and truth of it at the end keeps you reeling. Even the forest which seems to be helping Derry holds secrets of its own.

Trigger warnings: violence, abuse, emotional manipulation, death description.

It's a great pick overall when you are looking for thrilling fast paced reads on a winter night.

I have not read much by Kafka, except Metamorphosis, and now The Trial. I remember feeling strange and confused about metamorphosis, yet I found it deep too. I had the same feeling with The Trial.

Encouraged to read more of Kafka’s work after visiting many landmarks dedicated to him in Prague, I picked this up and realized that it was one of his posthumously published novels and was never completed. His friend Max was asked by Kafka to burn all his work in his will but Max couldn't bring himself to. Instead, he gathered the snippets and published them as individual works which are much admired today.

The Trial is the story of one Joseph K. who is a reputed bank manager and is one day informed that he is arrested and will undergo a trial. He is never told his crime. He is free to continue his life as usual until a decision is reached by the court. However, the judicial system is so complex and hidden in its vagueness that even lawyers and other members of the system don't know its full functioning.

It is a commentary on the bureaucracy and the bourgeois. Even though the system is fictional, under layers of satire and strange situations, one can glimpse truths of the current system and relate to it as a common person.

To be honest, the plot made zero sense to me at times, and I was annoyed at the portrayal of female characters whose only task seemed to be seducing men, but something about it kept me reading. I was curious to see if Joseph’s crime was revealed or if I find answers to some if not all of the million questions I had in my head. As you can guess I did not. But it still left an impression on me.

It is quintessential Kafka and if you have enjoyed other works from him, you would like this too.

Swipe to see a giant Kafka statue and his rotating head installation.

is the fourth book in the Funicula Funiculi series where you can travel in time to meet people who have visited the cafe. The time you have for this visit is limited, that is from the time your coffee is poured to the time it gets cold.

Even though I did not like 3rd part as much as the others, I wanted to read this one as I loved the others. And I am so glad I did. This book brings back the magic of this cafe with familiar characters and setting. There is the cafe staff but we also get to meet some people from last books whose stories touched our hearts.

The theme common among all 4 stories in this book is regret. Regret over not expressing yourself enough, being rude, not accepting the person, not being there for them in their need. And it is a reminder to be conscious of how you treat your loved ones.

I was a little disappointed in the third story which starts with an independent woman who is quickly stereotyped into her concern for looks & men. But the other ones were absolutely heartbreaking.
You might find the same rules, depictions a little repetitive but I have made my peace with it and put it down mainly to translation.

But yes, this is a hyped book and not for the wrong reasons. I am sure you’ll love it for its simplicity with which it expresses emotions.

Have you read Homer? Either the Iliad or the Odyssey?

I bought a translation to read but never got around it. Perhaps next year. For now, I content myself with these retellings/extensions of characters from the epic.

is such a story. When Odysseus reached Ithaca after years of being lost at sea, he punished the people who tried taking his kingdom in his absence. He hanged the twelve maids who had been sullied by those perpetrators too.

In this book, Poseiden punishes the island in form of a curse, where 12 women need to be sacrificed the sea every year. Yes more innocent women punished. One of those women is Leto who dies but wakes back on a mysterious island to try and put an end to this curse.

While this work has been heavily criticized because the author didn't ever read Odyssey, I personally liked it. It's important to tell stories of women used as mere playthings so we know what needs to not happen again.

Yes, the pace could be better and it could be 100 pages shorter, but the story itself is very gripping. The water magic, sapphic love angle, and greek gods made it a hit for me.

I would recommend it for people who like greek mythologies or to people who like the slow burn of unrequited love.

Are you fascinated by local legends? Which one is your favorite? Mine is the legend of Kuldhara..a village in Rajasthan that was abandoned overnight. I have also visited the location and it was strange as hell to be there.

Golems are Jewish mythical creatures, said to be made of mud, and given life through mystical rituals. The Golem of Prague was created by a Rabbi to help the people but it turned monstrous when it wasn't given rest on Sabbath. Read about it, it's fascinating.

Anyway, I was enthralled by the legend and wanted to know more. I visited the Jewish quarters in Prague but didn't learn much except looking at the synagogue it's said to be residing in still. So I picked this book. The Golem was written in the early 1900s and is a kind of an urban take on the legend. It’s based on the idea that the Golem appears every 33 years and this time it is associated with a crystal engraver (Athanasius Pernath). But this person has a history of mental illness and use of hallucinogens, so his experiences are cast into doubt. Along with him, we also get a glimpse into the dreary life of other inhabitants of the ghetto and their misery.

To be honest, this work of magical realism confused me at times and I couldn't relate to the transcendent meaning of what was being said, but it kept me hooked nevertheless. While the actual Golem may or may not have appeared in the story, the legend binds all the characters together.

And the end, that was the most mind-boggling part. I could never have imagined the turn it took. And how!

But I don't think I would recommend this book unless you are also curious about the legend and how the story connects to it.

Instead, if you want to read about Golems, what they are in Jewish folklore, and a tightly knit story, I would recommend That’s a great story you would love if you like legends, fantasies, and stories across religions & customs.

Sometimes, you read strange things and that’s that.

Last quarter of the year is here! How are your reading goals looking?

I haven't tracked my reading on goodreads this year, yet. Planning to use the next few weeks to add everything I read there. Be ready for update spam.

Thankfully, I have the whole year of posts to help me with the task. Here is what I read in September.

📚 is one of the books I recently bought because of the cover and the title. And I adored it so much. I didn't know people could be so cat averse 😢 But this book describes anyone who might not fit society’s acceptance criteria. And it's very heartwarming.

📚 by was a book I picked as I wanted to read something based in Prague. While it does not have any descriptions of the beautiful city, I feel I stumbled upon a gem. The story will make no sense at times, but you would still keep reading. That's classic Kafka for you. Loved it.

is an expansion of a Greek myth. 12 women were hanged by Odysseus to punish them for men ra**ng them. And now Poseiden needs a sacrifice of 12 women every year as a punishment. Until the curse can be broken. It could be shorter but I really liked the whole premise. Even though the book and the author has faced heat online, I personally enjoyed the story. Ad would definitely recommend it.

A Gentleman in Moscow is one of the best books I have read this year. It is the story of a fictional Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, who is sentenced to house arrest in a hotel room when the Russian communist party came to power. When I first looked at the blurb, I wondered how a 500-page story could be written about a man in a hotel room. But Amor Towles proved me wrong. He created a world where Count Rostov experienced all flavours of life as Russia transformed from Monarchy to Anarchy.

The most striking part for me in the book was emotions. Amor has developed each character beautifully. I felt Sasha’s(Count Rostov) loneliness in such an acute way that I just wanted to sit with him and hold his hand. The last chapter in part 4 was my favourite. It took me through anxiety, happiness, relief, and grief as Sasha moved through the eventful day. Mishka’s(Count’s friend) poetry collection and the deep impact a seemingly simple censorship has on him was heartbreaking.

Food and wine form another important part of the book as it is over food that Sasha develops friendships and enemies. But the food descriptions make you want to try them out and learn more.

There was never a dull moment in the whole narrative. From one scene to another, I relished everything slowly and in full detail. Hotel Metropol is now one of the places I really really want to visit someday.

Count Rostov is a character who is very hard to believe is not real. And in some ways I don't even want him to be real because I would never wish a lonely life in captivity for anyone.

I would highly recommend it especially if you like historical fiction. It's a great refresher on modern Russian history as well.

Thanks to Padmaja() for organizing a read along or I would have never picked it up. ♥️

Yellowface was one of the books I was really hyped about. I enjoyed R. F. Kuang’s writing in The Poppy War and Babel. So I was really looking forward to it too. And while the premise was amazing, the ex*****on felt flat and confusing to me.

I enjoy books that have an ambiguous take, but this was like a pendulum. As if the author couldn't make up her mind on the side she was on, we kept seeing June Hayward in two different lights. I know plagiarism and cultural appropriation is bad, and that should have been apparent through the book, but all I got was confusion.

I loved reading about the publishing industry drama and how representation has just become a marketing gimmick. I could also relate to the extent book Twitter or the book community can go to when riled, which is just cyber bullying in a way. I have seen how this sanctuary can quickly become the most negative place for people having different opinions.

But perhaps that's what I didn't like, having sympathy for a character I knew was in the wrong. Because others wanted to do to her, what June did to her friend and it confused me. I feel like I am rambling at this point. But I know one thing, this one didn't work for me. Or perhaps I just didn't get it.

Have you read it? Do you get what I am trying to say?

Summers of winters for you?

September is here! Already? 😱😱

That means Autumn is around the corner and it's going to get chilly. So less going out and more reading. 😍😍

New month also means monthly wrapups. I never did July one so here is one with both July and August. Hence the big stack 🫣😂

My favorite of this lot is actually a tie between and Both were amazing and perfect in their own ways. While one is a fine piece of historical fiction, the other raises and handles issues of gender bias.

Others that I read:

📚 and are two in a series. Both were laugh riots with focus on a Indonesian-chinese family. I am excitedly looking forward to reading the next part in the series.

📚 was my non-fiction read but I found it immensely helpful in developing the mindset and rituals required for a concentrated workday. I am very far away from utilising it properly but I am glad to at least start.

📚 is a contemporary family reunion story that's full of bling. I specially related to the struggles of being an oldest child.

📚 was one of my most anticipated read of 2023 and I enjoyed it but it fell a little short of meeting the hype. With too many characters and storylines, it wasn't as exciting.

📚 was a refreshing vigilante story of an older transgender woman and her three friends. I loved the representation as well as the suspense in this indie work.

📚 was my last read of August. I picked it to complement my trip to Prague but couldn't finish reading it then. I liked the premise and the story is gripping but the style is a little too archaic. And the magical realism made it confusing for me sometimes. But great pick if you want more material on the legend.

And that's it. I am really happy with the list especially because it’s getting more and more difficult to take out reading time with a million other commitments I have.

Did any of these catch your fancy? Or have you read any of these?

One of my goals this year was to read

Because I loved and because of all the hype with the prequel, I was super excited to read it. And it did deliver but perhaps not to my expectations.

There is a lot of background and a lot of context-building with four regions, 3 main heroines, and one lost guy trying to find out if he is cursed. It's action-filled and the women-led societies had my heart. And of course the dragons and wyverns. I really liked the concept of balance that's the central theme. The only issue I felt was that with all the story building, the end came too fast. I would have appreciated some more non-coincidental battle ends.

Overall, I would still recommend it if you are a high-fantasy, high stakes fan.

Have you read this one? What did you feel?

Welcome to my stop on the bookstagram tour of

We have already established that I love grandparent sleuths. But this one goes beyond solving mysteries. This is a tale of 4 fierce ladies doing whatever is needed to protect their community. They are not granny detectives, they are granny vigilantes. 💯 And that means surprises as you read it.

I absolutely loved the characters except the perpetrator/s of course. Baz is an advanced-age transgender who is going through hormone therapy. Her doubts and struggles voice concerns no one talks about. Her own family treats her badly which is an ugly truth we need to face and change.
I also adored Cookie and Daisy. But my favourite has to be Peggy with her no-nonsense attitude and her love for writing.

The predators in the book abuse their targets mentally and sexually. They are a lot more common than we care to admit. We see an uncensored portrayal of how authorities try to diminish the severity by misrepresenting them. By calling them gropers instead of rapers or blaming the victim based on their life choices.

I also loved the writing style. To write about such serious topics and still make it fun to read is a great feat. It is humorous and leaves you with a hopeful end. It reinforces the comfort in friendships and trust in communities.

Last but not least, all the talk of knitting and embroidery inspired me to pick up this small project and complete it. 😍♥️

Highly recommended.

Thank you for sending this my way.

Trigger warnings: assault, murder

Sometimes you read a book, and you love it, and you want to read it all over again because you feel you only understood part of it. That it's much more than it appears. And that was the case with me when I read

It is the story of two sisters struggling with a broken family, their mother’s illness, their father’s infidelity and searching for their own identities in the mix. While Sasha grapples with her sexual identity, Zora loses herself in writing.

This book has everything in it. Caribbean history, folklore, identity, sexuality, family, love, sisterhood. The mix sometimes blurs the lines between reality and folklore and I found it adds to the experience.

I would like to read it again like I said, but this time more slowly, relishing and living it with more meaning.

Recommended if you like magical realism and folklores.

Some latest additions to my With all the self control I try to exercise while buying books, I also slip sometimes and give in to the temptation.

Have you read or want to read any of these?

Another Jesse Sutanto appreciation post. After Vera Wong, I wanted to read more of her books. and were both laugh riots. Full of moments where I went “Oh Sh*t!” out loud, these kept me on the edge of my seat.

While the stories and situations seem too far-fetched, they put you in the mind of watching situational comedies where things go wrong one after the other. Both books have weddings with a murder involved. And they are hilarious with four Chinese-Indonesian aunties trying to sort the situation while only making it worse.

But it's not just comedy. It's also about family, and sticking together through thick & thin. It's about trusting them and accepting them in all shapes and forms they come in.

I wish there was a glossary for the Indonesian word. We never notice it with Hindi words in books but it can mar the experience for a reader who doesn't know the language.

But if you are looking to forget things bothering you and have a fun reading time to relax, these are perfect for that.

Recommend books with grandparents as detectives, please?

After I read Thursday Murder Club, I really fell for old-aged detective stories. Vera Wong was next in the queue and I am looking forward to reading ‘A bit of murder between friends’ next.



While Vera Wong is a detective story at face value, it is really the story of a grandmother struggling with a lonely life while trying to keep a tea shop afloat. So when a person is found dead in her store, and the police try to dismiss it as an accident, she decides to be the detective and solve the murder mystery she is convinced exists. During this time, she meets other troubled people, the wife of the dead who has been gaslighted into a miserable and lonely life, an artist looking to get her mojo back, and a brother trying to make some extra money.

And Vera Wong becomes a part of all their lives like a whirlwind. She is the epitome of a Chinese mother who does not understand boundaries and does not take no for an answer. While the mystery solving is completely co-incidental, with Vera hiding a lot of clues, the story is a comfort. It is the perfect read for a lazy day when you just want to snuggle up and forget about your own worries.

Have/ Will you read it?

Hi folks! Today is my stop on the book tour of What A Desi Girl Wants by and hosted by

is a contemporary sapphic story about Mehar who come back to India after 12 years. She has been living in Kansas, US with her mother ever since her parents separated. And now she gets to learn more about her dad’s side of the family and culture.

It is such a glitzy, blingy story that it transports you right away to one of the Indian dramas with all the luxury, glam, and plot twists. Plus the dynamics of having an extended family. It also made me nostalgic for home with references to the sights and foods of India.

The thing that spoke to me however is about the complexity of being the eldest child and the responsibilities that come attached to it. Mehar’s father and love interest both make sacrifices in life to ensure that their families were happy and safe. It's weird to Mehar and probably to other readers from different cultures but it's a reality in Indian families. Yes, it is not right and the book addresses this very well.

I also liked how the concept of a gay relationship in Indian society is handled, how the need to be secretive arises, and how the experience is different for people from different social classes.

Some Hindi/Urdu words can trip readers not familiar with the language and I wish there was an index for that.

But other than that, I really enjoyed reading this one. Totally recommended if you like reading contemporary romance, or are just looking for a light read.

***rbooks

Do you also binge-read the author that you someday read and liked? Which ones are you currently reading?

I do that all the time. My current authors to-read include Taylor Jenkins Reid, Jesse Sutanto, and Lisa See.

So when I read by , I had to read Zachary Ying too.



is a genre-bending mix of sci-fi, fantasy, and history. It follows Zachary who, or rather whose VR headsets are possessed by the spirit of the greatest king in Chinese history. And now he is responsible to save the world from being overrun by a horde of malicious spirits and save his mother too.

Yes, it's as interesting to read as the blurb sounds. Half the time, I felt like I was watching a game unfold. The pacing, the character development, and the twists are all well-placed and there was never a dull moment in the book. It also gives you a glimpse into Chinese history with various kings and characters coming to life with brilliant storytelling.

It's a great coming-of-age story too with identity issues and finding one’s place in a society that’s not ready to accept you for who you are.

Absolute recommend it to all fantasy and history fiction fans.

***rbooks

I recently read books by and I absolutely loved the genre she is writing in. Sci-fi fantasy, with roots in Chinese history, is a mix I have never read before. And came with an extra punch of feminism.

The story is set in a world where humans have advanced tech but are under the threat of hudlums. To protect the frontiers there are chrysalises(mega machines like transformers) which are powered by the qi of their male pilots and female concubines. Zetian offers herself to be a concubine so she can assassinate the pilot who killed her sister. But there are other secrets which can change the dynamics of the war and the future of the country.

I loved the details with which Xiran has created this world. I didn't agree with all the ways Zetian tried to uplift the situation of female pilots but it's part of her character that we see evolve through the story. Li Shimin though, his whole story moved me and is perfectly executed.

My favorite part was the visualization of ying & yang realm that the pilots enter when they are in a chrysalis. It is so vivid and changes based on the person.

It touches on practices like feet binding, and domestic violence women face.

I am really looking forward to part 2 of this one as the cliffhanger was really intense.

Absolutely recommend it.

Trigger warning: violence

It brings us immense happiness when we have a good reading month. But I feel that we should also celebrate the months we don't read as much in. Because that means we spent our time doing something else we love. Be it travelling, spending time with loved ones, or even focusing on our day jobs.

What matters is that you do what brings you happiness. 😇

I read these two books in June and I am happy because both of them were incredible.

📚 was a great mix of sci-fi and Chinese history. It informed me a lot about the topic while keeping me on my toes to find out what happens next. It has very Pokemon game vibes and I absolutely loved it.

📚 was a recommendation. I am so happy to have read it. It covers a host of topics Caribbean - history, folklore, family, sexuality, identity, and a lot more. It left me wanting to read it all over again. I found out only today that June was also month and it was the perfect book to pick up. I also happened to visit a Surinamese food place in Amsterdam which was vegan and very very good. See the next picture for the interiors.

Overall a great and a great travel month for me.

***rreads

I read Frontier back in March but I never got around to writing a review for it. But it’s never too late. And I don't think I have a lot to say than that I really enjoyed reading it.

Frontier is a sci-fi love story set on Earth in a far far future where it's just a barren wasteland and only people living are the ones who chose not to leave it to settle on a new planet. And they are a varied bunch. Amidst them comes a spaceship crash survivor looking for the love of her life. And what ensues is an adventure full of love, hope, and laser guns.

Each part of the adventure reads like a short story making it a fast-paced read. I loved the world-building. The desolate earth and how the people living here are more like scavengers. There are societies based on faith, lies, deceit, and hope. But survival links them all.

It has a wild West vibe with the arid landscape and guns pulled out at every corner. It is also about climate change and perhaps a message to people to reflect through a vivid dystopian picture.

And the love story part is beautiful and hopeful. To see someone cross all hurdles to save the one they love, to see people making sacrifices for the greater good, leaves you hopeful and happy.

I really liked this one. And would recommend it to anyone looking for a dose of hope with some action.

***rfiction