deepat's Reviews (252)

Such a funny, sharp, crazy, caring grandma, Vera Wong is. Her “world-famous” tea house gives me such cozy vibes. Her teas and her fabulous lunches are such a joy to read about.  Her Asian elder attitude is so typical and caricature-esque that it is totally hilarious. All the other characters were so charming, too. Even her errant son turns out good, after all. Loved this book. 

This was such a fun, easy read. A world of spooky cemeteries, scary real-ish dreams, ghosts that talk and move things around, seances - and yet, wholesome and cozy at the same time. I did guess the culprit correctly by the time I was at 70% of the book, but that only added to the thrill of verifying my guess.  Loved it. Will definitely check out the next books in the series. 

It has been a while since I last read a Perry Mason book. I had totally forgotten that this was no gentleman lawyer; he is a tough guy, with a very loose idea of “the right way” to do things. The plot was slightly confusing in parts and I found it a little difficult to concentrate. But overall, it was a great book. I am thinking that I’ll catch up with a few more of his books soon. 

I liked the stories very much. Most of these were stories I had already heard of, from a slightly different perspective. It was interesting to learn about Kinnaras; I did not know much of them. Also the story of the apsara, Tilottama, was new to me. I’m not a great fan of this type of illustration, though. I prefer the earlier style. 

A crazy, funny, deep book. There were so many parts that I read and reread, to fully absorb the meaning. I loved how the author was poking fun at humans and their strange ways. The chapter about the businessman was so dangerously close to the truth, omg! So was the chapter about the trains. A quick read too. 

 

“It is only with one’s heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”

One thing I’ve learned is that collections of Fairy Tales are awfully repetitive and boring. It was a slog trying to read through all these stories in one go. I was able to enjoy the more familiar stories - The Little Mermaid, The Tinderbox, The Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina… because I could envision the stories better as I had already read them in comic form earlier. Also it was fun seeing how different the original and the modified popular versions were, such as  The Little Mermaid. They are so much more fun when read in a child-friendly format one at a time (I would recommend the Classics Illustrated Junior series).

I love the entire Plantagenet and Tudor series, but the added element of witchcraft and magic makes this book so much more interesting than the other books in the series. Jacquetta, high-born, descended from Melusina, the water goddess, with the gift of The Sight, is a fascinating character. She is an also a very smart woman who learns to survive in the unpredictable world of Medieval English Court, where even a whisper of womanly powers can lead one to the stake. And she is lucky in love, which is always a pleasure to read. A tale of the Wheel of Fortune in all its glory. 

 

(The Wheel of Fortune that can throw you up very high or bring you forth very low - “… they draw a circle in the air with their forefinger when something very good or something very bad happens.” - Its message is to be indifferent to victory and defeat, as they both come on the turn of the Wheel.

An awesome story. It is a classic tale of good vs evil; and mercifully, good triumphs at the end. I was rooting for Catherine throughout the book. A very gripping book; I only wish I had read the first part of the story before starting this one. 

An excellent tale. I’m quite surprised that it is Agatha Christie’s first book. The story was gripping and masterfully unravelled. I have always been partial to Miss Marple, but Poirot is fun too. 

At only 12% in, I was enjoying it tremendously. Lady Eleanor Swift is amazingly progressive and sassy. She has also inherited a funny, elderly bulldog Gladstone and I was roaring with laughter at their little walk-and talks. But then the story started dragging quite a bit. I feel that this book could’ve been reduced to half its length and that would’ve been perfect. It picked up pace towards the end, though. I liked the vibes of the book very much and would definitely consider other books in the series - if it works for any of my readathon prompts.