Title: The Prince Author: Machiavelli Genre: Non fiction Summary: I don’t remember most of what I read in this book, but I do remember that it was boring for me. None the less, it was an insightful look into the mind of Machiavelli and Italy in his time. Machiavelli is considered the father of political philosophy in the western tradition and he outlines the conduct of a prince and the actions he has to take to ensure a peaceful and successful reign. He speaks of what a ruler does in each situation and I wonder what the prince it was gifted to thought of it. This is a political treatise wher ..read more

Title: Let’s Talk Money Author: Monika Halan Genre: Non-fiction Summary: We work hard to earn our money. But regardless of how much we earn, the money worry never goes away. Bills, rent, EMIs, medical costs, vacations, kids’ education and, somewhere at the back of the head, the niggling thought about being under-prepared for our own retirement. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our money worked for us just as we work hard for it? What if we had a proven system to identify dud investment schemes? What if could just plug seamlessly into a simple, jargon-free plan to get more value out of our money ..read more

Title: Letters from a Stoic Author: Seneca Genre: Non-fiction (Philosophy) Summary: Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC-AD 65) is one of the most famous Roman philosophers. Instrumental in guiding the Roman Empire under emperor Nero, Seneca influenced him from a young age with his Stoic principles. Later in life, he wrote Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, or Letters from a Stoic, detailing these principles in full. Seneca’s letters read like a diary or a handbook of philosophical meditations. Often beginning with observations on daily life, the letters focus on many traditional themes of Stoic philosop ..read more

Let’s talk diversity in books. When I first wrote this post in 2017, diversity was a talking point across book communities  in twitter and blogs. Now, it is still an important thing to talk about. Why do we need diverse books?  Simply put, our world is diverse and we need to see the reflection of our world in the media that we consume-whether it is TV shows or the books that we devour. It distorts our view when the picture a book paints leaves out communities. We connect with the characters from the books we read, because we see pieces of ourselves in them. This is why diversity is i ..read more

Fantasy is a large genre spanning thousands of books. If you’re new to the genre and want to add to your to-be-read list, here’s a curated list of books for you to get started. The Hobbit In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classi ..read more

Title: The Witch’s Heart Author: Genevieve Gornichec Genre: Fantasy Summary: When a banished witch falls in love with the legendary trickster Loki, she risks the wrath of the gods in this moving, subversive debut novel that reimagines Norse mythology. Angrboda’s story begins where most witches’ tales end: with a burning. A punishment from Odin for refusing to provide him with knowledge of the future, the fire leaves Angrboda injured and powerless, and she flees into the farthest reaches of a remote forest. There she is found by a man who reveals himself to be Loki, and her initial distrust o ..read more

I’ve decided to start doing this again because I’m on vacation. Please don’t throw rotten tomatoes at me lol. Theme: Mythological. The black marbles shone with the reflected light of the sun shining brightly through the spacious windows adorning the court of the newly crowned king, and he knelt at the feet of the golden throne. Kratos and Bia stood guard at his sides, holding him down with their hands pushing down at his shoulders. Zeus’ lips curled in distaste as he turned to the side to pick up a goblet of wine that the cowering nymph held on a platter next to his high rising throne, where ..read more

Title: Letters from Earth Author: Mark Twain Summary: This title story consists of letters written by the archangel Satan to archangels, Gabriel and Michael, about his observations on the curious proceedings of earthly life and the nature of man’s religions. By analyzing the idea of heaven and God that is widely accepted by those who believe in both, Twain is able to take the silliness that is present and study it with the common sense that is absent. Not so much an attack as much as a cold dissection. Other short stories in the book include a bedtime story about a family of cats Twain wrote ..read more

Title: The Four Agreements Author: Miguel Ruiz Summary: In The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love. The Four Agreements are: Be Impeccable With Your Word, Don’t Take Anything Personally, Don’t Make Assumptions, Always Do Your Best. Review: I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I was expecting to dislike it. Actually ..read more

Title: Kushiel’s Dart Series: Phedre’s trilogy Author: Jacqueline Carey Genre: Fantasy Synopsis: The land of Terre d’Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good… and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission… and the first one to recognize who and what she is: o ..read more